Delicious and healthy vegan pumpkin cheesecake with a silky-smooth texture. By the way, you can make it with or without crust! Besides, it’s an easy blend and bake recipe with no special skills needed! Perfect as a vegan Thanksgiving dessert!
I love this recipe because it’s:
- Super easy to prepare.
- Extremely healthy low-fat indulgence.
- Perfectly silky-smooth texture and beautiful golden colour.
It’s worth mentioning that this vegan pumpkin cheesecake is gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar free, relatively low in fats, low glycemic, and Candida diet friendly.
Table of contents
How to Make a Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
The Ingredients
Needless to say, this vegan pumpkin cheesecake is made of whole plant foods. So, you won’t see any melted vegan butter or refined sugars. The only exception is a small amount of low-glycemic sweetener, in this case xylitol or erythritol.
Firstly, the main ingredients in this recipe are silken tofu and pumpkin puree.
Next, I thicken the batter and make it firmer using psyllium husks and raw buckwheat flour.
The sweetness comes from mesquite powder and erythritol. Feel free to add more of the latter if you are a big sweet tooth.
As you already might know, I’m not into overly sweet things. Therefore, also my vegan pumpkin cheesecake is only mildly sweet. So, feel free to add more sweetener, if you need to. Actually, I’d add a bit more myself, if I had the cheesecake plain, i.e. without the chocolate sauce. However, with the sauce the combination of tastes is ideal.
Next, some Himalayan salt to balance the flavours, a bit of cinnamon and turmeric, and peanut butter for heartiness. The turmeric mainly enhances the colour of the cheesecake. Alternatively, you may utilise pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon.
Finally, the crust is made of walnuts, rolled oats, carob powder, plant milk and some Himalayan salt. However, you’re welcome to make a crustless version! To be honest, this is what I prefer as it makes the process much easier and faster.
The Process
For the Crust
In case you decide to make the crust, start by processing walnuts with a pinch of salt until fine crumbs. Then, add the remaining crust ingredients and process again until the batter sticks together when squeezed between fingers.
Next, press the crust batter into 6” (15 cm) or 6.3” (16 cm) spring form cake tin lined with parchment paper and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Here’s how you can make your own homemade pumpkin puree:
- Cut into half
First, using a sharp knife, cut a Hokkaido pumpkin (also known as pie pumpkin) in half and scoop out the seeds.
- Bake in the oven
Next, place the halves face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 200°C (390°F) for about 20 minutes until tender.
- Puree
Finally, let the pumpkin cool, remove the skin and blend with some water into puree. Depending on the size of your pumpkin, you’ll need to add about 2 cups of water to be able to process it.
NB! You can make pumpkin puree with steamed pumpkin as well! Follow the steps in the Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe post!
To Make the Filling
It’s as simple as combining all the ingredients in a bowl, beaker or blender, and processing with a regular or an immersion blender until smooth.
To finish up, pour filling onto crust (or, if you’re making crustless cake, into a 6”, 15 cm or 6.3”, 16 cm spring form cake tin lined with parchment paper), smooth it out with spatula or spoon and bake at 175°C (350°F) for 50 minutes. Make sure to let the cake cool completely before serving.
How to Store
In case you have some of the pumpkin cheesecake left over, or you’re making it ahead, cover the springform cake tin with a wax wrap or plastic and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Alternatively, you can also freeze the individual slices of this cheesecake. In order to do that, wrap them into parchment paper or use separate containers for every slice. Should you want to use one bigger container, make sure that the slices don’t stick together. Once frozen, they will keep for months. When you’re ready to enjoy a slice, warm it up in microwave or regular oven.
Here are more healthy vegan pumpkin desserts:
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Pumpkin Bread
- Vegan Pumpkin Blondies
- Spiced Pumpkin Chia Pudding
- Chocolaty Pumpkin Muffins
- Butternut Squash Muffins for Halloween
Watch how I make this vegan pumpkin cheesecake without crust as well as my vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies and vegan pumpkin pie, in the below video:
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Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Learn how to make healthy vegan pumpkin cheesecake with tofu that is oil-free, refined sugar free, gluten-free, and suitable on vegan Candida diet (except on cleanse). Make it with or without crust!
Ingredients
CRUST (or make it crustless)
- ½ cup (50g, 1.8oz) walnuts
- ½ cup (40g, 1.4oz) jumbo oats or rolled oats
- Pinch of Himalayan salt
- ½ tsp. date sugar or birch xylitol
- 1 tbsp. carob powder
- 1 ½ tbsp. unsweetened plant milk
FILLING
- 1 ½ cup (about 400g, 14oz) additive-free pumpkin puree (see tips)
- 349g (12.3oz) silken tofu
- ¼ tsp. Himalayan salt
- 2 tsps. cinnamon
- ½–1 tsp. turmeric (see tips)
- 1 level tbsp. mesquite powder (see tips)
- 3 level tbsps. date sugar or erythritol
- 1 level tbsp. (20g, 0.7oz) additive-free peanut butter
- 2 level tbsps. buckwheat flour (unroasted)
- 2 level tbsps. psyllium husks or 12g, 0.4oz psyllium powder
Instructions
For the Crust:
- First, process walnuts with a pinch of salt until fine crumbs. Then, add the remaining crust ingredients and process again until the batter sticks together when squeezed between fingers.
- Next, press the crust batter into 6” (15 cm) or 6.3” (16 cm) spring form cake tin lined with parchment paper and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
To Make Pumpkin Puree:
- Cut your Hokkaido pumpkin (or any other variety) in half and scoop out the seeds.
- Then, place the halves, face down, onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 200°C (390°F) for about 20 minutes until tender.
- Let cool, remove the skin and blend with some water into puree. Depending on the size of your pumpkin, you’ll need to add about 2 cups of water to be able to process it.
For the Filling:
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and process with immersion blender until smooth. You may also use regular blender.
- Now, pour filling onto crust (or, if you’re making crustless cake, into a 6”, 15 cm or 6.3”, 16 cm spring form cake tin lined with parchment paper), smooth it out with spatula or spoon and bake at 175°C (350°F) for 50 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.
Notes
One crustless slice has the glycemic load of 2.6 whereas a slice with crust comes with 6.9 GL points.
In case you have some of the pumpkin cheesecake left over, or you’re making it ahead, cover the springform cake tin with a wax wrap or plastic and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Alternatively, you can also freeze the individual slices of this cheesecake. In order to do that, wrap them into parchment paper or use separate containers for every slice. Should you want to use one bigger container, make sure that the slices don’t stick together. Once frozen, they will keep for months. When you’re ready to enjoy a slice, warm it up in microwave or regular oven.
See more tips and serving options below the recipe card!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Method: Baking
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ of the cake
- Calories: 158 kcal
- Sodium: 97.2mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 14.8g
- Fiber: 5.5g
- Protein: 5.5g
Tips:
- If you don’t have mesquite powder, add another teaspoon of sweetener.
- You may use two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon
- Now, the sweetness of this cake greatly depends on your pumpkin. For example, should you use a very mild/light variety, you might need to add more sweetener. I usually go for butternut squash, which is the sweetest and creamiest.
- Should your turmeric have very strong flavour, add only half a teaspoon.
- It’s important that you measure level tablespoons of flour and psyllium husks. Otherwise the cake will be too firm.
- Finally, you may use any additive-free nut butter instead of peanut butter.
How to Serve
There are several delicious toppings you can compliment your pumpkin cheesecake with:
- Garnish the cake with fresh berries, whatever is available at your grocery store.
- Make my low-sugar strawberry sauce.
- Thirdly, you can prepare fresh raspberry jam by thawing frozen berries and mashing them with a fork. Then, add a bit of ground chia seeds for thickness, and some sweetener to taste. For example, erythritol, xylitol, date sugar, date paste, or maple syrup.
- Needless to say, this cheesecake is excellent with my healthy chocolate sauce as well as chocolate frosting.
- Another yummy option is my healthy and creamy caramel sauce.
- Also, you can melt some dark chocolate and garnish the cheesecake however you want. For example, turn it into a spider web for Halloween festivities.
- Finally, you can even frost it with this healthy vegan cream cheese.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For every purchase made from the links in this post, you’ll be able to support my work. So you can look after your health, and contribute to my mission at the same time. Thank you!
You’re welcome to PIN the below image!
Congrats on getting it perfect the first time! That’s hard to do! It looks delicious!
Thank you so much Melissa! I know, I was lucky, right? 🙂
I plan on making your beautiful pie for thanksgiving. Any tips if I don’t have a spring form pan that small? The smallest I have is 21.5 cm. Regardless I can’t wait to enjoy your pie!
Hi there!
I’m so glad that you’re going to try the recipe!
First option — leave all quantities as they are. You’d have a thinner cake with thinner crust. I’d also diminish the baking time by 5-10 minutes.
Second option — as the diameter of your tin is about 40% longer, multiply all ingredients by 1.5, i.e. instead of 400g tofu, take 600g etc.
Third option — double the recipe and bake about 5-10 minutes longer.
Do let me know how it turned out!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I chose the second option. It was SO delicious, everyone in the family loved it even those without any dietary restrictions. I’m thankful I found your lovely recipes and guidance! Happy thanksgiving!!
Hi!
I’m super glad to hear that! Feedback is so important to me. Now I can be sure, it’s not only me and my weird tastes, but it actually is edible LOL
Happy holidays!
I cannot wait to make this! I LOVE all things pumpkin too:-) Question: In your nutrition information doe the GL points = Glycemic Load?
Hi Robert!
Definitely let me know how you like it! I made it for NYE and my friends loved it too 🙂 Yes, GL is glycemic load!
This cheese cake looks so good! So far, I have not attempted making a cheese cake, but I think this recipe is a good one to start with. Thanks so much!
I’m so glad to hear that! I hope you’ll like it!
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