Pumpkin and Pecan Cheesecake Bars with Orange Marmalade Topping
In the autumn, my thoughts bring me back to a time long ago when I enjoyed making a pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving. So, I wondered if I could make this iconic recipe a more casual and low-carb one. It turns out that these bars have all the amazing flavors with the addition of a pecan crust in place of a graham cracker one. It has the flavors of pumpkin lattes with pecan pie, a savory, sour orange marmalade topping, and the ease of eating out of hand. Cut them large to feed a small crowd at the table or cut them small for finger food on a buffet.
9 servings
INGREDIENTS:
Pecan crust:
2 cups pecans
3 tablespoons Brown Swerve or brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup Brown Swerve or brown sugar
½ cup unsweetened canned pumpkin
2 eggs, room temperature, separated
1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Topping:
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon allulose or granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange marmalade (mince if the orange peel is in large pieces)
DIRECTIONS:
Pecan Crust:
1. Spray an eight-by-eight-inch pan with avocado oil. Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the bottom of the pan and to overhang the longer sides. Place the parchment in the pan, brush it and the sides with oil, and set the dish aside.
2. Pulse the pecans in a food processor until coarse. Add the brown sweetener and butter. Blend until nuts are finely ground. Scrape down the bowl and pulse once more until the nuts are even in small size. Press into the parchment-lined baking pan bottom evenly. Refrigerate for half an hour or freeze for fifteen minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling.
I use this handy pastry tapper to tap down the crust. If you do not have one, then use the flat bottom of a drinking glass or jar.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling and Topping:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large stand-mixer fit with a paddle, beat the cream cheese, adding the cream gradually until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Add the sweetener, pumpkin, egg yolks, flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Beat until thoroughly blended.
2. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into the pumpkin mixture. Pour into prepared pecan crust baking pan and bake until puffed, golden browned on top, and a paring knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about fifty-five to sixty-five minutes.
3. Combine the sour cream, sweetener, vanilla, and orange marmalade and distribute over the hot cheesecake filling. Bake for an additional five minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for a half hour. Remove from the oven to cool on a baking rack for two hours before covering and refrigerating for two hours, preferably overnight. Loosen the filling from the two sides of the pan not covered with parchment by inserting a paring knife between the pan and cheesecake. Lift out by holding onto the two sides of parchment paper. Cut and serve well chilled and sliced into squares.
Pumpkin and Pecan Cheesecake Bars with Orange Marmalade Topping
Ingredients
- 2 cups pecans
- 3 tablespoons Brown Swerve or brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Brown Swerve or brown sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened canned pumpkin
- 2 eggs, room temperature, separated
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon allulose or granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons orange marmalade (mince if the orange peel is in large pieces)
Instructions
- Spray an eight-by-eight-inch pan with avocado oil. Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the bottom of the pan and to overhang the longer sides. Place the parchment in the pan, brush it and the sides with oil, and set the dish aside.
- Pulse the pecans in a food processor until coarse. Add the brown sweetener and butter. Blend until nuts are finely ground. Scrape down the bowl and pulse once more until the nuts are even in small size. Press into the parchment-lined baking pan bottom evenly. Refrigerate for half an hour or freeze for fifteen minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large stand-mixer fit with a paddle, beat the cream cheese, adding the cream gradually until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Add the sweetener, pumpkin, egg yolks, flour, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Beat until thoroughly blended.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into the pumpkin mixture. Pour into prepared pecan crust baking pan and bake until puffed, golden browned on top, and a paring knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about fifty-five to sixty-five minutes.
- Combine the sour cream, sweetener, vanilla, and orange marmalade and distribute over the hot cheesecake filling. Bake for an additional five minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for a half hour. Remove from the oven to cool on a baking rack for two hours before covering and refrigerating for two hours, preferably overnight. Loosen the filling from the two sides of the pan not covered with parchment by inserting a paring knife between the pan and cheesecake. Lift out by holding onto the two sides of parchment paper. Cut and serve well chilled and sliced into squares.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
235.74Fat (grams)
19.52 gSat. Fat (grams)
7.4 gCarbs (grams)
14.27 gFiber (grams)
1.35 gNet carbs
12.96 gSugar (grams)
11.67 gProtein (grams)
3.08 gSodium (milligrams)
87.29 mgCholesterol (grams)
50.95 mgThe information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.