Lazy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe

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Crockpot pumpkin cheesecake bars are an easy, delicious, and moist dessert full of the flavors of fall. This treat is made with a traditional pie crust covered with a sweet and smooth pumpkin layer all topped with creamy and delicious cheesecake.

You had me at...cheesecake! Not sure there is a dessert flavor out there that can't be made better by adding the word "cheesecake" to it. That sweet and creamy mixture is the perfect accent for pretty much - everything!

Layer that creamy goodness with some pureed pumpkin and seasonal spices and WOW! Don't expect leftovers when you serve this!

Why Use A Crockpot To Make This Recipe?

Of course, you can make dessert in the oven. But there are a bunch of great reasons to use your slow cooker. Here are some of them:

1. Using your crockpot to make these easy pumpkin cheesecake bars is great when you don’t have the time to babysit a dish in the oven. Oven baked goods can go from done to overdone in the blink of an eye. Since crockpots are slow and steady, they are a little more forgiving of people who (like me) sometimes run late or lose track of time. If crockpot cooking time says 2 hours but you have an errand, call or meeting that runs 15 minutes over, chances are your dish will be just fine! Additionally, many slow cookers are programmable and can be set to turn off or down to warm at a predetermined time.
2. Using your crockpot to make a dessert like this one leaves more space in the oven for other things. If you already have an entree, appetizer and side dish going, brining your slow cooker in to the picture to make dessert can be lifesaving!
3. When using in your crockpot, you can use either parchment paper or a slow cooker liner leaving you with virtually zero clean up!
4. Crockpots are a great way to cook with children! Since they don’t get super hot the way ovens do AND since you generally don’t turn them on until all ingredients are in, they are very family friendly. (Please note that you CAN still burn yourself with a slow cooker so always supervise children carefully anytime you are in the kitchen!).
5. Slow Cookers create very moist cooking environments. This is idea for keeping your cheesecake nice and creamy!

How To Make This Easy Cheesecake Recipe

The Crust

Being the lazy human that I am, I use a pre-made refrigerated crust for this dish. Start by lining the slow cooker with parchment paper or a slow cooker liner. Next, take the refrigerated pie dough crust and unroll it in your slow cooker. You will need to stretch, pinch and reshape it to make it fit.

Don't worry if you have to cut off a piece and mold it elsewhere. The goal here is to cover the entire bottom of the crockpot with crust. It doesn't have to be pretty. It won't be very visible later.

The Pumpkin

The next layer in your delicious crockpot dessert is the pumpkin. For this you will need:

• pumpkin puree
• evaporated milk
• eggs
• sugar
• cinnamon
• ginger, ground
• ground cloves

All of these will be mixed together in a bowl and then spread in an even layer over your pie crust.

The Cheesecake

For this mouthwatering layer you will need:

• cream cheese
• eggs
• sugar
• vanilla

Combine these in a bowl and mix or whisk until smooth and well blended. For best results, I recommend a hand mixer for this step. The hand mixer will make the cheesecake layer a little runny and it will be perfect to pour on top of the pumpkin layer and smooth out with a spoon or spatula.

The finishing steps

Turn your slow cooker to high, cover, and allow to cook for 3-4 hours until the centermost spot is set and not jiggly when you give your slow cooker a gentle shake. When cooking is complete, allow your dish to cool.

Once cooled, you can transfer it to the fridge. It is best to let it sit in the refrigerator for about 2 hours prior to servings.

How To Serve Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

There is certainly no wrong way to serve these! My preference would be to sit down with the entire batch and a fork. However, most people are more civilized than I am....

These are great cut into squares and sprinkled with a little cinnamon or cinnamon sugar. They are also wonderful with a dollop of whipped cream or a sprinkle of fresh berries. Another delicious option is to drizzle with some caramel sauce.

If you have a different way you love to serve this dish, please share in the comment section below!

Dessert Bar Hints & Hacks

1. Not a fan of pre-made pie crusts? A homemade pie crust or graham cracker crust would be amazing as well. if you prefer, you can make your own crust from scratch or from a mix like this one.
2. If you chose to use premade refrigerated (or frozen) crusts, let them come to room temperature before trying to reshape them to fit your crockpot. They will be much more moldable when they warm up a bit.
3. These freeze really well making them a great prep-in-advance holiday or party dessert!
4. Interested in making this bar even better? Trying using homemade pumpkin puree (made in your slow cooker, of course!!).
5. Although any vanilla extract will work, there is just something extra about the pure vanilla extract and the amazing flavor it adds. Here is a great one.
6. Storing pie in the refrigerator will help to extend its shelf life up to about a week.
7. In the market for a new slow cooker? Here is the one I am currently lusting after.
8. I am a huge fan of slow cooker liners and usually recommend them for everything. However, for this type of dish, parchment paper is even better. Here is the kind I use.

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