Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

If you love pumpkin, then you will do flips for this recipe!!! Not to jump ahead too fast but these are AMAZING!!! It seems that every fall I have one recipe that I make over and over....and I predict that this season I will automatically bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars for any potluck that I attend!! I can't emphasize enough how easy they are to make. Another plus is that the ingredients are simple enough to remember without needing a long list for the grocery store. 

If you would like to make a "lighter" version of this recipe than you could use low-fat cream cheese or Greek cream cheese. I used powdered sugar to sweeten the cream cheese but you could easily leave it out or use another type of sweetener. 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin

1 box Angel Food cake mix

3/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking pam with Pam. In a large bowl, stir together the pumpkin, cake mix, 3/4 cup water, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Spread pumpkin mixture into the greased pan.  In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and 1/4 cup water...if needed use a hand mixer to blend well. Add dollops of the cream cheese mixture on top of the pumpkin layer. Using a knife, gently swirl the cream cheese through the pumpkin batter.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

There are so many words that could describe these bars....scrumptious, moist, fluffy, easy and heavenly!!! The next time you have a potluck, family get together or just want to make a quick treat.... try this recipe. I promise that you will add it to your fall favorites!!! Enjoy!

Carissa