Vegan No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

October 21 is national pumpkin cheesecake day! I’ve been wanting to make a no-bake cheesecake for years and I love a pumpkin dessert so I went to work on a vegan version that would be relatively easy and deliver on taste and texture and I think I’ve squashed it! This is one of my favorite things I’ve ever made and I’ve made some spectacular desserts. It’s light. It’s silky. It’s packed with pumpkin flavor. It looks beautiful. It holds its shape and isn’t runny. It’s got it all.

I know I said this was no-bake but I didn’t say it was no cook – sorry! We’re going to cook down the canned pumpkin to remove moisture and add the spices to it so they can bloom and release their flavor. I tried paper towels to leach moisture out of the pumpkin and it worked ok but cooking the pumpkin purée down worked the best. You’ll need to use a heavy bottomed pot (I used Le Creuset) and watch it carefully so it won’t burn. We’re going to start with one cup and you should have a heaping half cup after we’re done (you may have a bit leftover and that’s ok. Add it to pancakes!).

This pumpkin cheesecake doesn’t contain any gelatin which can commonly be used in no-bake deserts (gelatin is made from animal bones so it’s not vegan) so they set so how does it stay together? Vegan melted white chocolate plus vegan cream cheese helps this setup beautifully but it does need to chill for at least six hours.

Let’s talk ingredients.

If you want to make this exactly how I did I’ll let you know what brands I used.

• For the crust, I used Sprouts brand pumpkin snaps which I know will be hard to find but you can used gingersnaps, speculoos cookies or plain or cinnamon graham crackers. I also used Miyokos vegan butter but any good vegan butter will work.
• For the pumpkin, I used Libby’s brand which is the best in my opinion. Some other brands are too watery so you might have to cook them a bit longer to get them to the right consistency.
• For the filling, use a thick vegan cream cheese. I used Tofutti brand my favorite but Violife or another thicker style will work. It will need to be room temperature which is really important to make sure everything blends well. I used Enjoy Life vegan white chocolate chips but Pascha brand would be great as well. I used Country Crock plant cream and whipped it to stiff peaks but there are other vegan whipping creams like Silk and Califia or you could use some whipped vegan cream from a tub like So Delicious Cocowhip. I wouldn’t use a canned whipped cream though as it won’t be thick enough.

Use a springform pan that you’d use for a baked cheesecake for this. I used a 10 inch pan but you could use a smaller one just know that your cake will be thicker and may require more time to set up properly. You can’t use a regular cake pan as you can’t flip this cake out like a regular baked cake. You need to pop the outer ring in order to release the cake which a springform pan accomplishes. I lined the bottom of mine with non-stick aluminum foil and then wrapped the outside of the pan after snapping the outer ring onto it just in case any filling might drip out which it didn’t so it’s not really necessary but I wasn’t taking any chances.

You can serve this with some more whipped cream on top (I used a canned whipped cream to make rosettes on top) in a decorative pattern or just serve some on the side. Use a hot sharp knife to cut the cake. I run it under hot water, wipe it dry then cut and do the same again for each slice to make sure they’re all clean and perfect. Not necessary, but it does make it look good especially if serving for company. I hope you enjoy this amazing cake. It’s a great alternative to pumpkin pie for thanksgiving and I know you’ll love it!

Vegan No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

Recipe by Kreg

4.8 from 5 votes

Course: Desserts, Holiday, RecipesCuisine: American

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

This is the silky smooth vegan no-bake pumpkin cheesecake of your dreams!

Ingredients

• Crust

• 1 1/2 cups cookie crumbs (graham crackers, speculoos cookies or gingersnaps)

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 6 tablespoons vegan butter, melted and cooled slightly

• Pumpkin

• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) – see notes

• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• Filling

• 1 cup vegan white chocolate (chips or bar), melted and cooled slightly – see notes

• 2 7-8 oz tubs vegan cream cheese, room temperature – see notes

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup vegan whipping cream, chilled – see notes

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions

• Make the crust. In a food processor, crush and pulverize the cookies into fine crumbs. Add the brown sugar and melted butter and mix to combine. Pour the mixture into a 10” springform pan and press into an even layer. I use the bottom of a small glass to press it evenly in place.
• Prepare the pumpkin purée. Place the pumpkin purée and spices into a heavy bottomed pot (I used Le Creuset) and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes stirring frequently to remove the moisture from the pumpkin and bloom the spices. It should reduce to a heaping 1/2 cup. Cool to room temperature before using in the filling. This could be done the day before, just let it come to room temperature before using.
• Make the filling. Place the room temperature cream cheese into a food processor or bowl of a stand mixer or use a hand mixer to blend. Add the melted white chocolate (I like to melt in the microwave in 30 second intervals in a 2 cup sized glass mixing cup or small bowl until almost completely melted then you can stir them until they’re completely melted. The residual heat from the bowl will assist in completing the melting process. All microwaves vary but you still want to see some shape of the chips so don’t over-cook them as they will seize up. You can also melt in using a double boiler method by placing them in a bowl over simmering hot water but make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water below. Whatever method you choose, make sure there’s no moisture or liquid in the bowl with the chips as even one drop of water will cause them to seize up.), lemon juice and vanilla and process or mix until smooth scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the cooled reduced pumpkin purée mixture and mix until well combined and smooth. Add the powdered sugar to the vegan heavy cream in a chilled bowl and beat the chilled heavy cream with a stand or hand mixer until stiff peaks are formed. Fold the pumpkin mixture into the whipped cream until combined but don’t over mix it to deflate the cream. Use a rubber spatula to cut into it as you turn the bowl to properly fold it in. You may have a few streaks of white still left but that’s ok. Don’t over mix.
• Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan and smooth out with a spatula or bench scraper. Chill for six hours or overnight.
• Release the cake from the pan and transfer to a plate or leave the bottom of the springform in place to serve. Top with additional whipped cream if desired. Cut into slices with a sharp knife. You can run the knife under hot water and wipe dry for clean slices of cake.
• Refrigerate leftovers. I wouldn’t suggest freezing the cake as it will affect the texture.

Recipe Video

Notes

• I prefer Libby’s brand canned pumpkin purée. There’s lots of other brands out there but the water content varies greatly so keep that in mind when reducing the purée. It might take longer with another brand to get it thick.
  
• I used Enjoy Life brand vegan white chocolate mini chips for this cake but any good vegan white chocolate will work. You can also source them online. I like to melt the chips in the microwave in a glass measuring cup or small bowl heating in 30 second intervals until almost completely melted. You still want to see some shape in the chips so stop before they’re completely melted then the residual heat will help to continue to melt them until they’re completely melted. All microwaves vary so start in 30 second intervals and work from there. Stir each time during the intervals before placing back in the microwave. My microwave is powerful so I’ve found I only need to cook for one minute but using a less powerful microwave may require cooking longer. Over cooking any chocolate will cause it to seize up. Using a double boiler works as well and you can use a small glass bowl placed over simmering water in a sauce pan if you don’t have a proper double boiler pan. Just make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the simmering water and I use a whisk to mix until the chips are just melted and smooth and stop cooking and take them off the heat before they’re completely melted. Any moisture will cause any chocolate white or dark to seize (even one drop!) so make sure you don’t get any in there before melting and use completely dry utensils and bowls when melting chocolate.
  
• It’s no secret I prefer Tofutti brand vegan cream cheese but there are so many others out there. Just use a thick dense variety not a whipped one. Violife and even Trader Joe’s brands are good options but to make it exactly as I did, use Tofutti. Must be at room temperature as well so leave it out for a few hours before using. If it’s cold, the filling will seize up.
  
• I prefer to whip my own cream and there are a few vegan varieties available now. I used Country Crock plant cream but Silk and Califia make versions now. You can use a variety available in a tub (if using just omit the powdered sugar) but don’t use a canned product. It’s too thin and will not set properly.

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