No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars (With Pecan Crust)
No-Bake Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars! Lower sugar, high protein and easy to make!
If you love pumpkin, then you’ll love these pumpkin cheesecake bars.
I think bars are my preferred dessert of choice these days; so much easier than making a pie with just as much of a wow factor. As a bonus, these pumpkin cheesecake bars are also no-bake! Perfect for gatherings where your oven is already packed with stuffing, roasted vegetables or more desserts.
Throw everything in your food processor, press into a pan and freeze until hard. Simple, easy, delicious.
Over the years, I’ve made several different versions of bars: vegan pie bars, pecan cheesecake bars, espresso bars, apple pie bars, and now, no-bake pumpkin cheesecake bars.
And the best part? There’s no cream cheese or sour cream in these bars. It’s yogurt! Made with nuts and plain yogurt, these are a more heart-healthy choice than regular pumpkin cheesecake bars that use full-fat cream cheese.
See below for more details, or scroll down to the full recipe below.
Ingredient Notes & Substitution Considerations
- Pecans: The pecans make up the gluten-free crust and add in a more heart-healthy profile than other recipes that use cookies or graham crackers. You can substitute walnuts if you’d like.
- Dates: To keep these lower sugar, the dates help to bind the pecans together. I don’t recommend substituting them with other sweeteners as I haven’t tested them to verify it will work. If your dates are hard, then I recommend soaking with hot water for 5-10 minutes to soften. This will make it much easier to blend.
- Raw cashew pieces: These help to give a nice creamy base to these pumpkin cheesecake bars and help stabilize the yogurt filling without any additional fillers. That means you can pop these bars in the fridge and they will harden in just a few hours. I do recommend soaking the cashews to make them easier to blend. You can do a quick soak method by adding the cashews to a glass container and covering with boiling water for 10-15 minutes, then draining.
- Unsweetened yogurt: I use plain Greek yogurt for extra protein, but regular or even dairy-free yogurt will work.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, you can substitute 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon cloves and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
The maple pecans on top add a nice garnish, but totally optional!
How to Make These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Make the Crust
Blend the pecans, dates, almonds and pumpkin pie spice together in a food processor and process until blended. Press into the square baker.
Make the Filling
Place the cashews, pumpkin puree, yogurt, coconut oil, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar and lemon juice together in the base of a food processor and puree until creamy and smooth.
Assemble
Pour the filling onto the crust and place in the fridge until hardened. Add the maple pecans on top, slice and enjoy!
Tips for Success
I’ll warn you- these bars are deceptively rich! The pumpkin yogurt filling is so decadent and creamy; a small bar is all you need. Which, is actually what I prefer. Especially since I plan on serving these for numerous events this Fall and Winter, a two-bite dessert is all I want after a multi-course meal (hello, Thanksgiving!)
As these are yogurt-based, I don’t recommend storing them in the freezer. However, they will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
The parchment paper overhang helps to remove these pumpkin cheesecake bars easily from the bottom of the prepared pan.
More Pumpkin Dessert Recipes
If you make these no-bake pumpkin cheesecake bars, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers!
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Pecan Crust
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup pitted medjool dates, about 9 dates
- 3/4 cup almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 1 3/4 cups raw cashew pieces, soaked for at least 3-4 hours (see notes)
- 2/3 cup unsweetened yogurt of choice
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Maple Pecans
- 1/8 cup 100% pure maple syrup
- 9 pecan halves
Instructions
- Line a 8×8″ glass baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang to be able to easily remove the bars from the baking pan.
- Place the pecans, dates, almonds and pumpkin pie spice in the base of a food processor and pulse until a very fine crumb forms. The mixture should stick together when pinched. Press into the base of the prepared baking pan and set aside.
- Place the ingredients for the pumpkin cheesecake filling in the base of the same food processor (no need to wipe out first). Puree until very creamy and no grittiness remains. Depending on your food processor, this may take ~4-5 minutes. Taste, adding more sugar/spice if preferred.
- Spread the mixture onto the crust and spread into an even layer. Place in the fridge for at least 5-6 hours to set up.
- Make the pecans.Place the maple syrup and pecan halves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat. The maple syrup should thicken and become tacky. Gently place the pecan halves in a 3×3 layer on the bars, pressing the pecans in to set.
- Remove the bars and slice into 9 squares; these taste best stored in the fridge.