Pumpkin Cheesecake
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This vegan pumpkin cheesecake is perfect for Thanksgiving! It's creamy, tangy, and much more nutritious than traditional cheesecake.
Author:
Recipe type: Holiday Dessert
Serves: 12-15
Ingredients
  • Crust:
  • 1½ cups rolled oats (GF if necessary)
  • 1½ cups raw almonds
  • ¼ tsp. sea salt
  • ¼ cup + 2 T. coconut sugar
  • ½ cup Earth Balance or coconut oil, melted
  • Filling:
  • 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in warm water about 1 hr, drained
  • 8 oz vegan cream cheese*
  • 1 cup coconut cream (canned, usually in the Asian section or baking section of the grocery store)
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree, canned
  • 2 T. arrowroot or corn starch
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tsp. pumpkin spice
  • 2 T. lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp. sea salt
  • 1¼ cup + 2 T. pure maple syrup
  • Optional: pumpkin seeds and ground cinnamon for topping
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line or lightly grease a springform pan.
  2. In a food processor, pulse together the almonds and oats until a fine meal is formed. Add in the salt, coconut sugar, and Earth Balance and pulse until no dry crumbs remain and you achieve a loose dough. You should be able to squeeze the mixture between two fingers and form a dough instead of it crumbling. If too dry, add a bit more melted Earth Balance.
  3. Transfer crust dough to pan and press down, starting at the center and working towards the edges of the pan. Use a flat-bottomed glass to press firmly, allowing the crust to run about ⅔ up the inside edge (see photo). Bake at 350 for 15 min, then increase the oven temp to 375 and bake about 3 more mins until the edges are golden. Remove from oven and decrease oven temp to 325.
  4. Now make the filling. In a high-speed blender, combine the soaked cashews, vegan cream cheese, coconut cream, pumpkin puree, starch, vanilla, pumpkin spice, lemon juice, salt, and maple syrup until completely smooth. Taste and add more lemon juice for more tang, more maple syrup for more sweetness, or more pumpkin spice if desired.
  5. Pour filling into the pre-baked crust and spread evenly. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 30 min (1:25 was perfect for my oven). The outside edges should appear dry and the center slightly jiggly when shaken, but not liquid (see photo).
  6. Allow to cool 30 mins, then transfer to the fridge to set, uncovered, at least 2 hours (overnight recommended).
  7. Top with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon and decorate with pumpkin seeds, slice, and serve!
Notes
* Vegan cream cheese brands I recommend: Kite Hill (at Whole Foods), Tofutti, Trader Joe's.
This cheesecake is best 1-2 days after baking. Keep it in the fridge uncovered to prevent condensation until it's completely cool, then cover lightly with plastic wrap or foil. Lasts 4-5 days in the fridge.
Recipe by Daily Dose of Greens at https://dailydoseofgreens.com/2017/11/06/pumpkin-cheesecake/