Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Squares are a delicious, three-layer, fall dessert recipe!
These amazing cheesecake squares originally appeared in Bon Appetit magazine a long time ago. This dessert is made up of three layers: crust, pumpkin filling and a sweet sour cream topping. It’s a great addition to a fall dessert table. You can cut them into 16 small squares. They’re a yummy, grab-and-go treat. If you’re a lover of pumpkin cheesecake, that filling in the middle is completely amazing.
How to make Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Squares:
The crust:
It’s a buttery, pecan-oat crust. You’ll mix the ingredients and then take out a bit of the crust crumbs to set aside. The rest are pressed into the bottom of a square pan. The crumbs you set aside will be baked too– on a separate baking sheet. Those will act as the crumbly topping for these pumpkin cheesecake crumble squares.
The pumpkin filling:
It’s basically pumpkin cheesecake in the middle. You’ll combine the ingredients, spread them over the baked crust, and then you’ll bake it again.
The topping:
Every good, classic cheesecake has a sweetened sour cream topping, and that’s what this is. It’s a simple mix of sour cream, sugar and vanilla. It’s mixed and spread on top of the pumpkin cheesecake layer. Then it’s baked for just 5 minutes.
Finally, those crust crumbs that you cooked in the beginning are sprinkled on top and pressed in gently. At this point, the pan should be refrigerated for a least a couple of hours– just until everything is set.
Then you can cut it into squares. The photo shows nine squares, but that a very generous serving! It’s better to cut them into 16 squares. The dessert is rich, so a smaller square serving is just perfect.
You can prepare this dessert up to two days ahead of serving. Just keep plastic wrap over them in the refrigerator, and they’ll be just fine. I’d cut them right before you want to serve them. Enjoy!
Here are a few more pumpkin desserts you might like to try:
- Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies
- Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
- No Bake Pumpkin Shortbread Bars
- Pumpkin Blondies
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares
- Golden Cinnamon Pumpkin Bars
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
- Patterned Pumpkin Roll
Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Squares
Ingredients
CRUST:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
- 1 cup (4 ounces) pecan halves
- 3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats.
FILLING:
- One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
TOPPING:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
PREPARE THE CRUST:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Generously butter a 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Using on/off turns, blend the first crust 4 ingredients in your food processor until a coarse meal forms. Add the pecans; using on/off turns, and process until the nuts are chopped. Add the oats; process using on/off turns until the mixture is moistened but not clumping. Press 3 1/2 cups crumbs onto the bottom of the prepared square pan (do not clean the processor). Transfer the remaining crumbs to the lined baking sheet. Bake the crumbs on the baking sheet until golden, stirring once, about 8 minutes. Cool the crumbs. Bake the crust until golden, about 30 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven while preparing the filling. Maintain the oven temperature.
PREPARE THE FILLING:
- Blend all of the ingredients in the same processor until smooth. Spread the filling over the warm crust; bake until set, dry in the center, and beginning to rise at the edges, about 20 minutes. Continue to maintain the oven temperature.
PREPARE THE TOPPING:
- Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Spread evenly over the hot filling. Bake until the topping sets and bubbles at the edges, about 5 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a rack. Sprinkle the baked crumbs over the topping; gently press into the topping.
- Lightly cover with plastic wrap; chill until cold, about 2 hours before slicing.
Notes
- *These may be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Cut into squares. The photos show them cut into 9 squares. You'll be happier cutting them into 16 squares as they are rich and perfect when served as a smaller bar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
