In all honesty, I had no idea whether this dessert should be classified as a cake, bars, or a cheesecake, so I decided to just play it safe and use all three in the title!
I’m a huge fan of all things pumpkin, and you can never go wrong with some good old pumpkin chocolate chip bars! I had a serious craving for them, so I decided to whip up a batch but modify it slightly by adding a cream cheese layer. But not just any cream cheese – pumpkin pie flavored! I love this time of year because when you browse the grocery store aisles, you can find a wide variety of pumpkin-flavored products, from coffee to cookies to bagels, and everything in between! Luckily, my favorite cream cheese company, Melanie’s Medleys, just released their seasonal flavors, and you better believe that I stocked up on those right away!
Originally, my plan was to make some pumpkin bars with a cheesecake filling, but what I ended up making didn’t exactly turn out how I thought it would. But that’s the beauty of recipe testing… sometimes you end up making a delicious recipe that you weren’t even trying for! And then there are also those times when your recipe turns out horrible and nothing like you thought it would be. But let’s not think about those times 🙂
Anyways, once I whipped up the dessert, I stuck it in the oven, came back to check on it a few minutes later, and was in for quite the shock when I peeped into my oven! As I mentioned, I was intending for these to be bars (just like brownies), but they ended up puffing up to the point where it looked like I was baking a cake! (I can’t complain, though, because you can never go wrong with cake!)
By the time this dessert was completely cooled, I wasn’t sure what to do: should I leave it, act like it’s a cake, and then add some frosting? Or should I cut it into squares and just make some mega pumpkin bars? I ended up going with the second option and cut them into squares, but they ended up just looking like pieces of cake!
As soon as they were cut, it was time to dig in (the best part of recipe tasting!) My mom was the first one to try the bars, so I gave her a minute to take a bite, and then I asked for her thoughts. She was in shock because she thought it was going to be just a cake, “but then there was a twist because of the cheesecake layer!” She certainly wasn’t expecting it, but she absolutely loved the different textures that this bar has to offer.
When it was my turn, I opted to eat mine with a fork, because it seemed like the least messy way to eat it. Just like my mom, I was pleasantly surprised by the distinct layers of the bars. The bottom part is cake-y and dense, and then the top cheesecake layer is creamy and smooth. Together, the two layers paired perfectly! I especially liked the addition of pumpkin pie cream cheese, because it gave it slightly more flavor without being too overpowering or pumpkin-y.
All in all, I still don’t know what to call these bars (cake?), but here’s one thing I do know: they’re quick and easy to make, and they make the perfect pumpkin dessert to celebrate fall! Do yourself a favor and try them out! If you want to kick it up a notch and add even more fall flavors, you could also use cinnamon chips instead of chocolate chips!
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×8″ baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.
- Cheesecake layer: in a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer. Beat for 1-2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy.
- Cake: in a large mixing bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, brown sugar, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. If using, fold in the chocolate chips or cinnamon chips using a rubber spatula.
- Pour all of the cake mixture into the greased baking dish. Top with all of the cheesecake mixture.
- Optional: sprinkle the top with ground cinnamon and 2-3 TBSP chocolate or cinnamon chips, if desired.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until top is browned and center is set. Rotate the dish about halfway through baking. Keep a close eye on it toward the end of baking time, as it tends to brown up pretty quickly.
- Remove the dish from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 60 minutes before slicing into bars. For faster results, place in the fridge to cool quicker.
