Pumpkin-Oreo Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin.  Oreos.  Cheesecake.

The three are kinda made for each other. 

Don't ya think? 

It rained this week, and then it snowed (SNOW! Really?)  And then it rained some more.  It was dark and gloomy and cold for three days straight.  I think I wore the same pair of sweats three days in a row.

Me, my sweat pants, and these Pumpkin Oreo Cheesecake bars were best of friends.  I did share some with friends over the weekend.  By Sunday though, I polished off any remains.  They might just be my new favorite pumpkin treat of the season. 

  

If you need me this morning, you can find me at the gym running my tush off, sweating beads of Oreos.  

Pumpkin-Oreo Cheesecake Bars 

adapted from Recipe Girl; source: You Made That Dessert

1 lb package Oreo cookies
4 Tbs (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

3-8 ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pure pumpkin, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. Spray with cooking spray.

For the crust: 

1.  Place 28 Oreos in a food processor and process until finely ground. Pour into a large bowl, add the melted butter, and stir with a flexible spatula until all crumbs are moistened. Place the cookie-crumb mixture in the lined pan and, using your fingers, press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom. 

Bake 10 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack (leave the oven on) while you make the filling. Snap the remaining Oreos in half, put them in the food processor, and turn on and off quickly a few times, just until the cookies are roughly chopped.

For the Filling:

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well blended, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula and beat again until uniform. Beat in pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Scrape down the bowl and mix again. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. After beating in the last egg, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat one more time, to make sure the mixture is fully combined. Stir in chopped Oreos with the same spatula.

3. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the baked cookie crust, smooth the top with the spatula, and bake for 40 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center when you gently shake the pan. Remove the pan to a wire rack to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. When cool, cover it with foil and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.

4. To cut, use the foil overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan and place on a large cutting board. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the cheesecake into bars, rinsing off the knife with hot water and wiping it dry between each cut. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.