Chai Latte Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars Recipe
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes (plus chilling time)
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons Brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Ground ginger
- 16 oz Cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup Granulated sugar
- 2 large Eggs
- 1 cup Pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon Strong brewed black tea concentrate (optional, for extra chai depth)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Line an 8×8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring there is a slight overhang on the sides to make it easy to lift the bars out later.
- In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and ground ginger. Stir until the mixture looks like wet sand. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of your prepared baking pan using the bottom of a measuring cup to ensure an even layer.
- Place the crust in the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes until it is lightly golden and fragrant. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool slightly while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer until the mixture is completely smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating on low speed just until combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can incorporate too much air.
- Transfer about 1 cup of the plain cheesecake batter into a separate bowl and set it aside. To the remaining batter, stir in the pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and black tea concentrate. Mix until the color is uniform and the spices are well distributed.
- Pour the pumpkin chai mixture over the cooled crust. Drop dollops of the reserved plain cheesecake batter over the top. Use a knife or a toothpick to gently swirl the two mixtures together to create a beautiful marbled pattern.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the edges are set but the center still has a slight jiggle. Turn off the oven and crack the door open, allowing the cheesecake to cool gradually for about 30 minutes to prevent cracking.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. Once chilled, lift the bars out using the parchment paper and slice into 16 squares.