Pumpkin Streusel Cheesecake Bars

These beautiful bars contain no sugar...each layer is sweetened with a bit of honey; such a sweet indulgence for the beginning of the fall season.   An oatmeal cookie-like layer forms the base and is then topped with a cheesecake layer, then a pumpkin layer, and finished off with a sprinkling of oatmeal-cookie streusel.  I cannot wait to make a batch of oatmeal cookies using this recipe and only honey as the sweetener!  These were divine!

These lovely bars were inspired by the author of my Secret Recipe Club assignee this month:  Sarah from The Pajama Chef.

Sarah recently graduated from her DUAL master's program at Indiana University with a MA- African Studies, Master of Library Science.

 

Sarah and her husband, Ben

     (Photo from:  The Pajama Chef)  

Way to go Sarah!  I hope you get your dream job in the international section of a huge library one day.  A life surrounded by the scent of books---sounds absolutely lovely to me.  I have a life surrounded by the scent of boys. 

They don't always smell great, but I sure do love these guys.  And they loved these pumpkin bars. 

Please click here if you'd like to see Sarah's original recipe.  I swapped out the apples for the pumpkin, the whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour, and the honey for the sugars.  I also halved the recipe. 

Here's the printable recipe...


Pumpkin Struesel Cheesecake Bars
Makes about 12 bars

Cookie Base
1 and 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup white wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

Pumpkin Layer
1 and 2/3 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon honey

Cheesecake Layer
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp white wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8" x 8" baking dish with parchment paper.  Then lightly grease the paper with butter (or use baking spray).  Set aside.

Prepare the cookie base in a large bowl.  Use a fork to stir together the oats, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.  "Cut in" the butter pieces with two knives or with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Then stir in the honey with a sturdy wooden spoon.  Set aside 3/4 cup of the cookie base.  Press the remainder of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Bake for 10 minutes. 

While the cookie crust is baking, mix together all ingredients for the pumpkin layer in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

Prepare the cheesecake layer by mixing all ingredients (softened cream cheese, honey, flour, vanilla, and egg) with a wooden spoon or with an electric mixer until well-mixed. 

After the cookie base has baked for 10 minutes, remove it from oven.  To assemble the dessert, spread cheesecake filling over the partially-baked crust.  Then spread pumpkin filling on top.  Sprinkle the reserved cookie topping over the pumpkin layer and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.

Refrigerate to chill before cutting.  Store in the fridge.

Recipe adapted from The Pajama Chef