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A classic vegan pumpkin cheesecake with whipped coconut cream. This vegan pumpkin cheesecake is the ideal blend between pumpkin pie and creamy cheesecake, but totally dairy-free! The perfect vegan Thanksgiving dessert, great for fall and Christmas, too.
There’s two types of people in this world: pumpkin-pie enthusiasts and pumpkin-pie unenthusiasts.
Am I right? Or AM I RIGHT!
I think technically I have to be right, tautologically speaking, but I think you get my drift. You’ve got people at Thanksgiving who are pounding their fists, chanting “PUM-KIN PIE! PUM-KIN PIE!” and then you’ve got those asking, “Is there, um, anything besides pumpkin pie tonight..?” I happen to fall in the latter category, along with O. My other family, naturally, falls in the former, making for a funky predicament come Thanksgiving. Except it’s not really that funky–I just now make an apple-cherry galette with crème fraîche and caramel sauce, and that epicness seems to take over any disenchantment the pumpkin-pie habit seems to cast over the unenthusiasts.
And then.. we found the compromise–the evil, evil genius compromise! Vegan pumpkin cheesecake.
Not so dense on the pie-squash, yet tart and rich, vegan pumpkin cheesecake, as you well know, tends to satisfy.. everyone. It’s a bit special and exciting, and the warming spices play off the cool texture beautifully. So, you know, I had to make it vegan. Because no one deserves to be deprived of pumpkin cheesecake, most especially not vegans!
I based this recipe off my amazing pumpkin cheesecake recipe and my vegan lemon-ricotta cheesecake and came out with something truly beautiful and perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It boasts the texture of a traditional cheesecake, with just enough pumpkin, just enough pumpkin spice. Just enough seasonal flavor to tie everything together, without being too heavy-handed on any addition. Basically? The perfect vegan pumpkin cheesecake.
What makes this recipe is so good:
- It’s the perfect blend between pumpkin pie and creamy cheesecake.
- This vegan Thanksgiving dessert is spiced just right: not too much pumpkin pie spice and not too little. The perfect amount!
- It’s quite easy to make and comes together almost entirely in the food processor.
Why You’ll Love It
Whether you’re vegan yourself or are entertaining one this holiday season, this vegan pumpkin cheesecake is such a great vegan Thanksgiving dessert! And here’s why:
The non-vegans might honestly not even know this vegan pumpkin cheesecake is, well, vegan.
It’s easy to make, so it doesn’t take much time or effort to serve alongside your standard fare.
This vegan Thanksgiving dessert is super festive and full of fall and winter flavor.
Variations
- Top with a vegan chocolate sauce for that unbelievable pumpkin-chocolate combo!
- Swap out the whipped coconut cream with vegan whipped cream in a can. Not only does this actually exist, but even major brands like Reddi Whip are serving up these non-dairy options. These days it’s really pretty easy to find vegan whipped cream at most natural foods stores.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving for extra presentation points.
Tips
- Only use Tofutti cream cheese. I’ve tried this with Daiya, and it was a total disaster. You can try it with Kite Hill, and it might work… but I make zero guarantees. Something about the texture of Tofutti makes this vegan pumpkin cheesecake just work.
- Don’t worry about the fact that the vegan pumpkin cheesecake will be wobbly after baking. It will firm up after a few hours in the fridge!
- Use the heel of your hand to press the graham cracker mixture into the seam of the springform pan. This helps move the mixture up the sides and keeps things tightly pressed and even.
Can I use [insert other vegan cream cheese]?
You cannot use Daiya, that’s for certain. I haven’t tried this vegan Thanksgiving dessert recipe with other brands, but my attempt with Daiya was a total disaster. I say stick with Tofutti, and you’ll be happy!
Other recipes you’ll love:
- Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Vegan Pumpkin Donuts with Salted Caramel Glaze
- The Best Avocado Chocolate Mousse (Vegan, Dairy Free)
- Vegan Pie Crust
- Vegan Marshmallows
- The BEST Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake with Blueberry White Wine Sauce
Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 5 tablespoons vegan butter or margarine melted
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar divided
- 3 tablespoons freshly ground flax meal
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon 1 tablespoon warm water
- 3 8-ounce containers Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese never Daiya brand
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Whipped Coconut Cream
- 1 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk refrigerated overnight
- 1 pinch pinch sweetener such as granulated sugar or light coconut sugar
- 1 tsp dash vanilla extract
- 1 sprinkle cinnamon for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Make the crust. Melt the vegan butter (or margarine) and stir into graham cracker crumbs and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Press into a springform pan about halfway up the sides. Bake at 375º F for 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Make your flax “eggs” – stir together the flax meal and warm water and set aside for a few minutes, until the mixture takes on an eggy consistency.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350º F. Place Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese in a food processor and pulse a few times, until quite soft. Add flax “eggs”, 1 cup sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin purée, pumpkin spice, and lemon juice, and process until smooth.
- Pour mixture into prepared crust and bake for about 45 minutes, or until top sides begin to turn slightly golden-brown. The center will not set but will firm up later in the fridge. When finished baking, remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled and serve with whipped coconut cream.
- To make whipped coconut cream:
- Chill a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Remove your can of coconut milk from the fridge and flip upside down. Use a can opener to open the can and pour off clearish liquid that will be sitting on the top–reserve for another use (this is coconut water, excellent in smoothies!). Scoop out the remaining coconut cream into the chilled medium-size bowl. Whip the coconut cream using an electric mixer or handheld beaters. Add a pinch of sugar or other sweetener and a dash of vanilla extract and stir 'til combined. Spoon onto individual slices of pumpkin cheesecake and serve.
Video
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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I’m dairy-free but not vegan. Could I use eggs in this recipe
Instead of flax seeds and if yes, how many eggs? Thank you.
Hi Roshni! The rule of thumb for flax seed eggs is 1 tablespoon for 1 egg, so this recipe would call for 3 eggs. However, we haven’t tried this recipe with real eggs, so we can’t say for sure how it would turn out. Be sure to let us know if you try it!
Hi, does this have to be made in a springform pan? I have a regular 9 inch pie pan.
Sure! If you want to be able to remove the cheesecake from the pan to serve it, make sure you line the pan with parchment paper first. Leave enough excess parchment paper out around the edges so you can use that as “handles” to help you lift the cheesecake out.
I love this recipe! I have made it every thanksgiving for the past 4 years. Once I made the mistake of trying a different brand of cream cheese and it never set. This year I absolutely could not find Tofutti brand and reluctantly bought mykonos cream cheese and it worked well!! I would still prefer tofutti but good to know!!
Love that this is a Thanksgiving favorite for you! Good to know there’s a good cream cheese back up if you can’t find Tofutti! Thanks so much for the review!
Would it be possible to use a container or 2 of kite bill cream cheese and then add silken tofu for the rest?
We haven’t tested this swap, so we can’t really speak to whether it will be successful or not. But if you try it, we’d love to know how it turns out!
This batter tasted awesome raw! Unfortunately I could not access tofutti and end up with separated soup as others have indicated. I’m going to freeze them and see if they’re edible… Neil definitely try again if I can find the right kind of cream cheeze
We’re so glad it was salvageable and you could still enjoy! Hope it turns out better next time. 🙂