Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

These Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are creamy, warm-spiced, and lightly sweet — the perfect fall dessert to bring to gatherings. They have that nostalgic pumpkin cheesecake flavor, but without the heavy dairy, sugar crash, or post-dessert bloat.

The filling is made with a blend of cream cheese + whipped cottage cheese, which gives it a silky texture and boosts protein, while the maple syrup adds a deep, cozy sweetness that pairs beautifully with pumpkin.

Think cheesecake meets pumpkin pie… sliceable, shareable, and so satisfying.

Ingredients

Makes 12–16 bars

Crust

• 1 ½ cups almond flour

• 3 tbsp melted butter (or ghee)

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Pinch of sea salt

Cheesecake Filling

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup cottage cheese, blended until smooth

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 2 large eggs

• 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Preheat Oven
   Preheat to 350°F and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Make the Crust
   In a bowl, mix almond flour, melted butter, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until it resembles wet sand.
   Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
   Bake 8 minutes, then set aside.

3. Blend the Cottage Cheese
   In a blender, blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth — no texture.

4. Make the Filling
   In a mixing bowl, whisk softened cream cheese until creamy.
   Add blended cottage cheese, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt.
   Whisk until smooth (avoid overmixing — too much air causes cracks).

5. Bake
   Pour filling over the crust and smooth the top.
   Bake 35–42 minutes, or until the center is just set and no longer jiggly in the middle.

6. Chill
   Let cool completely, then refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
   Slice into bars before serving.

7. Optional Maple Drizzle
   Drizzle a little extra warm maple syrup on top + sprinkle flaky salt before serving.

Gut-Friendly Notes:

• Cottage cheese increases protein & digestibility

• Maple syrup is easier on blood sugar than white sugar

• Almond flour crust = grain-free & gentle

• Pumpkin provides prebiotic fiber for the microbiome

This is comforting fuel, not a sugar bomb.

To Serve:

Enjoy chilled → the texture is creamy and dreamy.
Pairs perfectly with coffee, chai, or your maple pumpkin cold foam latte.