Dairy & Gluten Free Pumpkin Vanilla Cheesecake Bars

Make the crust. Put the cookies in a food processor or blender and blend until crumbly. Measure out 2 cups of the crumbs

Melt the butter, add the sugar and pour the cookie crumbs in the same bowl. Mix until all the crumbs are wet. 

Put the crust into the pan, spread evenly and press down. Bake for 8-10 minutes to form a crust

While it's baking prepare the cheesecake filling

In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese with a hand beater on low until creamy.

Add the sugar and cornstarch. Mix until creamy

Add vanilla, then eggs one at a time on low speed until full incorporated

Prepare the vanilla layer by combining 1 Cup of the cheesecake filling you made and 1 C of coconut yogurt. Mix together until combined and set aside

Next Prepare the pumpkin filling. In a mixing bowl combine the pumpkin, sugar, cornstarch, egg yolk and pumpkin spice.

Using a spoon or scooper add dollops of the cheesecake layer, vanilla and pumpkin alternating to create  a pattern. Using a toothpick or skewer make swirls in the layers. This gives it a marbled look after baking. You want all 3 colors to be visible in the swirls

Bake for 50 minutes at 325F. Then increase the heat to 375F for 15 minutes. The center of the cheesecake should be just slightly jiggly when it's removed from the oven. 

Let the cheesecake cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour

Refrigerate the cheesecake bars overnight before serving. Use a sharp knife and clean the knife in between cuts to ensure the squares come out neatly