This Baked Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake will wow you with its rich texture, spices, and graham cracker style crust. It’s the perfect vegan Thanksgiving dessert.
Less than TWO weeks until Thanksgiving. A few more months left of 2019…and then we’re on to a whole new DECADE. Let’s not talk about it, because it’s making me freak out a little bit. 😳 Instead, let’s talk about this BAKED VEGAN PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE.
I’m a big fan of pumpkin cheesecakes – in fact, I already have two posted: this no-bake pumpkin cheesecake and this no-bake chocolate pumpkin cheesecake. Both absurdly delicious.
What makes this Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake special?
This new one though. It’s different. It’s baked.
If you’re familiar with vegan cheesecakes, you probably know that most of them are raw. Those are great, and they totally have their place. But if you ask me, baked vegan cheesecakes are better. This vanilla bean baked vegan cheesecake I made a few months ago has totally converted me.
By baking this vegan pumpkin cheesecake, you get a texture that’s similar to a pumpkin pie, but extra creamy and with that tangy cheesecake flavor.
How’s the crust?
This vegan pumpkin cheesecake has a magnificent crust. It’s made from almond flour, toasted pecans, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and coconut oil. They magically come together and bake up into a crust that tastes like a graham cracker crust. It’s delicious.
What’s the filling made of?
- Raw Cashews
- Vegan Coconut Yogurt
- Pumpkin Puree
- Maple Syrup
- Lemon Juice
- Arrowroot Starch
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Vanilla Extract + Powder
- Sea Salt
The cashews, coconut yogurt, and pumpkin puree provide structure and make for a super creamy and rich filling. It’s not quite as dense as traditional cream cheese-based cheesecakes, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
A combination of maple syrup, lemon juice, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla add a TON of flavor to this baked vegan cheesecake and bring out all that warm, pumpkin spice flavor.
This Baked Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe is…
- so rich and creamy
- perfectly pumpkin spiced
- encased in a delicious graham cracker-style crust
- the perfect gluten-free vegan Thanksgiving dessert
- easy to make a day or two ahead of serving
Success Tips for Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
Here are a few tips and tricks that are essential for the BEST ever vegan pumpkin cheesecake.
- Make sure to puree the filling so it’s super smooth. I let mine run in my Vitamix for a relatively long time, at least 4 or 5 minutes, until it’s absolutely, lusciously smooth. Scraping down the sides regularly and using a tamper definitely help with this.
- Use a thick, tangy coconut yogurt. This really adds to the “cheesecake” flavor and helps with the creamy texture. I like the Culina brand, which you can find at Sprouts.
- Follow the baking and cooling instructions carefully. The cooling is a little bit unique, in that you let it cool partially in the still-warm oven with the door propped open to help it set perfectly. Then, let it cool completely in the fridge for the perfect texture.
I hope you love this baked vegan pumpkin cheesecake as much as we do! This will be standing in for pumpkin pie at this year’s Thanksgiving for sure! Enjoy, and be sure to leave me a comment below to let me know you like it!
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Baked Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake (Gluten-Free & Paleo)
- Author: Rachel
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
Description
This Baked Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake will wow you with its rich texture, spices, and graham cracker style crust. It’s the perfect vegan Thanksgiving dessert.
Scale
Ingredients
For the crust
1⅓ cups raw pecans
1⅓ cups almond flour
⅓ cup coconut sugar
⅓ cup coconut oil melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
For the filling
1⅓ cup raw cashews soaked in water for 4 hours to soften, drain and rinse before using
1 cup vegan coconut yogurt any thick and tangy yogurt will will work, I like Culina
⅓ cup (82g) pumpkin purée
⅓ cup (111g) pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons arrowroot starch or tapioca flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla bean powder or another teaspoon of vanilla extract
Instructions
For the crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan with coconut oil and place on a baking sheet.
- In a food processor or high-powered blender, combine the pecans, almond flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and sea salt. Pulse slightly to break up the pecans. Stream in the melted coconut oil and then pulse again until the mixture is well moistened and sticks together when pressed between your fingertips. Scrape down the sides of the container or use the tamper as necessary.
- Press the crust evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let cool while you make the filling.
For the cheesecake filling
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- In a high-powered blender or a food processor (I use my Vitamix), blend the soaked cashews, coconut cream, coconut yogurt, pumpkin, maple syrup, arrowroot starch, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, sea salt, and vanilla bean powder. Scrape down the sides of the container or use the tamper as necessary to get a super smooth consistency. It will take about 3 to 5 minutes of blending to get it super smooth and creamy.
- Pour the filling into the cooled crust and tap the pan hard on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until mostly set. The cheesecake should jiggle slightly in the center when it’s ready, but not be too wet and jiggly. Try not to disturb the cheesecake for the first 45 minutes.
- When the cheesecake is just shy of set, turn off the oven, leaving the cheesecake inside. Leave the oven door open a few inches and let the cheesecake cool inside of the slightly ajar oven. Remove from the oven after about an hour.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour to chill all the way through.
- Store the cheesecake tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
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