Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

Swirled Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars Recipe

• 6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Lightly butter and flour a 10x15-inch baking pan.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
4. Beat in 2 eggs, pumpkin and 1/3 cup water until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
5. In another bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg.
6. Stir or beat flour mixture into butter mixture until well blended.
7. Spread batter evenly into prepared baking pan.
8. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 egg and 1/4 cup sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
9. Drop cream cheese mixture by tablespoonfuls over batter in 24 evenly spaced portions.
10. Pull knife tip through filling to swirl slightly into batter.
11. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the center of the pumpkin batter (not the cream cheese mixture) springs back when touched.
12. Let pan cool completely on wire rack.
13. Cut into desired size bars.
14. Pumpkin bars can be stored in the refrigerator, in airtight container for up to 3 days.

This recipe makes one 10x15-inch pan of Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares Recipe

Spicy crispy gingersnaps are the perfect crust to complement the rich and creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling.

• 2 cups finely crushed gingersnaps (about 30 cookies)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking pan and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, stir together gingersnaps and melted butter.
3. Press mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan.
4. Bake about 10 minutes or until crust is firm. Remove pan from oven and let cool.
5. In a medium bowl, stir together pumpkin, flour and pumpkin pie spice; set aside.
6. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth.
7. Add sugar and vanilla to cream cheese and beat until combined.
8. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat just until combined after each addition with mixer on low speed.
9. Stir one-third of the cream cheese cheese mixture into the pumpkin batter until smooth.
10. Pour remaining cream cheese mixture over crust and spread evenly.
11. Drop large spoonfuls of pumpkin mixture randomly over cream cheese layer. Using tip of knife or thin metal spatula, gently swirl the two batters together.
12. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center is just set.
13. Let pan cool completely on wire rack.
14. Cover and chill pan for 4 to 24 hours before cutting into squares.

This recipe makes about 25 Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares.