Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE BARS WITH GINGERSNAP BROWN BUTTER SAUCE

It’s finally Fall. In my mind it’s been Fall since September 1st, but hey, I’ll take it. What I’m also going to take, is all the pumpkin I can get, and incorporate into recipes. Like these pumpkin cheesecake bars.

The gingersnap brown butter sauce is a dream.

Heinen’s Grocery has some premium canned organic pumpkin puree and also organic maple bourbon syrup.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE BARS WITH GINGERSNAP BROWN BUTTER SAUCE RECIPE

Ingredients

Bar Crust Ingredients

• 1 box yellow cake mix

• 1 egg

• 1 stick butter, melted

Pumpkin Cheesecake Ingredients

• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree to dollop along pre-baked cheesecake layer

• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix

• 2 cups powdered sugar (16oz)

• 1 8oz cream cheese package ( I used honey pecan cream cheese though)

• 2 eggs

Gingersnap Brown Butter Sauce Drizzle Ingredients

• 8 oz bag gingersnaps

• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

• 5 oz maple bourbon syrup or maple syrup

• 1 stick butter, browned

Instructions

Set oven to 350°F. Spray cooking oil spray on 9” by 13” baking tray. I find glass works the best for this recipe.

Mix together the crust ingredients, and press into the baking dish.

With a hand mixer, mix all the cheesecake ingredients except the pumpkin, you will dollop a teaspoon amount on top after you’ve poured it in the baking dish in rows to swirl in with a toothpick.

Pour the pumpkin cheesecake mixture (no lumps) on top of the crust layer.

Add the pumpkin pie spice to the pumpkin puree before dolloping in rows. Mix.

With a teaspoon, begin spacing out about an inch apart, the little dollops of pumpkin in rows.

Take a toothpick and run through the centers of the dollops to blend into the cheesecake.

Place in oven, and bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown.

After the cheesecake has cooled for about 2 hours, let’s make the sauce.

Brown a stick of butter for about 10 minutes on medium low heat to medium, depending on how fast it’s browning.

In a food processor, finely crush the gingersnaps.

Add in the maple syrup, pie spice and pumpkin to the processor and blend more.

When a thick consistency but smooth, pour in hot butter and process until a sauce texture.

Using a butterknife, slice the cheesecake into squares or bars. They are sticky and gooey, and that’s how they should be.

Pour desired amount of sauce over the bars! I had some left over, and it makes for a savable spread for later!