Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

A family favorite we have to make at least once or twice (or more) in the Fall!

Ingredients⁠

Crust

1 cup Speculoos cookie crumbs, (approximately 10-12 cookies)

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

½ cup butter, melted

Quark Layer

1 (16 oz) container Quark

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese

¼ cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Pumpkin Layer

1 15 oz can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix)

2 Tbsp flour

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

½ cup evaporated milk

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla

⁠Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line the bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray.

Mix the crust ingredients in a small bowl. Spread the crust mixture in the bottom of the 9x13 and press in an even layer. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and quark until combined. Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla, continuing to beat until fully combined. If you have small lumps of cream cheese, don’t worry, they will melt into the filling when baked.

In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin purée, flour, sugar, eggs, evaporated milk, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla. Whisk until smooth.

Dollop the cream cheese filling and pumpkin filling over the crust, alternating fillings in a checkerboard pattern.  Use a knife to carefully cut a zigzag pattern in the fillings for a marbled effect.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the center no longer jiggles.

Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve.