Pumpkin Pie & Vegan Cheesecake? A match made in fall heaven! Creamy, rich, with just the right amount of sweetness; perfect for fall and holiday gatherings!
Dairy-free | Gluten-free | Soy-free| No-bake
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, the day to celebrate all of the fall foods, especially pumpkins. I figured out the most decadent fall dessert to let the season go with a bang! This would make the perfect dessert for holiday parties and fall gatherings.
Last week I shared my Vegan Thanksgiving recipes, and I promised that this week was going to be all about the dessert. So, here it is Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake! Back in high school, I discovered how perfect pumpkin pie is; no joke I could eat half of that Costco pie. But all that dairy and sugar? The perfect recipe for a tummy ache.
This year I wanted to try to make it, but I have to admit, I’m no pie baker. I definitely still need some practice. So I thought what else can I make, that it’s not traditional?
After seeing how successful my No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake was, I knew I had to make a fall version. Now, the idea of a vegan cheesecake is nothing new, I know. However, in all of the cashew cheesecake experimentation I’ve done so far through my vegan journey, I haven’t touched on pumpkin yet. And so, Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake was born! Creamy, rich, subtly spiced, and just the right amount of sweetness, filled with good healthy fats, protein, and fiber!
Oh, and did I mention that this is a no-bake recipe? Yup, just assemble the crust, blend the filling ingredients, and pop in the freezer for a couple of hours.
Now, let’s talk about the crust. I got two words for you: scrumptious & comforting. For this, I decided to go off the beaten path and created a crust by combining nuts, berries, and dates, making this cheesecake crust naturally sweet and hearty. However, you can totally try this with a more traditional graham cracker crust or make another creative crust, make it your own!
This was a hit among my family, my mom even said that this might be my best dessert yet!
The best part? You can have it for breakfast without an inch of guilt. Instead of having a slice with heavy dairy and sugar, you’ll have nuts, maple syrup & coconut. I hope you’ll love this as much as much as I did!
Recipe: Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- ½ cup cranberries
- 1 cup medjool dates, pitted
- 1 cup walnuts
- ½ cup cashews
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- Optional: ½ cup coconut flakes
- Pinch of sea salt
Cheesecake Filling:
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked & drained
- 1 lemon, juiced (approx. 2 Tbsp)
- ⅓ cup light or full-fat coconut milk
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- ½ cup maple syrup or light agave nectar (plus more to taste)
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
- 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- cinnamon, to taste
- Pinch sea salt
Optional Toppings:
- Coconut whipped cream
- Cranberries
- Cherries (my fave)
- More cinnamon
- Pumpkin seeds
Procedure:
- Line an 8″ diameter x 2.4″ depth Springform Pan (or 8×8 removable bottom pan) with parchment paper.
- To a food processor, add dates and cranberries and blend until it forms a ball. Remove and set aside.
- Then add the walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes and salt to food processor and process into a meal. Add back the dates and blend until a loose dough forms – it should stick together when you squeeze a bit between your fingers. Tip: if too crumbly, add a few more dates, if too sticky, add more nuts.
- Add the crust dough to the pan, and press down with fingers to evenly distribute or use the back of a spoon to press down firmly. Also allow some of the crust to come up the sides, evenly. Set in the freezer.
- After the cashews are soaked and drained, add to food processor with the other filling ingredients and blend until very smooth; this might take 3-5 minutes. If you find that the mixture is too thick or you have some trouble blending, add some more coconut milk.
- After it’s completely smooth, taste and adjusts flavor/sweetness to your preference. Here you can add a bit more pumpkin puree, cinnamon, vanilla and/or maple syrup.
- Pour filling into your parchment-lined pan. Tap a few times to release any air bubbles, then cover loosely with plastic wrap or aluminum paper and freeze until firm; for about 4-6 hours, depending on the size of the dish.
- Once set, leave out of the freezer for a couple of minutes before serving, to soften up a bit.
- Serve with your favorite toppings. I chose frozen cherries, and it was heaven!
- Store leftovers in the freezer for 7-10 days, though let’s be honest, it will not last that long.
- Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? I would love to know how it turned out for you! Tag me in your Instagram creations for a chance to be featured in my insta stories! Use @veggiejeva and the hashtag #veggiejevaskitchen.
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