Irish Cream Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

A close-up of a slice of pumpkin cheesecake bar with whipped cream on top.

Irish Cream Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are ultra creamy, with a crisp gingersnap cookie crust, real pumpkin flavor, and cozy fall spices. An unexpected burst of delicious flavor comes from the addition of irish cream in the cheesecake bars and the homemade whipped cream on top!

Course Dessert, Dessert Bars

Cuisine Dessert

Keyword Cheesecake Bars, Thanksgiving Desserts,

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Servings to 16 slices

Calories 436kcal

Author Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Crust

one 5.25 ounce package ginger thin cookies about 150 grams
5 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp granulated sugar

For the Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup Five Farms Irish Cream, at room temperature
1 cup canned pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp allspice

For the Whipped Cream

1/2 cup cold heavy cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar
3 tbsp Five Farms Irish Cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of nutmeg optional but delicious

Instructions

Prep: Preheat your oven to 350° F. Spray a 9x9 ceramic or glass baking dish with cooking spray and line with parchment paper.
Make & Bake the Crust: Add gingersnap cookies to a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Melt the butter in a small bowl and stir in the cookie crumbs and sugar. The mixture will be sandy and a little wet. Press this mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 9 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside.
Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Batter: Make sure your cold items have been brought to room temperature first! (See recipe notes below). Add the cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on high speed, until creamy, 1 minute or so. Add the sugar and mix until well combined. Add the eggs, two at a time, and beat on medium speed until just combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula between additions to catch any lumps of cream cheese. Do NOT over mix them! Add the Five Farms Irish Cream, pumpkin, vanilla, and spices and mix until everything is just combined. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is combined.
Bake the Cheesecake Bars: Pour pumpkin filling into your pre baked crust and bake for 38-42 minutes. The edges will appear set, and the center will have a slight jiggle. A toothpick inserted will pull out some thick batter. Let the bars cool on a wire rack at room temperature until no longer warm, then chill in the fridge at least 3 hours.
Make Whipped Cream: Make this just before serving. In a large bowl, beat together the cold heavy cream, irish cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Don't over mix.
Serve + Store: Slice and serve your chilled cheesecake bars with the irish cream whipped cream. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-6 days.
Make-Ahead Tips: Cheesecake bars can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes

Note: If your cold items aren't brought to room temperature for the cheesecake bars, you'll have lumps in your batter. Don't skip this step! Let cream cheese and eggs sit out for about 1-2 hours before using, and let the irish cream sit out for about 20-30 minutes.

Note: You can sub graham cracker crumbs for the gingersnap cookie crumbs, but you'll only need 1 cup (120 grams) of graham crackers to the 5 tbsp of butter.

Nutrition