Description
This epic vegan pumpkin cheesecake is easy to make with simple ingredients and makes a wonderful alternative to baked pumpkin pie for the holidays.
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Pour the filling mixture over the prepared crust. Smooth the top the best you can using the back of a spoon or spatula.
- Place the whole pan in the freezer for at least 2 hours to firm.
- Remove from the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
- 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