This vegan no-bake pumpkin cheesecake is easy to make with wholesome ingredients and makes a wonderful holiday dessert.

Slice of pumpkin cheesecake topped with whipped cream on a small plate. Fork rests on plate.
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Features

  • vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free
  • no finicky baking required
  • made with wholesome ingredients you can feel good about
  • perfect for the holidays or any special occasion
  • can be made in advance and frozen whole or in slices

Ingredient Notes

  • dates – soft, moist dates are key here…I recommend sayer or medjool for the best results
  • walnuts – use plain, raw walnuts with no added oil or salt, can be substituted with pecans or a combination of the two
  • cashews – use plain, raw cashews with no added oil or salt
  • pumpkin puree – use plain, canned pumpkin puree
  • maple syrup – I haven’t tested this with any other sweetener but agave syrup or honey (not vegan) should work
  • coconut milk – use good quality, full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream, I do not recommend using light coconut milk as the cheesecake will get a bit icy and we don’t want that!
  • coconut oil – this is a key ingredient that helps achieve a firm but soft texture much like traditional cheesecake
  • lemon – lemon gives the cake the tanginess you’d find in a cheesecake but I think lime would probably work well here too

Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located in the recipe card below.

Step by Step Method

Before you Start: Soak the cashews in a bowl of water overnight or for at least 10 hours. I do not recommend skipping this step if you want a perfectly smooth and creamy cheesecake.

Cashews soaking in a bowl of water.

Step 1. Add the dates, walnuts, sea salt and vanilla to a food processor and blend into a crumbly but sticky dough you can easily pinch together between your fingers.

Crumbly date and walnut dough in a food processor container.
Hand pressing a small bit of dough together in fingers over a food processor container.

Step 2. Dump the dough into a 8-9 inch springform pan and use your hands to firmly press it down and about 1-1.5 inches up the sides of the pan. Use your fingers to smooth out the edges of the crust.

Hands pressing dough for a crust into a springform baking pan.
Hands working a doughy crust into a springform pan.

Step 4. Add all of the filling ingredients to a high-speed blender and process until it’s completely smooth and almost mousse-like. Depending on your blender, this may a few minutes. Use the tamper to keep things moving or stop as needed to scrape down the sides.

Quick Tip: The filling is quite pale so if you’d like it to come out more orange like pumpkin, add 1/4 tsp turmeric to add colour.

A creamy, smooth, orange mixture in a high-speed blender. Spatula rests in blender.

Step 5. Scoop the mixture into the prepare crust and use a spatula or spoon to smooth it as best you can. Place the entire pan in the freezer for 2-3 hours until firm throughout.

Quick Tip: As soon as its firm in the centre, it’s ready. This might take less than 3 hours. It might be good to go after 1-2!

Scooping a creamy mixture from a blender into a crust in a springform pan.
Using a spatula to spread a cheesecake filling into a springform pan.

Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes then slice and serve right away with whipped cream!

Slice of pumpkin cheesecake topped with whipped cream on a small plate. Bite taken out of slice of cake with a fork.

FAQs

Can I make this without walnuts?

Yes. If you can’t do walnuts, use pecans, almonds or any combination of the 3. This recipe can’t be made nut-free though since the filling is cashew-based and I can’t recommend anything to substitute the cashews with.

There are vegan no-bake cheesecake recipes made from vegan cream cheese or tofu, so do have a look online if you need a nut-free recipe!

Can I make this without a springform pan?

Sure. Totally fine to use any 8-9 inch pie tin or you can use a square baking pan to make and make cheesecake bars. If not using a springform pan, I’d recommend lining the pan you use with parchment paper so you can easily lift the finished cheesecake out of the pan to slice.

I can’t find pumpkin pie spice!

Totally fine! If you can’t find pumpkin pie spice (though it’s easy to purchase online if you can’t find it in stores), replace it with 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger and 1/4 tsp each nutmeg, allspice and cloves. If you’re missing allspice or cloves, no big deal, just use one of them.

Slice of pumpkin cheesecake topped with whipped cream on a small plate. Bite taken out of slice of cake with a fork.

Storing and Serving

  • Servings: Makes 8 larger or 10-12 smaller servings. Slices shown in photos are if slicing a 9 inch cake into 8 pieces.
  • Storing in Fridge: Store whole or in slices in the fridge for up to 1 weeks.
  • Storing in Freezer: Store whole or in slices in the freezer for up to 2 months.
  • Storing: Can be stored whole or in slices. I like freezing in slices so I can pull as many servings as needed at a time but if it’s for a larger gathering and you’re making it in advance, I’d suggest freezing whole then letting sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving.

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Slice of pumpkin cheesecake topped with whipped cream on a small plate. Bite taken out of slice of cake with a fork.

No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 2:45 hours
  • Yield: 10 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

This epic vegan pumpkin cheesecake is easy to make with simple ingredients and makes a wonderful alternative to baked pumpkin pie for the holidays.

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Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 1 cup (220 g) packed, soft pitted dates
  • 1.5 cups (225 g)  walnuts 
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Pumpkin Cheesecake

  • 2 cups (300 g) raw cashews, soaked overnight or at least 10 hours
  • 3/4 cup (180 g) canned pumpkin puree 
  • 1/2 cup (150 g) maple syrup 
  • 1/3 cup (80 g) full-fat canned coconut milk (shake very well if using fresh can)
  • 1/4 cup (45 g) melted coconut oil 
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

  1. Soak the cashews overnight or for at least 10 hours in a bowl big enough to completely submerge them. When you’re ready to make the cheesecake, drain and rinse them before proceeding with the recipe.
  2. Add the walnuts, dates, vanilla and sea salt to a food procecesor and blend into a crumbly be sticky dough you can easily pinch together between your fingers.
  3. Line the bottom of a 8-9 inch springform pan with parchment paper (lining optional) then firmly press the dough into the bottom of the pan and about 1-1.5 inches up the sides. Use your fingers to smooth the edges. Place in the fridge while you make the filling.
  4. Add all of the filling ingredients to a high-speed blender and start blending on low. Use a tamper if needed to keep things moving. As it starts to blend, slowly increase the speed and blend until it’s completely smooth and very creamy. It should be almost mousse-like. The filling is quite pale so if you’d like it to come out more orange like pumpkin, you can add 1/4 tsp turmeric to add colour.
  5. Pour the filling mixture over the prepared crust. Smooth the top the best you can using the back of a spoon or spatula.
  6. Place the whole pan in the freezer for at least 2 hours to firm.
  7. Remove from the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
  8. Slice and serve immediately, with whipped cream and chopped pecans, if desired.

Notes

Servings: Makes 8 larger or 10-12 smaller servings. Slices shown in photos are if slicing a 9 inch cake into 8 pieces.

Storing: Store whole or in slices in the fridge for up to 1 weeks or freezer for up to 2 months. Can be stored whole or in slices. I like freezing in slices so I can pull as many servings as needed at a time but if it’s for a larger gathering and you’re making it in advance, I’d suggest freezing whole then letting sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving.

If you don’t have a springform pan, it’s totally fine to use any 8-9 inch pie tin or you can use a square baking pan to make and make cheesecake bars. If not using a springform pan, I’d recommend lining the pan you use with parchment paper so you can easily lift the finished cheesecake out of the pan to slice.

If you can’t find pumpkin pie spice, replace it with 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground ginger and 1/4 tsp each nutmeg, allspice and cloves. If you’re missing allspice or cloves, no big deal, just use one of them.

Adapted from my No-Bake Mango Lime Cheesecake.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 slice
    • Calories: 452
    • Sugar: 27 g
    • Sodium: 124 mg
    • Fat: 21 g
    • Carbohydrates: 40 g
    • Fiber: 4 g
    • Protein: 9 g

    Keywords: no-bake pumpkin cheesecake, vegan pumpkin cheesecake