Just imagine. Creamy pumpkin pie and luscious cheesecake rolled into one — all for only 90 calories, the carbohydrates of 1/2 a slice of bread, and 3 little points per serving. What’s not to love?
I guarantee you, these layered beauties are sure-fire crowd-pleasers. Make and serve them straight out of a pretty dish, or after cutting place each square into a cupcake liner for a festive presentation and easy entertaining. To garnish, top with a swirl or dollop of light whipped topping and a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
Need a dessert that is gluten-free? Simply use crushed gluten-free graham crackers and you are good to go. The rest of the ingredients in this recipe are gluten-free. And so are whipped toppings such as cool whip and canned aerosol whipped cream.
Makes 16 servings
Ingredients
Crust
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons no-calorie granulated sweetener*
Filling
8 ounces light tub-style cream cheese
2 large eggs, divided
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup no-calorie granulated sweetener*, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (15-ounce) can 100% packed pumpkin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with non-stick baking spray.
2. Mix together crust ingredients in a small bowl. Pat crumbs firmly into the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool and set aside.
3. While the crust is baking, in a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/3 cup sweetener, and vanilla. When the crust has cooled, gently spoon the mixture over the crust and smooth. Set aside. In the same bowl, beat the pumpkin, 1 egg, 1/2 cup sweetener, and spices until smooth. Gently spoon dollops of the filling onto the cream cheese mixture and smooth the layer.
4. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool 25 minutes at room temperature. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Cut cheesecake into 16 2 x 2-inch squares.
DARE TO COMPARE: A piece of Marie Callendar’s pumpkin pie has 430 calories. A piece of pumpkin cheesecake has 740. The average of the two combined (like this dessert) is a whopping 600 calories, a full meals’ worth of carbohydrates, a days’ worth of saturated fat, and 27 Smart Points. Are you allowed to eat 2 squares of Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Squares instead? Be my guest!!
* When using a low-calorie baking blend such as all-natural Truvia Baking Blend or Splenda Naturals Stevia & Sugar, use half as much (1 1/2 tablespoons, 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (for 1/2 of 1/3 cup), and 1/4 cup respectively.
NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING (1 square – makes 16): Calories 90 | Carbohydrate 9g (Sugars 5g) | Total Fat 4.5g (Sat Fat 1.5g) | Protein 3g | Fiber 1g | Cholesterol 30mg | Sodium 125mg | Food Exchanges:1/2 Carbohydrate, 1/2 Vegetable, 1 Fat | Carbohydrate Choices: 1/2 | Weight Watcher Freestyle Smart Point Comparison: 3 (Green = 3, Blue = 3, Purple = 3)
