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:
- 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.
- 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!
- When using in your crockpot, you can use either parchment paper or a slow cooker liner leaving you with virtually zero clean up!
- 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!).
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- These freeze really well making them a great prep-in-advance holiday or party dessert!
- Interested in making this bar even better? Trying using homemade pumpkin puree (made in your slow cooker, of course!!).
- 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.
- Storing pie in the refrigerator will help to extend its shelf life up to about a week.
- In the market for a new slow cooker? Here is the one I am currently lusting after.
- 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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Lazy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- 4 quart or larger slow cooker (great in a casserole crockpot)
- mixing bowls
- measuring cups and spoons
- whisk
- handheld mixer
- parchment paper or slow cooker liner (optional)
Ingredients
Bottom Layer
- 1 pre-made, refrigerated pie crust dough
Pumpkin Layer
- 2 scant cups pumpkin puree or 1 15oz can
- ¾ cup evaporated milk
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Cheesecake Layer
- 8 oz brick cream cheese, softened
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Bottom Layer
- place parchment paper or slow cooker liner into slow cooker
- allow refrigerated pie crust dough to come to room temperature.
- stretch, mold and cut pie crust as needed to cover bottom of slow cooker
Pumpkin Layer
- place pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves into mixing bowl
- use a wire whisk to fully whisk all ingredients together
- pour mixture into slow cooker on top of pie crust
Cheesecake Layer
- add softened brick of cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla to a clean bowl
- use handheld mixer on low setting to mix all ingredients. It will become liquidy
- pour cream cheese mixture on top of pumpkin layer.
- use a spatula or knife to smooth cream cheese layer fully over pumpkin layer.
- optional: You can use a knife to gently swirl ingredients for a decorative touch. Just be careful not to mix two layers fully together.
- cover and cook on high until set (3½ - 4 hours)
- when fully set, the center will no longer be loose and jiggly if you gently shake slow cooker. turn off of crockpot and allow to cool.
- move cooled pumpkin cheesecake to the refrigerator and allow to set for about 2 hours
- cut into bars and devour!!
Nutrition
More Great Crockpot Desserts
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Ellen says
Hope we have this on Thanksgiving.
Flavorful Eats says
Sounds fabulous! So creative!
admin says
Thank you!!
Shelley says
Could this be done in oven in 9x13 pan or would amounts have to be increased?
The Lazy Slow Cooker says
Hi Shelley, I have honestly never tried it in an oven. However, I use a casserole-style crockpot when I make it and it is about 9x13. If you try it, I would love to hear how it goes.
Thanks for asking!