Preheat oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper in both directions to help remove the bars after baking.

First, make the crust: in a food processor, add the 8 whole graham crackers, breaking them up as you add them. Place the lid on the food processor and pulse the graham crackers to start to break them down a bit.

Add the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and blend again to mix.

Finally, add the melted butter and pulse until moist crumbs form and the crust ingredients are homogenous. Scrape the crumbs into a 8 or 9” square pan lined with parchment paper in both directions. Press them flat with the back of a measuring cup (it’s okay if the crust goes up the sides a bit).

Bake the crust at 350 for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove from the oven and let cool while you make the filling.

To make the filling: in a large bowl, add the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until very smooth and well-combined.

Add the eggs and vanilla.

Mix in the eggs and vanilla, but use a low speed and try not to over-mix and whip too much air into the batter, or else the cheesecake can puff up in the oven and crack as it cools.

Remove 1 cup of cheesecake batter and set it aside.

To the rest of the cheesecake batter in the bowl, add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon. Beat just to combined.

Pour the pumpkin cheesecake batter into the awaiting crust, and then use a spoon to dollop the reserved white cheesecake filling all over the surface. Use a knife or toothpick to swirl the two together.

Bake at 350 for 38-41 minutes. The center can still be very slightly jiggly, but not overly wet.

Let cool in the pan for 1 hour, and then remove from the pan and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving for nice, firm bars and even slices.