Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
8
15 minutes
30 minutes
Dessert
Maple Way
A perfect fall treat! These cheesecake bars are a decadent way to bring pumpkin to the table. Unlike heavier cheesecake bars the pockets of fruity pumpkin filling breaks up the rich cheesecake flavor beautifully! Let this recipe be the star of your next gathering!
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 12-oz bag Maple Way Granola
- 2 T (1 oz) unsalted butter, melted
- a pinch of salt
For the cheesecake:
- 1½ pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 jar Laura Ann’s Maple Pumpkin Butter (more for swirling), can substitute store-bought apple butter
Directions
For the crust
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch pan and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.
Empty bag of granola into a food processor and process until finely ground (stop once it starts clumping). Move granola to a mixing bowl and add melted butter and salt. Stir until combined.
Press granola mixture gently into prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.
For the cheesecake:
Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Combine cream cheese, sugars and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer until evenly blended. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and pumpkin butter and mix until smooth.
Pour the pumpkin cheesecake into the cooled crust. Bake the cheesecake until the edges appear set and the center still appears slightly jiggly, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool at room temperature for 45 minutes, then refrigerate until firm (at least 2 hours, up to overnight). Remove from pan, cut into bars and enjoy!