These Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars are soft, creamy, and flavored with pumpkin and a hint of pumpkin pie spice. The sweet pumpkin cheesecake is sandwiched between two layers of danish pastry, then topped with pecan icing for a little crunch and sweetness.
These cake bars are so easy to make and perfect for a fall dessert! Serve them with a cup of coffee, and you’ll be in pumpkin cheesecake heaven.
I was first introduced to this cake by my friend Stacie, she calls it a pumpkin Danish bake as it features pumpkin and danish pastry. After the first bite, I knew I had to ask her for the recipe and share it with you all on the blog. It’s a recipe that you’d want to print out or pin to your favorite Pinterest board.
This incredible dessert is a combination of creamy cheesecake and a crumbly cake, the best of two worlds! It’s quite similar to a cheesecake, but not as dense as a traditional pumpkin cheesecake or pumpkin cheesecake bars. It’s soft, light, and literally melts in your mouth.
Looking for more delicious pumpkin desserts? Try my Pumpkin Muffins, Pumpkin Roll Cake, or this delicious Pumpkin Bundt Cake next!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Two Desserts in One – This is a cross between a pumpkin cheesecake and a tender cake. Trust me, it’s amazing!
- Easy – If you love easy desserts that are ready in a pinch, this is one of them! It uses Danish pastry as a shortcut and all you have to do is whip up the batter, assemble, and bake. Quick and easy.
- Bursting with fall flavor – If you love pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake, you’re going to love this pumpkin cream cheese cake! It’s got all the same ingredients but there’s no fussy crust that you’d need to work with if you were making a pie or a cheesecake.
The Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this easy pumpkin cake:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Danish Pastry: We’re using one can of refrigerated Crescent roll dough.
- Pumpkin Puree: You only need a fourth cup of canned or fresh pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!). The flavor of the pumpkin is not overpowering in this dessert.
- Cream Cheese: Two blocks of cream cheese that are softened to room temperature are what you need.
- Eggs: Just like the cream cheese, let two large eggs come to room temperature before whipping up your batter. This helps keep the batter from seizing. You will also need an egg white here.
- Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar is what you need here, lightly pack it in a measuring cup before adding it to the batter. If you’re not sure how. check out my quick guide on how correctly measure ingredients for baking.
- For the Icing: You will need powdered sugar, milk, pumpkin pie spice, and pecan halves to make the icing.
How To Make Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cake
- Get Ready: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, grease or butter an 8-inch square baking pan and set aside.
- Beat: In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs (NOT THE EGG WHITE), and pumpkin pie spice on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes.
- Press: To the prepared pan, add 4 triangles of crescent rolls and press them into the bottom of the pan pinching the dough to close the openings.
- Spread and Cover: Evenly spread the prepared pumpkin cream cheese mixture in the baking pan. Cover with the remaining 4 crescent roll triangles, and brush with an egg white.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Set aside to cool as you make the icing.
- Make the Icing: In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, with milk and pumpkin pie spice. Add the pecan halves, and stir until they’re well covered.
- Mix: Mix the icing with a spatula until well combined.
- Drizzle: Finally, drizzle the icing on top of the cooled cake, and serve immediately.
Tip!
Wait for the cake to cool completely before drizzling with the icing.
Recipe Tips
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients. Always make sure that the eggs, milk, and cream cheese are at room temperature before you start. You also want to take the refrigerated pastry out of the fridge about 30 minutes prior to starting.
- I prefer Philadelphia cream cheese for the best flavor and texture. If you can’t find this brand, use any brand that is full fat.
- To make sure that the cake does not stick in the pan, I grease it with oil and lightly flour it. Too much flour will ruin the look of the cake, so tap out any excess before filling it with batter.
Storing Tips
If you have leftover cake, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this cake as the textures seems to change once it’s frozen and thawed.
More Pumpkin Desserts to Try
All Pumpkin Recipes ➜
FAQs
Make sure you buy cream cheese in block form, not the spread that comes in a tub because of the fat content in them. You’ll need two 8-ounce blocks. Full-fat cream cheese is the best choice, but Neufchâtel cheese can also be used.
I used one can of Pillsbury Crescent Roll Dough. This is enough for the bottom and top crust of the cake.
Enjoy making these pumpkin cream cheese bars and serving them to your friends and family this season. Make sure to pin this recipe so everyone can enjoy it!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce can refrigerated crescent roll dough
- 2 8-ounces packages cream cheese full fat, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar or dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 egg white
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ cup pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, grease or butter an 8-inch square baking pan and set aside.Beat: In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs (NOT THE EGG WHITE), and pumpkin pie spice on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes.
- To the prepared pan, add 4 triangles of crescent rolls and press them into the bottom of the pan pinching the dough to close the openings.
- Evenly spread the prepared pumpkin cream cheese mixture in the baking pan. Cover with the remaining 4 crescent roll triangles, and brush with an egg white.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Set aside to cool as you make the icing.
- In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, with milk and pumpkin pie spice. Add the pecan halves, and stir until they’re well covered.
- Mix the icing with a spatula until well combined.
- Finally, drizzle the icing on top of the cooled cake, and serve immediately.
Notes:
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients. Always make sure that the eggs, milk, and cream cheese are at room temperature before you start. You also want to take the refrigerated pastry out of the fridge about 30 minutes prior to starting.
- I prefer Philadelphia cream cheese for the best flavor and texture. If you can’t find this brand, use any brand that is full fat.
- To make sure that the cake does not stick in the pan, I grease it with oil and lightly flour it. Too much flour will ruin the look of the cake, so tap out any excess before filling it with batter.
- Leftovers: Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing this cake as the textures seems to change once it’s frozen and thawed.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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