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!
Can I use this recipe for mini cheesecakes? (In muffin tin or tart cups? What adjustments would be required?
I’m sure you can! I’m not sure of adjustments needed though.
I made this cheesecake for Thanksgiving because two of my guests were vegan. It tasted better than I expected and although it isn’t as creamy as a regular cheesecake, the flavour was very good. I had a 9” springform pan so next time I would double the ginger snap crumbs as the base was too thin. Everyone loved the caramel sauce and I love caramel sauce so much that I wouldn’t worry about leftovers! I toasted my pecans to sprinkle over the top.
I also sliced individual pieces before putting the caramel sauce and pecans on and put the rest of the cheesecake back in the freezer.
So glad it was good! Thanks for the great review Carol.
Hi Alison,
Can you taste coconut at all in this recipe?
No, the other flavors overpower it.
Do you think I can substitute the brown sugar for honey?
Hi Rachel, since honey is a liquid ingredient I think it might affect how well it sets. Since there is already maple syrup in this dessert, I think you could leave out the brown sugar and just have it slightly less sweet.
hi i am going to try this recipe but i dont have a 8 inch pan but i do have a 9 inch pan should it be ok? or should i go out and find a 8 inch ????
Hi Daniel, that should be fine! It will just be a little thinner than what you see pictured but it will still be great!
I used a different oat-coconut flakes recipe for the no-bake crust. It’s really tasty and creamy. Reminds me more of the pumpkin pie than a cheesecake, but I’d recommend for everyone to try. Just one question though, where should I store it for the next few days? In the fridge or in the freezer?
Hi Alex, glad you enjoyed it! Keep it stored in the freezer. 🙂
I really like the flavor of this recipe, but i thought that there was way too much of the caramel sauce. I ended up having to clean it up off the counter after pouring it over the top of the cake. I used the wrong blender so it wasn’t as smooth as it should have been, but that’s my inexperience working. if you are making this as a person new to veganism, get coconut milk that has a higher fat content and cut the caramel sauce portion in half. Make sure you blend until it is completely smooth and the flavor is wonderful!!!! This recipe is totally worth a try!
Can’t wait to try this! Does the recipe mean coconut milk from a can or carton(as in drinking coconut milk)?
Hi Laura, definitely canned full fat unsweetened coconut milk. 🙂
This cheesecake is the best!!!!! Even my family who is not vegan loved it. The first time I made it was for thanksgiving and they all asked me to make it again for Christmas. The texture is perfect. It isn’t the exact texture of cheesecake, it seems a little lighter but no complaints here, the flavor delicious. The caramel sauce is phenomenal, In my opinion it tastes just like the real thing. I had leftovers and had some with apple slices. I would highly recommend trying this recipe. You won’t be disappointed.
Can you make the caramel with almond milk, or home made coconut milk with coconut cream? Recipe was outstanding!!
Hi Lindsey, I’m sure any non-dairy milk that heats well will work here. 🙂
I onlyhave 1 1/2 cups of cashews. Can I use raw almonds or pecans to make up the extra 1/2 cup?
Macadamias or blanched or slivered almonds would work better but if regular almonds or pecans are all you have I’d probably just go with the almonds. All the best! 🙂
Can I use all vegan butter instead of coconut oil? Thanks!
Hi Jamie, vegan butter wouldn’t work well in the filling, only the crust. 🙂
Hi, I’m happy to find this site. I’m wondering, since most people in my group are not gluten-free, if I can make this filling and just pour into a couple of ready-made piecrusts.
I am hoping that you can respond before tomorrow! Thank you so much
Hi Karen, if the pie crusts are pre-baked then that should work. The crushed cookie crust on this pie isn’t gluten-free though and it is super tasty so I do recommend it! 🙂
Can you freeze this cheesecake to make it ahead and just thaw the morning of?
Yes, definitely! 🙂
Nicole, I kept mine frozen without the caramel, until 30 min before serving. I took it out at room temp, and about 15 min before serving, I removed the cake ring, drizzled it with the sauce and pecans. And then I cut it right before serving. I really liked how it came out so that’s how I’ll continue doing it. It does have more of an ice cream texture like this though, which my co-workers and I really liked.
Thanks for replying Susan! 🙂
The cheesecake was great- my omni partner really liked it, (with the caveat, “it’s not like a cheesecake but it’s delicious”). I’ve been vegan a long time so I don’t even really remember dairy cheesecake. Anyway, but the caramel!! OMG, so easy and so good. I am very bad at caramel but this was me-proof. I have made tons of your recipes and haven’t been disappointed ever. You’re one of the few blogs I recommend often. Thank you!
So happy to hear that Jen! Thank you so much! 🙂