Photo by Tom McCorkle and food styling by Gina Nistico for The Washington Post
These no-bake pumpkin cheesecake bars have a rich-tasting, creamy filling that’s woven with warmly spiced pumpkin puree and set on a tender graham cracker crumb crust. And, with a modest measure of cream cheese blended with Greek yogurt, which adds a gentle tang and silky texture to the filling, plus a blend of butter and healthy oil in the crust, these bars are better-for-you, too. They also have smart-portioning built in — rather than being toweringly high as many bars are, these are just the right height for a delightful balance of buttery crust and luscious, fall-infused filling in every bite.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
The cheesecake needs to be assembled at least 8 hours before serving.
No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
For the crust
7 full sheets graham crackers (4 ounces/113 grams)
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed, avocado or canola
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
For the filling
6 ounces (170 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup (40 grams) confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup (125 grams) Greek yogurt (nonfat, low-fat or whole)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (130 grams) canned pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon boiling water
1 teaspoon powdered gelatin
Directions
Line an 8-inch square pan with a piece of parchment long enough to have about a 2-inch overhang on two sides.
Make the crust: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until fine crumbs form. (Alternatively, place the crackers in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin, then transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl.) Add the oil, butter, maple syrup and salt and pulse to incorporate (or stir together in the bowl), until the mixture resembles wet sand. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and firmly press into the bottom. Transfer to the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Make the filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the yogurt and vanilla and beat to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
Pour the boiling water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin on top, then immediately stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir about half of the dissolved gelatin into the cream cheese mixture, and the other half into the pumpkin mixture, until well incorporated. Add the pumpkin mixture to the cream cheese mixture and, using a rubber spatula, fold the two until there are just thin ribbons of the pumpkin mixture visible. Pour the filling over the crust. Cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or until the filling is firm. (Even when firm, the filling will be very creamy and the crust quite tender.)
When ready to serve, use the parchment overhangs to gently lift the slab out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Sprinkle with the cinnamon, slice into 12 (2-by-2 2/3-inch) bars and serve chilled.
Servings: 12 (makes 12 bars)
Per serving: Calories 149; Total Fat 9g; (Sat Fat 4g); Protein 3g; Carb 14g; Fiber 1g; Cholesterol 19mg; Sodium 137mg; Total Sugar 8g (including 7 g added sugar)
