Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Filling

Ingredients

Crust:

• 2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
• ¾ cup finely chopped pecans
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Cream Cheese Layer:

• 2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Pumpkin Layer:

• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
• 1 (12 fl oz) can evaporated milk
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Combine crushed gingersnaps, pecans, and melted butter for crust in a bowl. Mix until evenly moistened; press into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until crust is lightly browned and smells toasted, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool while preparing cream cheese layer. Leave the oven on.
4. Combine cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract for cream cheese layer in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Spread over cooled crust and place in the refrigerator while preparing pumpkin layer.
5. Beat pumpkin, evaporated milk, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a bowl until well blended. Beat in sugar and eggs. Pour over cream cheese layer.
6. Return to the oven and bake until pumpkin layer is set, about 50 minutes. Cut into bars.