Spooky Halloween Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

These delicious cheesecake bars are excellent for Halloween parties and pumpkin spice lovers. The recipe consists of a buttery, almond pastry topped with a creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling and topped with whipped cream and marzipan pumpkins.

Makes: 16 SERVINGS

Prep Time: 30 MINUTES

Cooking Time: 45 MINUTES

ingredients

For the crust

1 cup (110 g) finely ground almond flour

1 Free range egg white

¼ stick (30 g) Unsalted butter (softened)

¼ Cup (50 g) Sola sweetener

Pinch salt

For the cheesecake filling

1 pound (450 g) full fat cream cheese (softened)

2 free range eggs at room temperature

¾ cup (145 g) Sola sweetener

½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream

1 cup (245 g) unsweetened pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the marzipan pumpkins

1 ½ cups (165 g) finely ground almond flour

¼ cup (60 g) unsweetened pumpkin puree

¼ cup (50 g) Sola sweetener

2 teaspoons almond extract

3 drops orange food coloring (optional)

2 ounces (60 g) no added sugar chocolate

Optional Garnish

Sugar-Free Whipped cream

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325F/165c.

2. Begin by making the crust, mix all the crust ingredients in a large mixing bowl until fully combined and the mixture becomes a soft dough. Press the dough into the bottom of a 10x10 inch square baking pan, which has been lined with baking parchment. Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

3. To make the cheesecake filling, place all cheesecake filling ingredients into a high-powered food processor and blend until smooth. If you don’t have a food processor use a mixing bowl and electric hand-held whisk, start by creaming together the softened cream cheese, Sola sweetener, spices and pumpkin puree until smooth. Add the cream and eggs and continue to whisk until fully combined and smooth. It’s important to follow this process so you don’t get lumps of cream cheese.

4. Pour the cheesecake filling over the par-baked crust, place the baking pan into a larger pan, and pour in enough boiling water in the outer pan to come half way up the sides of the cheesecake pan, this cooking method is called a Bain Marie and helps create a moist and tender cheesecake without dry sides. Place into the oven and bake for 45 minutes until the filling is set. The filling should have a slight wobble when the pan is shaken but should not be runny. If the filing is still slightly runny after 45 minutes of cooking, keep cooking and check every 5 minutes.

5. Place the cheesecake into the fridge and chill for 3 hours.

6. To make the marzipan pumpkins, mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and add a couple of drops of orange food coloring to achieve the color that you want, you can skip adding the food coloring if you prefer and the pumpkin puree will give the marzipan a light orange color. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and roll into balls, press down the top of each ball to flatten slightly and use a knife to create some texture on the pumpkins.

7. Melt the chocolate and pipe out stalks and leaves onto a tray lined with baking parchment, if you don’t have a piping bag, you could use a plastic sandwich bag, with one of the corners cut off.

8. To assemble the cheesecake bars, remove the chilled cheesecake from the fridge and remove from the pan, then cut into 16 square pieces, top with whipped cream and a marzipan pumpkin. Press a chocolate stalk and leaf into the top of each pumpkin.