Averie Cooks

0 Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9x13-inch baking pan with either parchment paper or foil for easier cleanup, and spray it with nonstick spray; set aside.
1 Crust - To a food processor fitted with the S-blade attachment, add the cinnamon graham crackers and pulse to grind into fine crumbs. See Tips in the Notes below for using regular (non-cinnamon) graham crackers and/or store bought graham cracker crumbs.
2 In a large, microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute. Tip - Cover the bowl with plastic wrap so the butter doesn't splatter.
3 Add the crumbs to the melted butter, and stir to combine. Mixture will be crumbly in texture, this is normal.
4 Turn the mixture out into the prepared baking pan and hard pack it with clean fingertips or a rubber spatula to form an even, smooth crust layer; set aside.
5 Pumpkin Mixture - To a large mixing bowl, add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, flour, salt, and whisk well to combine; set aside.
6 Cream Cheese Mixture - To a separate large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and use a handheld electric mixer (or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment if desired), and beat until smooth and creamy; about 3-4 minutes. Tips - Make sure you use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese only. The job of beating cream cheese smooth is unnecessarily difficult if your cream cheese has not been sitting out at room temp to soften for at least 30 minutes before you plan to use it so plan ahead for best results and ease of the job. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
7 Add the full-fat sour cream (you may substitute with full fat Greek yogurt such as Stonyfield or Chobani; do not use their fat free yogurts nor 'regular' yogurt because it's way too thin and runny), vanilla, and beat momentarily to incorporate.
8 Add the eggs and beat to just incorporate, but do not overmix. Tip - Do not overbeat the eggs because it causes excess air to enter the batter, which will can cause the cheesecake bars to crack during baking.
9 Transfer - Remove 1 1/2 cups of the cream cheese mixture (I use a 1/2-cup measure) and add it to the pumpkin mixture, and whisk well to combine.
10 Place Both Batters In Baking Pan - To create the marbled effect, alternate by scooping some of the cream cheese mixture, and then some of the pumpkin mixture, and placing them both in the baking pan; and repeating until there is no more of either batter remaining. Tips - I do this by using a 1/4-cup measure or large cookie/ice cream scoop. A heaping scoop of cream cheese, a heaping scoop of pumpkin next to it, another scoop of cream cheese, and so on. It's not an exact science, and doesn't have to be perfect, just take your time and do your best.
11 Swirling - To create the swirled effect, drag a toothpick or just the tip of a paring knife through the batter. Tips - For those new to swirling, I suggest making about 6 long vertical lines equally spaced apart from the top of the pan to the bottom with your toothpick. Then horizontally, go back and forth in and up-and-back S-shaped pattern. If you want to watch internet videos on swirling, go for it! Otherwise, just make your own pattern; do your best, but again, this doesn't need to be perfect. However, after you've swirled a bit, just stop and resist the urge to keep going! Because if you do you can tend to muddy things and it all blends together, which is not the goal. Quit while you're ahead is always my advice with swirling.
12 Bake - Bake for about 40 minutes, or until bars are set on top and a toothpick should come out clean. Rotate pan once midway through baking for optimal results.
13 Cool - Allow the bars to cool in the pan, at room temp, on a wire rack for about 1 hour. Then, place them in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Tip - After about 2 hours in the fridge, I cover them with a lid or foil, but not before, because I don't want condensation to form in a sealed pan situation or environment, as the heat from baking fully escapes.
14 Serve - Slice and serve bars chilled. While it's not necessary, whipped cream or whipped topping (like Cool Whip) and/or caramel sauce or salted caramel sauce are great with the bars. Tips - If your cheesecake bars cracked, either whipped topping or caramel sauce can help cover up the cracks. Also, slicing the bars down any 'fault lines' (cracks) is another way to disguise them.
15 Storage - Bars will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Note that as the bars sit in the fridge, the crust will soften as time passes, and is unavoidable. If you do plan to freeze the bars, freeze them in a single flat layer, and thaw in the fridge overnight before serving chilled.