Rich and decadent vegan pumpkin cheesecake packed with flavor and topped with a caramel sauce and crushed pecans!
Vegan pumpkin cheesecake is here you guys!
I am officially crazy about this cheesecake.
Last time we made a vegan cheesecake we got some feedback on facebook that, even though it was decadent as heck, folks could do with a vegan cheesecake that was less on the healthy side.
They were wanting to see some vegan cookies and vegan butter for the crust, none of this nuts and dates stuff.
Well, we are so happy to oblige.
I like a good cookies and vegan butter crust just as much as the next person.
So this vegan pumpkin cheesecake has a ginger cookie crust that blends so well with the pumpkin flavors in the cheesecake.
And if you love all things cheesecake then also check out our delicious baked vegan baked cheesecake too.
How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
The Crust:
- Add ginger cookies to the food processor and process into crumbles.
- Melt vegan butter and pour this into the food processor with the cookie crumbles and process until well mixed. Spray an 8-inch round springform pan with non-stick spray and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
- Transfer the cookie crumbs and vegan butter to the springform pan and pat down firmly with the base of a spoon. Place into the freezer to set while you work on the filling.
The Filling:
- Add pumpkin purée, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice to a pot on the stove and gently warm it, stirring all the while until hot. This melts the sugar and blends the flavors.
- Then add this pumpkin mix to the blender jug along with raw cashews (soaked and drained), coconut milk, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla. Blend very well until smooth.
- Pour the blended mix out over the cookie crust and smooth down. Place into the freezer to set.
The Topping:
- And then for the topping…..a fabulous caramel sauce made with vegan butter, brown sugar, coconut milk, vanilla and sea salt.
- This sauce is heated on the stove to a simmer and then simmered for a few minutes (stirring constantly) until thickened.
- Pour the caramel sauce over your pumpkin cheesecake, top it with crushed pecans and you have a dessert that will wow anyone.
Ingredient Notes & Tips
Ginger cookies: We used vegan gingersnap cookies, but you can use any ginger cookie. Ideally a snappy, dry cookie that will crumble well. Golden oreos would also work great for this though you would miss that ginger flavor.
Soak the cashews. The cashews should be soaked for at least 15 minutes (and up to an hour) in hot water which will allow them to blend much easier. Just place the cashews into a bowl, pour over boiling hot water from the kettle and leave to soak for 15 minutes, then drain them and they’re ready to use.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you don’t have any pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can easily whip up a batch of your own from cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and ground cloves. Check out our recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice.
The sauce: The sauce is completely optional of course. You can leave it off and just decorate the top of your pie with some crushed pecans. If you do make it though, then you might well have some sauce left over, even after adding more to every slice of cheesecake you serve. So use any leftovers as a topping for ice cream, on pancakes, or just eat it with a spoon!
Make It Gluten-Free
The only thing you would need to do to ensure this cheesecake is gluten-free would be to use a gluten-free cookie for the crust. Everything else is already gluten-free.
Make Ahead and Storing
This pie makes an excellent make-ahead option as you can just store it in the freezer and then bring it out 30 minutes to an hour before you need to serve it. Spoon on the sauce, decorate with crushed pecans and serve.
Keep any leftovers stored in the freezer and let thaw for 30 minutes to an hour before enjoying.
More Decadent Vegan Pie Recipes
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Apple Pie
- Vegan Sweet Potato Pie
- Vegan Banana Cream Pie
- Vegan Coconut Cream Pie
- Vegan Banoffee Pie
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Ginger Cookie Crust:
- 9 ounces Vegan Gingersnap Cookies (250g)
- ½ cup Vegan Butter (Melted) (112g)
For the Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake:
- 2 cups Raw Cashews (300g) Soaked in boiling water for 15 mins
- 1 cup Pumpkin Purée (225g) Canned or fresh
- ¼ cup Light Brown Sugar (50g)
- 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- ½ cup Canned Coconut Milk (120ml) Full Fat, Unsweetened
- ½ cup Maple Syrup (120ml)
- ½ cup Coconut Oil (120ml) Melted
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
For the Vegan Caramel Sauce:
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar (200g)
- ¼ cup Vegan Butter (56g)
- ½ cup Canned Coconut Milk (120ml) Full Fat, Unsweetened
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
To Decorate:
- Crushed Pecans
Instructions
- Add the gingersnap cookies to a food processor and process until only crumbs remain. Add in the melted butter and process until mixed.
- Prepare an 8 inch springform pan by spraying it with non-stick spray and lining the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
- Transfer the ginger cookie crumbs and vegan butter mix to the springform pan and pat down firmly with the back of a spoon. Place into the freezer to set while you prepare the filling.
- Add the pumpkin purée, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice to a saucepan and heat, stirring constantly until hot. This allows the brown sugar to melt and the flavors to blend with the pumpkin purée perfectly.
- Remove from the heat when hot and add to a blender jug along with the cashews, coconut milk, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, lemon juice and vanilla extract.
- Blend very well until completely smooth.
- Pour the filling on top of the ginger cookie crust and return to the freezer to set completely. This will take several hours, at least 4-6 hours or you can just leave it overnight.
- When the cheesecake has set, remove it from the springform pan and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to thaw before serving.
- Prepare the caramel sauce by adding the brown sugar, vegan butter, coconut milk, vanilla and salt to a saucepan and bringing to a simmer, stirring constantly. Continue to simmer at low heat for a few minutes (stirring constantly) until the sauce has thickened slightly. The sauce will thicken more as it cools. Remove from the heat and let it cool. You can speed up the cooling process by placing the saucepan into the freezer.
- Once the caramel sauce has cooled, spoon it out over the top of the cheesecake and decorate with crushed pecans.
Notes
- Ginger cookies: We used vegan gingersnap cookies, but you can use any ginger cookie. Ideally a snappy, dry cookie that will crumble well. Golden oreos would also work great for this though you would miss that ginger flavor.
- Soak the cashews. The cashews should be soaked for at least 15 minutes (and up to an hour) in hot water which will allow them to blend much easier. Just place the cashews into a bowl, pour over boiling hot water from the kettle and leave to soak for 15 minutes, then drain them and they’re ready to use.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you don’t have any pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can easily whip up a batch of your own from cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and ground cloves. Check out our recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice.
- The sauce: The sauce is completely optional of course. You can leave it off and just decorate the top of your pie with some crushed pecans. If you do make it though, then you might have some sauce left over, even after adding more to every slice of cheesecake you serve. So use any leftovers as a topping for ice cream, on pancakes, or just eat it with a spoon!
This was amazing. Made it for Thanksgiving and we fell in love with it. Having poor experience with vegan cheesecake years ago, this was the first time in years not only did I have it, but made it myself. Thank you so much for giving me cheesecake back!!!
That’s awesome Angee! Thanks so much for sharing and for your great review!
Amazing, Amazing, Amazing!!! Was looking for a vegan pumpkin cheesecake recipe to use up some of this year’s home grown pumpkin (instead of lots of pumpkin soup). I had already made your ‘Best Vegan Cheesecake’ in the past and this also did not disappoint. The spice and the caramel topping lifts the cheesecake to another level. Actually I had six Biscoff biscuits left in the cupboard and combined them with the ginger snaps and the spices worked in harmony. Had a bit of a problem containing the caramel sauce in the freezer compartment, it did not freeze solid, but learnt to keep it all tightly wrapped up.
Happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe Gilly! Thanks so much for your wonderful review!
I can’t wait to make this for my vegan grandkids. How should I store the leftovers?
This pie makes an excellent make-ahead option as you can just store it in the freezer and then bring it out 30 minutes to an hour before you need to serve it. Spoon on the sauce, decorate with crushed pecans and serve.
Keep any leftovers stored in the freezer and let thaw for 30 minutes to an hour before enjoying.
I cannot wait to make this!!! Looks scrumptious.
Is there anything to sub for the coconut oil that would not affect the flavor/texture?
Hi Mary. The coconut oil does help in getting it to set, you could try reducing it and see how it goes though!
Try “Unrefined Coconut Oil,” IT HAS TO BE REFINED I use this to make my vegan tamales… it leaves no taste of coconut whatsoever
Thanks for the tip Senia!
Amazing! This recipe was a favorite at Thanksgiving this year. Will definitely be saving and making again!
Awesome! Thanks so much Andreia!
I made this for Thanksgiving since I’m vegan and wanted to be able to have a dessert! I expected a yummy pumpkin dessert that, like most vegan cheesecakes, didn’t taste like cheesecake. I was blown away by the cheesecake flavor of this!! literally so so amazing, and I ran out of time and didn’t even make the caramel topping. it’s going on my must make Desserts from now on.
So happy to hear that! Thanks so much Kelley!
Can the caramel sauce be made ahead?
Yes!
Hi Alison….When I made the caramel sauce, it was starting to thicken a bit on the stove as it was simmering, but as it’s cooling it’s more of a liquid consistency with much separation of the fat contents. Is it supposed to be like that?
Hi Heidi, I would let it cool more and keep whisking/stirring it and it may come together. I’m not sure why it separated, I haven’t had that happen. It’s not a deal breaker for this dessert though! Still divine without the sauce if the sauce doesn’t work out this time!
Would it be possible to sub a different nut for the cashews?
You can try other nuts like macadamias or slivered or blanched almonds but the texture won’t be exactly the same.
Was asked to make this for a friend’s wedding dessert. To tell you the truth, I would have flicked right past this recipe and headed for chocolate something! But she had tried it and wanted it, so… my oh my, I was seriously impressed! The layers of flavours were beautiful – ginger in the biscuit layer, warm spices in the filling, and delicious caramel sauce and pecans to top it off. It was a winner! Thank you! Little changes I made: I wanted it to be fridge stable, so upped the coconut oil, and to give a bit more zing to the base, grated fresh ginger into the biscuit mix. Oh, and I made them in muffin pans. I put a little circle of baking paper inside each one before pressing the biscuit mix in. They came out perfectly, and looked gorgeous on the plates. Give this recipe a try, it’s so different from the norm, but you won’t be disappointed!
Thanks for sharing and the amazing review Christine!
Hi, this sounds delish but since I do not have a Vitamix, would raw cashew butter be okay to use instead of raw cashews and if so, would the ratio be the same? Thanks!
Hi Patty, I’m not sure, it might work! You would use half the amount of cashew butter, so use 1 cup cashew butter to replace the 2 cups cashews.
Made for my six year old grandsons for Thanksgiving. Made my own gingersnap crust with 2 cups almonds (blended), ginger, cinnamon, maple syrup, molasses, almond butter, salt. Smoosh together and press into greased springform pan, baked 350 degree oven until brown.
Sounds great! Thanks for sharing Kathleen!
This sounds perfect for my vegan family for thanksgiving. Think I can sub in sweet potatoes for the pumpkin?
Hi Lydia, yes I think you could! 🙂
Can I use vegan cream cheese instead of cashews?
No, not in this recipe.
Hello! I would love to make this for Thanksgiving, but our blender just died. We have a really nice food processor – do you think that would work to make the filling? If not, do you have any other suggestions? Thank you!
Hi Emma, the food processor should work, it may not be quite as smooth as with a blender, but it will still work. All the best! 🙂
Another awesome recipe! Thank you! I made this for Halloween and it was Devine. Just having some from the freezer a week later and I think it’s even better now. I used a 9inch springform pan as I don’t have an 8inch so the slices were slightly thinner than yours but it was fine. I needed it to be gluten free so I used some Gf cookies and added a tsp of ginger powder to the mix to get the ginger taste. This worked well! I used your home made butter recipe too which is now a staple in our house (game changer thank you!!!) Also I can’t get maple syrup where I live so I subbed that with ‘vegan honey’ which is made from palm sugar. The caramel sauce is delicious and I kept wanting to eat spoonfuls of it on its own! So quick and easy too so I wouldn’t advise skipping it !
Wonderful to hear that Mo! Thanks for the awesome comment and review!