Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Time to bring out the fall candles, buy some pumpkin puree, and make some pumpkin theme things! 

What better way to do that than with this amazing fall-in-a-pan dessert? The original recipe was too sweet with not enough cheesecake for me so I cut some sugar out and doubled (bam!) the cheesecake component. Making for some absolutely amazing cheesecake bars. 

                  

The star of these bars is the Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce (pictured in background). This stuff is SO good and thick (required for this recipe) with the perfect hint of saltiness. 

Bring on the pumpkin themed baked goods! Fall is here! 

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Adapted from: averiecooks

For the crust
1/4 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs

For the cheesecake
12 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 tablespoons flour

For the salted caramel swirl
1/3 cup salted caramel sauce - recommend Trader Joe's Fleur de Sel sauce!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 8x8 pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang so that you can pull the bars out later without disturbing their shape. Combine the ingredients for your crust and press into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Cream together your cream cheese and sugar until well incorporated. Slowly add in your vanilla, pumpkin, and spices. Add in your eggs one at a time. Finally, add in the flour until well incorporated. Pour this fall mixture on top of your crust!

Using your favorite thick caramel sauce, make 4-5 vertical lines of caramel sauce. Then, going 90 degrees to your lines, take a toothpick and gently drag your toothpick through the sauce and pumpkin cream cheese. Like in elementary school making marble paper! Flip your pan another 90 degrees and repeat until desired marbling is achieved.

Now, if you'd like to avoid cracks on the top of your beautiful pattern, boil about 6-7 cups of water in a tea-kettle. Place your pan of cheesecake inside a larger pan. Place this set up in the oven and pour your hot water into the larger pan, creating a water bath. You want the water to come about half way up your cheesecake pan. You can bake it without the water bath, but then cracks will happen. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the middle stops jiggling (very scientific, I know).

Let cool for at least a few hours (overnight is best) before cutting into these and serving. They're delicious and beautiful!

Enjoy!

Sam