These gluten-free beauties are a perfect Fall dessert! They're a gluten-free graham cracker base + creamy & luscious cheesecake layer + lightly spiced pumpkin swirl. EASY enough for an everyday dessert, festive enough for a holiday!
Prep Time20mins
Cook Time50mins
Total Time1hr10mins
Course: Dessert, Bar Cookies
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Nut-Free
Servings: 16squares
Author: Healthy Gluten-free Family
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
a scant 1½ cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbsI used one (1 5.6oz box Schar Gluten-Free Honeygrams, finely ground into crumbs using a food processor)
2tablespoonssugar
3tablespoonsbutter or dairy-free buttermelted
1/4teaspooncinnamon
pinchof ginger
Cheesecake Filling
2 8ozbars cream cheese or dairy free cream cheeseroom temperature
½cupsugar
2large eggs
1/3cup+ 1 tablespoon milk
1 1/2teaspoonsvanilla extract
Pumpkin swirl
1cuppumpkin puree
1/3cupsugar
2teaspoonscinnamon
1/4teaspoonsalt
1/4teaspoonnutmeg
1/4teaspoonginger
1tablespoongluten-free all purpose flour
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper
Graham Cracker Crust
Add ingredients in a small bowl and mix until well combined and "moist". Add mixture to lined baking pan and gently press into pan.
Bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Cheesecake Filling
Place cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, blend until very smooth. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix until well combined and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
Pour mixture onto warm and baked crust in pan. Use a spatula to smooth the top or put on oven mitts and gently rock the pan from side to side. (remember the pan will still be HOT!)
Pumpkin Swirl
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl using a spoon or spatula.
Using a small spoon, spoon pumpkin on to cheesecake filling a few spoonfuls at a time. Then using a toothpick, gently swirling the pumpkin into the top of the cheesecake. The toothpick should just barely grab the cheesecake filling. A few notes: The pumpkin is "heavy" relative to the cheesecake, so it will sink a little into the cheesecake giving you that wonderful pumpkin flavor throughout. So that you get the pumpkin swirl on top, just add a few spoonfuls at a time so that it doesn't sink too much before you can swirl it. And if you don't want much pumpkin in the middle of the cheesecake layer, just use less of the pumpkin mixture AND swirl as soon as you spoon it onto the cheesecake layer so it doesn't have time to sink. Finally, there is no right or wrong here, have fun with it and add more pumpkin and swirls as needed or desired.
Bake 30 minutes, then cover with foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until set (filling should jiggle only slightly when pan is gently shaken).
Cool completely in pan. Cover pan loosely with wax paper and chill in the refrigerator until firm --about 2 hours.
Gently lift the parchment paper and squares from the pan. Gently pull parchment paper away from sides. Cut into 16 squares.
Make ahead: Store in the refrigerator, covered until you cut into squares.
Once cut, store in the refrigerator in a sealed container.