These no bake pumpkin cheesecake bars have a spiced pumpkin filling and a gingersnap crust! These no bake pumpkin bars are made without gelatin. Instead, they have a whipped cream base, which helps keep them stable. I've decorated them with vanilla bean whipped cream, but they would also be amazing with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce! These pumpkin cheesecake bars are perfect for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving.
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When I'm hosting for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I love having at least one dessert that doesn't need the oven. It makes the whole day so much easier. These no-bake pumpkin cheesecake bars are exactly that!
Just like my no bake vanilla cheesecake, these pumpkin cheesecake bars don't use gelatin to set them. Instead, I add whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture to help stabilize the cheesecake. I then decided to make a gingersnap crust because I love the combo of pumpkin with gingersnap cookies, but you can easily swap them out for graham crackers!
If you want more Thanksgiving cheesecake recipes that are baked, check out my pecan pie cheesecake and apple crisp cheesecake! Or if you want another pumpkin dessert, try my pumpkin cupcakes with marshmallow frosting.
Why This is Perfect for Thanksgiving 🎃
- No need to turn on the oven and no gelatin required!
- Super simple to make.
- Can be made a day ahead, just top with whipped cream just before serving!
Ingredients Needed
- Pumpkin: Make sure you're using 100% pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling has sugar and spices already added to it.
- Gingersnap Cookies: Feel free to swap these out for an equal amount of graham cracker crumbs.
- Cream Cheese: You'll need to use full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese, or if you're in the UK, I've found that Longley Farms cream cheese is the most like American cream cheese!
- Heavy Cream: We'll whip up heavy cream to make whipped cream.
Let's Make Cheesecake Bars!
- Step 1: Combine the gingersnap cookie crumbs with the melted butter, salt, and brown sugar.
- Step 2: Pour into an 8x8 baking pan lined with parchment paper. Press down into an even layer (make it compact!) then freeze for 20 minutes.
- Step 3: Whip the heavy cream with a stand mixer or a handheld mixer.
- Step 4: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining cheesecake ingredients.
- Step 5: Gently fold the whipped cream into the smooth cheesecake mixture until just combined.
- Step 6: Take the crust out of the freezer and pour the filling on top. Use a small offset spatula to smooth the top. Cover the top of the pan with plastic wrap and chill for at least 12 hours.
My Top Tricks, Tips, & More For the Perfect Cheesecake Bars!
- Pack the Crust: Use a rubber spatula or the bottom of a measuring cup to really pack the crust down into the pan. This is going to help give the bars more structure.
- Chill Overnight: Let the pumpkin bars chill for at least 12 hours to help the filling set. The longer, the better!
- Slicing: Use a sharp knife to slice into bars. I like to (carefully!) clean the knife with a paper towel after every slice.
- Decorating: I used a Wilton 1M piping tip and my vanilla bean whipped cream to decorate each bar.
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Thank you!
Ella
Recipe
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Equipment
- 8x8 inch baking pan
Ingredients
Gingersnap Crust
- 2 ¼ cups (226 grams) gingersnap cookie crumbs
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter melted
- pinch kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
Pumpkin Cheesecake
- 1 cup (226 grams) pumpkin puree
- 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream cold
- 12 ounces (340 grams) cream cheese room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup (150 grams) confectioners' sugar sifted
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk your crushed cookie crumbs with your melted butter, sugar, and salt. Make sure all the crumbs are moist and there aren't any dry patches.2 ¼ cups (226 grams) gingersnap cookie crumbs, 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, pinch kosher salt, 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
- Line a 8x8inch pan with parchment paper two ways, that way it'll be easy to lift it out. So you want to make an X with the parchment paper!
- Pour the crumbs into your prepared pan. Use a rubber spatula or the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs down into an even layer. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or using a hand held electric mixer, whisk the cold heavy cream for about 5 minutes until you have stiff peaks. Set aside.2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until completely smooth - you don't want any lumps at all.12 ounces (340 grams) cream cheese
- Add in your sifted confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, salt, and spices. Beat on medium-high until incorporated and smooth.1 cup (226 grams) pumpkin puree, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 ⅓ cup (150 grams) confectioners' sugar, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in your whipped cream, being careful to not deflate the cream.
- Pour the filling into your chilled crust. Use a small offset spatula to smooth out the top. Cover in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge overnight. 12 hours is best! Take out of the fridge and lift the cheesecake out of the pan, then slice into bars. I decorated my bars with whipped cream.
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DLC says
Made this in advance for Thanksgiving. I haven't tasted it all together but I tried the crust and filling as I made it and both were delicious. I know it’s going to be a hit!
Ella says
Thanks for your review, I hope you enjoy it!
Deborah says
So this is an update to my above review. This is so delicious. The cheesecake layer is very light and very tasty. I can’t have gluten so I used gluten free gingersnaps and the crust was amazing. My 15 month old grandson kept saying more, more. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks so much for the great recipes. Next I’m going to try your Christmas cookies.
Ella says
Thank you so much for your review, Deborah!