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Just knowing that these Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars are sitting in the fridge, waiting to be enjoyed, will put you in a good mood.
These cheesecake bars are so full of fall flavors and topped with that quintessential Crème Brûlée crunch I just adore.
Crème Brûlée is so delicious, and I honestly love any excuse to use my kitchen torch.
So I decided to combine that tasty, sugary crunch with some fall flavors, plus cheesecake … and add chocolate, just for good measure!
These cheesecake bars are perfect for any fall festivity and are the unexpected treat people will be raving about for years.
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
How to Make Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
What Type of Pumpkin for Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars?
- I used store-bought canned pumpkin puree for this Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars recipe.
- Homemade pumpkin puree may work in this recipe, but I don’t necessarily recommend it because it can add excess liquid.
- Note: Be sure NOT to use canned pumpkin pie filling for this recipe – it is not the same thing as pumpkin puree.
- Check out my Fresh vs. Canned Pumpkin article for the differences between using fresh pumpkin puree, regular canned pumpkin, and organic canned pumpkin, and learn how to make your own pumpkin puree!
How to Get SMOOTH Cheesecake Filling
- Make sure your cream cheese is completely softened to room temperature.
- Pulse or beat the softened cream cheese until totally smooth. This may take several minutes.
- Be sure to scrape down all the nooks and crannies of your food processor or mixer bowl and paddle attachment when mixing the filling at each step.
What Can I Use Instead of Graham Crackers?
I love the flavor graham crackers bring to these Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars, but you can use the same amount by weight of digestive biscuits, vanilla wafers, Biscoff cookies, or any crunchy cookie you’d like! Please note that Biscoff cookies are a little richer than graham crackers (which are drier), so add just enough butter until it holds together when pressed.
How to Serve Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Allow Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving, to allow the chocolate layer to soften slightly.
How to Make Pumpkin Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Ahead of Time
The cheesecake bars can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Do not top the bars with sugar and brulee until shortly before serving. The longer the brûléed sugar sits, the more the sugar will begin to re-liquify and no longer be crisp.
How to Store Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- Store the untopped (non-brûléed) cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Untopped slices of cheesecake can also be frozen. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap and store inside an airtight container or freezer bag for up to one month. Defrost overnight in the fridge before topping with sugar, torching, and serving.
More Cheesecake Recipes:
For the crust:
-
9
(135 grams)
whole graham crackers
-
5
tablespoons (71 grams)
unsalted butter,
melted
-
2
cups (340 grams)
semisweet chocolate chips
For the filling:
-
2
(8 ounce) packages cream cheese,
completely softened to room temperature
-
1
cup (200 grams)
granulated sugar
-
1
cup (244 grams)
pure pumpkin puree
-
2
large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
-
1
teaspoon
vanilla extract
-
2
tablespoons
all purpose flour
-
1/2
teaspoon
fine sea salt
-
1
teaspoon
cinnamon
-
1/4
teaspoon
nutmeg
-
1/8
teaspoon
ginger
-
1/8
teaspoon
cloves
For the brulee topping::
-
1/4
cup (50 grams)
granulated sugar
For the crust:
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil, leaving an overhang.
-
In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until moistened. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until lightly browned and set, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Bake for another 2 minutes. Remove from oven and smooth the melted chocolate chips with an offset spatula. Let cool and reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
For the filling:
-
Place the cream cheese in a clean food processor bowl and pulse until smooth (you can also use an electric mixer). Add the sugar, pumpkin, eggs, egg yolk, vanilla, flour, salt, and spices and pulse until combined and smooth. Do not overmix.
-
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake until the cheesecake is set but still slightly jiggly in the center, about 45 minutes. Do not overbake.
-
Place the cheesecake on a cooling rack to cool completely in the pan. Cover and chill until firm, at least 2 hours. Using the foil overhang, transfer the cheesecake to a work surface and use a big sharp knife to cut into squares.
For the brulee topping:
-
On a heat-safe work surface, sprinkle the tops of each square with sugar and torch the tops with a kitchen torch until it turns a deep amber color. Alternatively, use a broiler to brown the sugar. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Note that the chocolate layer does get a bit hard if these bars are very cold, so you may want to let them sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before serving.
This post was originally published in 2014 and has since been updated with additional recipe tips and Baking Science information.
Hi,
Could I put the topping on 2 hours before serving? Also, can you refrigerate them with the topping?
Thank you!
Hi Johnna! Yes, you can refrigerate these bars with the topping, but as Tessa mentions in the pink tip box (above the recipe), the longer the topped brûléed sugar sits, the more the sugar will begin to re-liquify and no longer be crisp. It’s best to brûlée the bars right before serving, if possible, but they should still be delicious within a couple of hours. Happy baking 🙂
Do you think Biscoff cookie crumbs would work as a substitute for the graham crackers? I have a package in the freezer. How many cups or ounces should I use?
Thanks!
Sure! You can actually use the same amount of weight of digestive biscuits, vanilla wafers, Biscoff cookies, or any crunchy cookie you’d like! Just keep in mind that Biscoff cookies are a little richer than graham crackers (which are drier), so add just enough butter until it holds together when pressed. I just edited this recipe to include metric measurements, so hopefully that will help 🙂 Enjoy your cheesecake bars!
I made this for Thanksgiving dessert. I pre-cut the into 9 squares after cooling, before refrigerating. Everyone liked it but did have difficulty eating their dessert squares. My partner suggested that I made a thinner chocolate layer next time. So I thought I’d melt 1 cup of the chocolate chips (I used Guittard) and then carefully pour and spread over the biscoff cookie crumb layer (which tasted terrific) next time.
I use eggs from a friend’s pastured hens. They are large, so next time 2 will be plenty. I learned that using two brands of cream cheese together is a mistake–I ended up with lumps and had to put the mixture through a foodmill to get smooth. Lesson learned!
Thanks for the comment, Diane! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Hi there! My mouth is watering just looking at these pics! I want to double the recipe and make in a 9×13 pan because the 8×8 just doesn’t seem like it will be enough for us! Can you recommend any adjustment in cooking time for the 9×13 and double the ingredients?? Thank you!!!
This is delicious. Made for friends tonight.
Hi! I’m in the UK sand was wondering how much 1 Graham cracker weighs so that I can replace them with what’s available here? Thanks :)))
Hi! One graham cracker weighs about 13 to 14g 🙂
Any suggestions to replace the chocolate in the crust~ odd person out here but sort of a purist with pumpkin desserts only want pumpkin flavor not combined with chocolate. They look lovely~
Hi Tessa. First and foremost, thank you for being you….kind, sweet and a bad-ass baker. I am wicked picky with my baking. I have gotten kinda good at it over the years and have a mini fan base. I have tried a handful of your recipes and have gotten rave reviews. Seriously amazing recipes. Thank you for sharing with all of us. I know I can get your recipes online, but where can I find a hard copy of tour cookbook? I would be honored to own one 🙂 thank you!!!
Hi there, I’m really impressed by this recipe and plan on making it this Thanksgiving. I was a little confused about the brûlée topping. I don’t have a kitchen torch so I will use my oven’s broiler. Do I put the sugar on top of the bars and put everything in the oven together? Do you know how long and at what temperature? Do I risk baking more of the cheesecake when I do this?
Something tells me I should just buy a kitchen torch! lol!
How would a glass dish same size work with this recipe?
My mouth is watering! Cheesecake (baked) is my absolute favorite! Add a brûlée topping…overload yumminess:) I am thinking, vanilla wafers and gram crackers combo!
Would gingersnap crust work well?
Would gingersnap work well for the crust?
I’m curious, what if this recipe was done using a waterbath? Would that affect it in any way since it is like a cheesecake but in a square pan?
Made these last night and these totally blew my mind and my families! I loved it!
Thank you for your reply! I used a tart pan with removable bottom and it worked beautifully…was the perfect Thanksgiving dessert. (though there was about a cup too much of the filling that I couldn’t use so the next time I will try a springform pan with removable bottom to get every delicious bit…fabulous recipe!)
If i am baking this in the ninebythirteen pan do you suggest i increase the time?
I would estimate a 9×13 pan would need another 10-15 minutes, though I can’t be sure as I’ve never done so. Bake until it’s set but still slightly jiggly in the middle, it’s better to err on the side of underbaking than overbaking.
Would this work as a a 9″ pie or in a tart pan as well?
I would use a tart pan with a removable bottom because I think it would be much easier to cut into slices outside of the pan (if baking in a pie shape, the brulee topping and chocolate layer make this recipe a bit more difficult to cut than a regular pie).
thanks for the incredible recipe. Just wondering if the 9×13 is the way to go when doubling the recipe. I Want to make these for thanksgiving and don’t want to mess them up!
Yep – that pan is double the capacity so it should work fine. Since you’re cutting so many more bars, I would definitely follow the tip about letting the bars sit at room temperature until the chocolate layer softens slightly so they’re easier to cut. You might just want to cut them before Thanksgiving dinner 🙂
Could pumpkin pie spice be used alternatively for the separate spices? If so, how much? Thanks!
I would like to make a double batch for a potluck; do you think I could double the recipe to make a 9 x 13 pan?
Thank you.
I don’t see why not!
Do you think these would freeze well? Or would that ruin the brulee topping?
You could freeze them before doing the brulee topping 🙂
I was just having this conversation with someone LAST night. When people make even off-handed JOKING comments that hit too close to home, it’s so hard to brush it off. I also binge watch Jimmy Fallon on youtube! I’d also totally binge-eat these cheesecake bars if they were in my house right now!
These sound phenomenal!
I just want to say that you are an excellent cook! I love your recipes! Girl….let the haters hate… I want to encourage you to keep on keeping on! I know there has to be a lot of love put into every recipe. So glad to be the recipient!!
Awh thanks so much!
I love this combo, YUM!
Love the Brûlée top, can’t wait to try baking them!
The Brûlée topping looks inviting and I’m sure that the flavor combination in the bars tastes lovely.
Not only am I seriously into the pumpkin/cheesecake/chocolate combo, but that brulee topping is killer! Love it!
Wow! Tessa, I think you’ve outdone yourself with these. I don’t eat desserts and I don’t bake. However, this recipe I’m saving. Who knows, I might have a dessert emergency… 🙂
Pumpkin AND creme brulee!? That immediately caught my attention because I’ve never heard of that combination before. I bet they are awesome. I’d love to make these but I’m gluten free. I’m wondering if I could use GF graham crackers and sub GF flour. Just not sure if I need to add xantham gum for binding or not!