Pumpkin Streusel Bars

I was recently looking for a pumpkin cheese something, and I happened upon these little gems on Sally's Baking Addiction. Honestly, if you've never looked at her website, you really should. I've shared many of her recipes in the past, and they never disappoint! The same is true for this one! They're rich but not heavy, and have just the right amount of sweetness to let the pumpkin and spices shine through. And the gingersnap crust makes it even better!
 OK, ok,  I know it may seem like there are a lot of ingredients and a lot of steps, but it's really not that big of a deal. You just make each component and you layer it on top, that's all. Easy peasy! And one of my favorite things about this recipe is the fact that you do it ahead. Since it needs to refrigerate for several hours, you can easily do this a day or two ahead of time which makes it a time saver! Take it from someone who is ALL about time management when it comes to cooking for a big crowd. If you can do anything ahead of time, do it! So, thank you, Sally, for sharing your awesome recipe.
And if you love pumpkin as much as I do, you need to try this recipe. You'll be glad you did!

Crust:
1 1/4 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

 Filling:
 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree 
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon EACH ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground ginger

Topping:
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs milk or cream


 Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch or 9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on all sides. Set aside.
For the crust:
Mix the cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter together in a medium bowl until combined. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. The crust will be thick. Bake the crust for 10 minutes as you prepare the filling. Turn oven up to 350°F.
For the filling:
Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugar together in a large bowl on high speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. On low speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. On medium speed, beat the vanilla, pumpkin, sour cream, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and ginger in. Continue beating until everything is combined and creamy. Pour the filling into the warm crust. Set aside.
For the topping:
Whisk the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender or two forks (or even with your hands) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over filling. Bake for about 45 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bars with aluminum foil around the 30 minute mark. The foil prevents the top from getting too brown. The bars are done when the edges are lightly browned and the center is set-- this could be slightly before or after the 40 minute mark. Allow to cool in the pan set on a wire rack at room temperature for 1 hour. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 3 additional hours - or overnight. Lift the foil or parchment out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into bars. I usually cut them into 16 smaller bars, but you can cut them into 12 larger bars.
For the glaze:
Just whisk the glaze ingredients together until smooth. Drizzle bars with glaze or top with whipped cream if desired.


Tips:
Instead of sour cream, you can also use Greek yogurt, and instead of the spices, you can use Pumpkin Pie Spice blend (which is basically the same spices anyway. It's just easier!)
Instead of gingersnaps, use any kind of cookie you like! shortbread, vanilla wafers, and of course graham crackers would be great as well!
Wanna make it in a 9x13 pan? double everything!
Sally's make ahead tip is the bars stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze the bars for up to 3 months. Then, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving and glazing.