Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

This show-stopping delicious vegan pumpkin cheesecake is about to blow your mind! This awesome cheesecake requires no baking, only a handful of really easy-to-find ingredients and no special equipment!!

I have made a dozen different cheesecake flavours this year but this one is definitely the easiest to make and is PERFECT for this time of year! I am sucker for warm, toasty flavours and this has it all. Maple, pumpkin spice, ginger, etc.!

If pumpkin cheesecake isn’t your cup of tea then not to fret – check out my other cheesecake recipes here! Or click on any of the photos below!

If you’re reading this blog post and you’re not vegan you might be wondering, what will replace the cream cheese in this? Well fortunately for us, there are dozens of vegan creams available on the market. They vary in flavour, texture and quality so for a dessert like this you’re looking for something firm and relatively neutral in flavour. Avoid those that include garlic or herbs at all costs!

Now the cheesecake filling needs a little something extra on top of the vegan cream cheese or else it’ll be too heavy. The main options we have available to us are: 

• creamed (white) nuts such as cashew or macademia;
• vegan cream (soy or oat based)
• coconut cream (taken from the top of a chilled can of coconut milk);
• silken tofu

I have used all of the above in various proportions but for this recipe I used coconut cream! It makes the filling a little firmer and richer which balances nicely with the cream on top and the buttery biscuit base.

It is absolutely essential that you use firm coconut cream. Anything other type of liquid coconut cream or creamed coconut or coconut milk will not work.

The two safest option are either buying a can of “coconut whipping cream” or putting a can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight and scooping the cream off the top. If you use coconut milk, make sure to use a can which has minimal preservatives (guar gum is bad news) as these affect the texture. If you’re based in the US, use this guide by Minimalist Baker on the top 10 brands to use for coconut cream. I personally prefer Nature’s Charm “coconut whipping cream”.

In the photos you’ll see I decorated this cheesecake slice with some oozy gooey salted caramel! If you want to achieve the same effect, you can make your own vegan salted caramel using my salted caramel choc tart recipe here! Otherwise you can just buy one online. Both Janda and Nature’s charm sell vegan salted caramel sauces!

One last recommendation – in the recipe I use reference “vegan biscuits” which of course in the UK means like

If you’re in the UK, here’s a list of exact products I used for this recipe:

• For the coconut cream, buy these cans of coconut whipping cream. If you don’t have access to cans of coconut whipping cream then chill some cans of coconut milk in the fridge overnight and then scoop out the cream from the top of the can!

• McVitie’s Digestives (accidentally vegan) for the base (if you’re gluten-free you can buy these gluten-free biscuits). If you’re in the US, use graham crackers!
• I used this pumpkin purée from Sainsbury’s! 
• My go-to vegan block butter is the one from Naturli.
• For the vegan cream cheese, I used 2 x packs of the Violife cream cheese original.

For this recipe you’ll need:

• 8-inch springform cake tin (ideally a push-through cake tin to get smooth edges)
• food processor/blender

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Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

October 24, 2021

Servings: 12

Prep: 10 min

Total: 12 hr

Difficulty: Easy

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This rich and creamy pumpkin-spiced cheesecake is the holiday dessert of your dreams! All those wonderful festive flavours mixed into one showstopping dessert for all occasions.

By: Project Vegan Baking

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 300g vegan biscuits (I like to use a mix of digestives + gingersnaps)
• 120g vegan butter, melted (or coconut oil)
• pinch of salt
• Filling:
• 400g vegan cream cheese (2 x 200g packs)
• 400g pumpkin puree (1 x can)
• 200g coconut cream
• 40g cornstarch
• 120ml maple syrup
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean)
• 1 tbsp pumpkin spice
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• pinch of salt
• Topping:
• 200ml vegan whipping cream (soy or coconut)
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• (or just 1 x can of vegan “insta whip”)

Directions

• Step 1 Crust: Pulse the biscuits in a food processor until they are completely crushed. Add the melted butter and salt and process until well combined.
• Step 2 Place a circular disk of parchment in the bottom of the cake tin to help get the cheesecake out later. Place the crumbs into the cake tin and spread evenly. Use a cup and baking parchment to flatten it down. Chill in the freezer, covered, for 30 minutes.
• Step 3 Cheesecake filling:
• Step 4 Add all the cheesecake ingredients into a pot on the stove. Turn the heat onto a medium-low and stir continuously while it heats up. It will take a few minutes to melt down the vegan cream cheese and coconut cream and then eventually it will become homogeneous.
• Step 5 After 5-10 minutes, it will begin to steam and the mixture will be smooth and thick. Continue to stir until the mixture until you see a small amount of bubbling. It is essential that the liquid hits a high enough temperature for the cornstarch to set the cheesecake (95-100C).
• Step 6 Turn off the heat and take the crust out of the freezer. Pour the mixture into the crust and set aside for 20 minutes to cool down slightly. Once the temperature is closer to room temperature, cover the cheesecake and place it in the fridge to set for at least 12 hours (best left overnight).
• Step 7 If you are making your own whipped cream, throw the ingredients into a stand mixer and mix on high for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
• Step 8 Once the cheesecake has set, remove it from the cake pan using the springform bottom and serve with the whipped cream!