So about this gluten-free, vegan, and paleo pumpkin cheesecake... I'll only say it was cheesecake-y, pumpkin-y, autumn-y, and absolutely gorgeous and I'll let the photos tell you the rest ;)
I'll also mention that it's a cashew "cheesecake," so there's no actual dairy (i.e. cheese) in it, but I assure you it tastes every bit as good as a real cheesecake. Just thought I'd mention it since I always get a "where's the cheese?" question on these raw-style cakes :)
UPDATE:
So it's no secret I love pumpkin. And it's also no secret I absolutely love this cake. This is my ultimate favorite pumpkin dessert to date. So naturally I've been making plenty of it... I recently tried a new variation that I really loved for multiple reasons.
I loved it's simplicity, since it made the recipe completely no-bake.
I loved it's new nuttier flavor -- nuts naturally go so well with pumpkin.
And I loved that it addressed the questions and feedback some of you had with the baked crust.
The only down-side is that the baked version has an incredible golden baked crust, the color of which you lose with the nutty crust. Ah, but such is the trade-off -- take it or leave it :) My preference is for the nutty crust so I edited the recipe to reflect that here, but I decided to leave the old baked crust version of the recipe up as well, in the recipe notes. Suit yourself and pick the version that catches your eye most -- baked golden beauty or almost effortless nutty pumpkin goodness...
Vegan No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
A delicious gluten-free vegan pumpkin cheesecake, with a creamy rich texture filled with the some of the best flavors of autumn.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 hours
- Total Time: 5 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 6" cake
- Category: Cake
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: Dessert
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Crust ingredients:
Note: See notes at the end of the recipe below for baked crust alternative*
- 1 ¼ cups raw almonds {or another nut}
- 6 soft medjool dates, pitted
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
White Layer Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews, presoaked and strained {soak overnight for best results, or soak in boiling water for 20 minutes if in a rush}, at room temp
- 3 tbsp lemon juice, at room temp
- 2 tbsp non-dairy milk, at room temp
- 6 tbsp maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of your choice), room temp
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- dash of salt
Pumpkin Layer Ingredients:
- White layer mixture, minus ¾ cup of it, which should be set aside (see step 4)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of your choice)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, liquified
- 1 ¼ cups pumpkin puree, room temp
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp ground ginger
Instructions
- Place all crust ingredients into a food processor and process into a sticky crumble. Transfer into a 6"springform pan and shape into a crust {either by flattening it entirely to the bottom, or pushing it up the sides a little for a taller crust effect}. Set aside.
- Place all white layer ingredients into a high-speed blender {I used my Vitamix for this recipe} and process until mixture is smooth. Scoop out about ¾ cup of this mixture into a bowl and set aside.
- Add pumpkin layer ingredients to the blender to the remaining mixture and blend until mixture is smooth and uniform.
- Pour pumpkin cheesecake mixture into the crust in the springform pan. Smooth out the mixture a little using a spatula. Pour white layer ingredients (that were set aside earlier) on top of the pumpkin layer, being careful not to mix the two layers in the process {you can freeze the pumpkin layer for about 20 minutes first if you like to help it firm up, which makes adding the white layer without having the two layers mix up a lot easier}. Gently smooth out the surface.
- Freeze the cheesecake for 4-5 hours {or overnight} to set, and then transfer and store in the fridge until ready to serve. You can also have it straight out of the freezer as a pumpkin ice-cream cake, but when you have it out of the fridge it has the consistency, texture, and flavor of a real cheesecake {and that’s just how I like mine :) }. Enjoy!
Notes
* Baked crust alternative: Ingredients: 3 tablespoon coconut oil (melted), 3 tablespoon maple syrup, ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 7 tablespoon pumpkin puree, dash of salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ cup coconut flour, 3 tablespoon tapioca flour. Directions: Pre-heat oven to 350F. Oil a 6″ springform pan and set aside. Place coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, pumpkin puree, salt, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl and use an immersion blender to blend the mixture into a smooth consistency (note: if you don’t have an immersion blender, blend all the ingredients in a regular blender and then pour into a mixing bowl). Add coconut and tapioca flours and mix well using a wooden spoon until everything is thoroughly combined. Scoop out the mixture into the springform pan. Use your hands to press the mixture down along the bottom and up around the walls of the pan forming a tall crust (should be about 1/16 – ¼″ thick everywhere). Use a fork to pierce some holes along the base of the crust to prevent bubbling during baking. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow the crust to cool in the pan on a wire rack. Go to step 4 of the recipe to add the filling to the cheesecake and follow directions from there.
Keywords: Vegan No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake (GF)
Bre says
Hi, has anyone used a pan other than a spring form pan? I do not have one. Thank you!!
Audrey says
Hi Bre, the challenge is that you'll have a hard time getting it out of another type of pan. These cakes freeze very solid and right up to the edges, which makes them difficult / next to impossible to pull out of anything other than a springform pan or a silicone pan (which can be peeled away from the cake). If you have small silicone cupcake moulds, you can make mini cheesecakes with this recipe with ease. Hope this helps!
Becky says
Is there anything I can do to make this recipe totally oil free?
Audrey says
Hi Becky. I haven't tried making this oil-free, so can just offer a hypothetical suggestion you can experiment with. Here's what I would do if I wanted to try making this oil-free:
- the no-bake crust version lends itself better to being oil-free, so I'd go with that version of the recipe.
- omit coconut oil from crust and add a few more medjool dates instead.
- replace the coconut oil in the pumpkin layer and add some full fat coconut cream instead (the firm white stuff that gathers at the top of a can of coconut milk chilled over night; none of the liquid in the can).
Alternatively, here's another vegan pumpkin cheesecake recipe which is naturally oil-free: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/baked-pumpkin-cheesecake-dairy-free/
And there's also this no-bake peanut butter pumpkin pie which is oil-free as well: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/no-bake-peanut-butter-pumpkin-pie-vegan-gluten-free/
If you give the substitution method a go, would love to hear how it turns out.
P.S. Not sure if you've seen, but there's an oil-free section on the recipes page for all kinds of other oil-free treats (with lots of pumpkin involved..): https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/all-recipes/
Sue says
Hi Audrey!
I can’t wait to make this. I am going to try the no bake version. I’ve made your beet root cheesecake and I absolutely loved it.....so did my husband. A win win! Keep the recipes coming!
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Sue. Enjoy it! :)
Naty says
This has got to be the best pumpkin cheesecake, scratch that, the best cheesecake, I've ever had, period. I made the one with the nutty crust and it was a huge hit at the holidays.
Audrey says
Hi Naty. So glad to hear that! Thanks for the awesome feedback.
SAm says
Both of these pumpkin cheesecake recipes look very interesting and I will try them out soon.
I would like to make a combo cheesecake, pumpkin and sweetpotatoe, can you help me out here? I'm good with paleo, whole30 and on rare occasion fully loaded (very rare as I have a serious dairy allergy (not just lactose) all/any of it.
Thank you for the pumpkin cheesecake recipes
Audrey says
Hi Sam, it should work just fine if you wanted to swap in sweet potato instead of some of the pumpkin. The flavors should work great either way. I'd maybe do 3/4 cup pumpkin puree and 1/2 cup sweet potato puree for the "pumpkin filling" part of the recipe. Would love to hear how it turns out!
Andrea says
Hi you're an artist thank you for all. Just a question which kind of food processor you use?
Audrey says
Hi Andrea. Thanks so much :)
I use a Breville Sous Chef Pro. I put more information about my kitchen equipment here, including models, etc. if you’re curious:
https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/baking-resources/
Marcy says
I've made this twice in the last 2 weeks-- so delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
Audrey says
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Marcy! So happy you liked it :)
Kimberly says
Would I be correct to assume that I should 1 1/2 the recipe if I'm using a 9" springform pan? Thanks in advance for your help!
Audrey says
Hi Kimberley, you'd need to double the recipe for jump from a 6" to a 9" (because of the pan volume). If you do x 1.5 you'll end up with a flatter cake.
P.S. There's a downloadable cake multiplication guide below the recipe you can gram for future reference.
Sara says
Hi Audrey, This recipe looks delicious! My boyfriend is on the specific carbohydrate diet and we were hoping to make this for Thanksgiving (we both love pumpkin and cashew/peanut larabars, which this combines ingredients from!). Under SCD though, maple syrup is not allowed... do you have any recommendations on how to tweak the recipe with another sweetener substitute? Thank you!
Audrey says
Hi Sara. For SCD, I think the main sweetener permitted is honey (which can be used in a recipe like this). If you're looking for vegan sweetener alternatives, you can maybe try something like coconut nectar? (I know coconut products are SCD "legal," but not sure specifically about the nectar). You can also maybe try date syrup (or date sugar even).
Rhonda says
Just made the revamped Pumpkin Cheesecake and its amazing! What a treat for our Canadian Thanksgiving guests this weekend! I’m a huge fan of your desserts and continue to make all of them for friends, family, and the Tirimisu for me!!!! Thank you so much for your brilliant recipes :)
Audrey says
Aw, thanks so much, Rhonda :) So happy you're enjoying the treats. Happy Thanksgiving!
eva says
what can be subbed for the tapioca flour? Perhaps 1/2 the amount of coconut flour?
Audrey says
Hi Eva,
With coconut flour it's tricky, because even 1 tbsp extra of it changes the entire recipe significantly (since it's extremely moisture absorbent). Can you do corn starch, potato starch, or arrowroot instead of tapioca? If so, either of those will work. Otherwise, there's always the alternative crust option :)
amber says
Soooooo amazing! So delicious! I didn't miss the real thing at all (especially since the real thing makes me feel so awful) thank you! I love your recipes!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thank you so much, Amber! So happy you liked this and are enjoying the recipes :)
Tajna says
I made the white layer and on top of it put melted cacao butter, cacao powder, maple syrup and coconut oil all whisked together inspired by Abigail O'Neil's Model Chocolate recipes. Froze the cacao part in the freezer and although the white layer stayed pretty soft they are delicious together ! I used a huge lemon-orange hybrid from my friend's tree instead of lemon juice and it was so yummy and fruity.
Thank you, your recipes are fantastic !
★★★★★
Audrey says
That sounds delicious, Tajna! Thank you for sharing. So glad you enjoyed the recipe :)
Alan says
I'm about to make this cake for my wife's birthday. I'm wondering about using less maple and substituting liquid stevia. Do you think I'll need to make other adjustments as I'll have less liquid? Thank you! The recipe looks amazing.
Audrey says
Hi Alan, yes, that would work, but you're right the liquids would need to be potentially adjusted. Were you thinking of making it with the baked crust or the nutty crust?
For the filling, you can just add a bit more non-dairy milk to compensate for any liquids you are removing. I think you'll need to adjust the flavor a bit to taste, as maple has a nice flavor it lends to the recipe, so maybe a touch more vanilla and a touch more cinnamon. If you can use the contents of a vanilla bean pod instead of extract, that would work great too.
Alan says
Thanks Audrey! I'm doing the baked crust. Let me know if you have any other suggestions regarding the crust. I'll take your advice for the filling!
Audrey says
I'd substitute for any maple taken out of the crust with a bit more pumpkin puree and a bit more coconut oil. That should do the trick :)
Niki says
I made this and although the flavours are good, I could not for the life of me get a smooth consistency for the cashew layer (and hence both the pumpkin and white layers were a bit chunky). I dont have a Vitamix but I have a Ninja and blended at high speed but dould not get the little lumps out. Any suggestions? Should I have added more or less cashews? Should I have added a bit ore liquid? Baked crust turned out great. And 2 other suggestions for anyone wanting to make this cake: 1) definitely use the 6 inch pan - I used one slightly larger and the layers are not enough to reach the top of the crust. I may add another layer of whipped coconut cream 2) I found the lemon flavour a bit overpowering even though I used slightly less than 3 Tbsp (fresh squeezed). You could probably get away with 1.5 - 2 Tbsp
★★★
Audrey says
Hey Niki. Thanks so much for sharing how it went for you -- it's always good to hear how people went, what they used, and any thoughts.
Hmmm... about the cashews, were they pre-soaked first? If they were pres-oaked long enough to soften up for blending and the mixture was still coarse, it sounds like the Ninja is just not up to task perhaps. In which case, you can increase the amount of liquids (can use in that layer to help things blend better, but you also then need to increase the amount of coconut oil as otherwise it'll melt a bit too quickly when serving.
P.S. I think a layer of whipped coconut cream on top is a good idea to fill it in some :)
Annie Stark says
HI there, I am just about to try this recipe for our Canadian Thanksgiving dinner and I wanted to clarify the direction in the "New Recipe" under "Pumpkin Layer ingredients" which says 1 1/4 cups pumplin pure (or remainder of the.......se note in Crust ingredients). But in the "new recipe" there is no note under "Crust ingredients" in regards to pumpkin puree. So I just wanted to clarify that in the "New recipe" there are only 4 ingredients in the crust: raw almonds, medjool dates, maple syrup & coconut oil. Correct?
Audrey says
Hi Annie. Good catch. Sorry about that -- the note was just a relic from copying the older recipe filling over (I just removed it). The new crust indeed just has 4 ingredients. Enjoy it! :)
Tati says
Hi there!! Do you know the calories, carbs, sugar etc. in these recipes? I loved the recipes so muchh but Im always scared about the above. Thanksss from a fan from the Republic of Panama.
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Tati,
Thank you so much for your comment. I appreciate it and always love hearing what people are interested in. And always happy to know where people are from -- Panama -- I think you're the first to say hi from there! :)
I don't usually calculate the nutritional values for my recipes, but you can easily calculate them via a calculator like this -- a good tool to know about anyhow if you're into calculating recipe values ;)
The Vegan 8 says
So, so beautiful Audrey! The prettiest pumpkin cake I've seen and I love that it is a cheesecake too! I love both versions but love the newer version more because it's much less oil and with the extra nuts, yes please! I'm in love with the white layer on top too, so beautiful! Beautiful shots!
Audrey says
Thanks so much, Brandi. I've had this a bunch more times now and I'm definitely a fan of the latter. Simpler, easier, and nuttier <3 And that white layer on top always makes me happy :)
RJ Rahn says
Intriguing recipe. I'm on a LCHF diet and find cashews are rather high-carb. Any other options? And did I miss the nutritional data-carbs, protein, fat, calories of a 'serving'? Can't make it until I know what is getting into me!
Audrey says
Hi RJ,
Thanks so much for your comment! I'm glad my cake caught your eye :)
I don't usually run nutritional specs on my recipes, so I'm not sure what the data would be. However, you can easily plug the recipe into a calculator like this and even modify to the specific ingredients you're going to be using + number of servings to get an accurate picture.
If cashews are too high carb for your diet, the only thing I can think of as a substitute in this specific recipe is some medium firm or firm tofu {same amount}. You may need to tweak the flavors a little, but in terms of texture I think that would probably work best. The cashew's function in this recipe is to provide "mass" and give this a cheesecake-like flavor and texture, but I find you can achieve similar results with tofu as well.
Lisa | Mummy Made.It says
i love nutty cheese cakes! They are so filling and so much better for you.
Pumpkin Spice is also a big favourite of mine- we can't get it in Australia so I make my own.
Audrey says
Nutty cheesecakes are definitely wonderful! And the wholesome ingredients are my favorite part -- all the treat, and all good for you too :)
Interesting pumpkin spice isn't available in Australia. To be honest, I never buy it pre-mixed either -- I prefer to just make my own. It's so easy and you know exactly what goes in it.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Going to check out your giant lamington now ;)
Gray Skey says
this made a delicious pumpkin mousse but it didnt set up at all so no way it could be a pie :(
Audrey says
Hmmm.. That's very odd! I've made this several times and it sets into a cheesecake every time (you meant cheesecake, not pie, right?). I'm curious -- did you make any alterations to the ingredients? Otherwise, I can think of a few reasons it might not have set: a. if the ingredients were off (i.e. not enough coconut oil, or too much liquid -- were the cashews strained? maybe the pumpkin puree was too watery? etc.), b. if it wasn't frozen long enough, or c. if it was sitting out for too long under warm conditions. Not really sure what went wrong there for you, but I'm glad you were able to enjoy it as a mousse at least :)
Heather says
I tried making this yesterday. The white layer was a way different consistency than the pumpkin layer and I did not find it to be very easy to spread (it just mixed with the pumpkin layer when I tried to spread the white layer on top). The crust is totally inedible... went out and bought graham crackers today and the filling is quite tasty with the crackers (I'm just dairy-free, not paleo/gf/vegan). If I repeat I will need to use a different crust recipe...
Audrey says
That's interesting, Heather. Too bad the crust didn't work out for you. I actually really love it. Glad to hear you liked the filling at least, which seems to be what matters the most to your dairy-free diet from this recipe anyhow :) .
If you do want to give it a try again in the future, one thing I often do with layered cakes like this to prevent mixing is pour in the bottom layer, let it freeze for about 15-20 minutes, then pour the next layer on top -- this will prevent them from mixing up as the bottom layer will be hardened. I found I didn't need to do it with this cake this time around, which is why I didn't mention it in the directions, but it's certainly a helpful trick if you try it again, since you like the filling.
Also, note that if your ingredients aren't at room temp, then the filling may harden up prematurely (because coconut oil hardens when it's chilled), making it harder to spread -- not sure if this is what happened to you, but figured I'd mention it just in case it's relevant. So just make sure everything you're adding to the blender is warm/room temp, and it should spread quite easily.
If you want to try it with a different DIY crust, you can give the crust from this recipe a go -- it's no bake and nut based: Gluten-Free Vegan Raw Strawberry Cheesecake. Although, to be honest, if you're not gf restricted, then a good ol' graham cracker crust definitely sounds nice ;)
Mary says
Hi Audrey! I'm going to double your cheesecake recipe. How long do you think the crust will need to stay in the oven? Thank you!! Mary
Audrey says
Hi Mary, it's actually about the same. When I doubled this crust before it was ready in 22 minutes, so just keep an eye on it around that mark. Happy baking! :)
Jen says
Hello. I'm going to buy ingredients today and bring this to my grama's for Thanksgiving. However, where is the step mentioned for placing the pan into the oven after step 1? Does it ever go into the oven or is it only frozen?
Audrey says
Hi Jen, the crust is first baked (instructions on how to in step 3), and then filled with the filling and frozen. Enjoy it! Happy Thanksgiving :)
Jessica says
Just made this for Thanksgiving at the in-laws. Licked the spoon for each layer and I can tell it's going to be A-MA-ZING! Yum. And so pretty, too. Thanks for providing yummy recipes that our family can all enjoy! :)
Audrey says
Thanks so much -- that's wonderful to hear, Jessica! That's my favorite part about these "raw-ish" recipes -- you can totally enjoy some as you're making it ;) . Happy Thanksgiving!
joanna says
i'm so happy i stumbled upon your recipe! i was gonna make pumpkin pudding for thanksgiving but this sounds so much more delicious! i have to make one modification since i can't have nuts (ulcerative colitis- ugh) so i'm going to use coconut cream. i hope it works!! will let you know after i have tried it.
Audrey says
Hi Joanna. Thanks so much! Too bad about the nut allergy, though with all my food issues, I can totally relate. I think coconut cream could work if you increase the amount of coconut oil so that it solidifies. Otherwise it might be runny or melty.
Not sure if you've seen this pumpkin tart recipe, but it may be more suitable as it's naturally nut-free: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/vegan-gluten-free-recipes/gluten-free-vegan-and-paleo-carob-pumpkin-tart-aip-friendly-refined-sugar-free/
My personal choice would be to use the crust from this pumpkin cheesecake recipe, the filling from the pumpkin tart I linked to above, and the white layer made from coconut cream, some coconut oil, and a sweetener. I think that would make a really lovely Thanksgiving treat that will look fairly close to this pumpkin cheesecake!
I would definitely love to hear what you end up making :) . Happy Thanksgiving!
joanna says
thanks for replying so fast!! i should've come on here to check earlier but i ended up making it this afternoon! i think the filling turned out thick enough but i'm no cheesecake expert!! haven't made one in probably 5 years. i ended up melting some raw cacao butter to add into it so it would be like a pumpkin white chocolate cheesecake. i also used a date paste in place of the maple syrup since i made marshmallows this morning and used it all!! the date paste itself is very thick. maybe that will help firm it up a bit. it's in the freezer now. i tried the fillings and they were delicious. the pumpkin layer was just like pumpkin pudding. the crust turned out PERFECT. i seriously thought it would be too crumbly but it baked up beautifully and orange!! i cannot wait to taste the finished product. if you have a facebook, i will post it to your wall!
Audrey says
Hi Joanna, that sounds great. I hope it turns out and I'd totally love to see the finished product! :) I do have a facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GlutenFreeVeganLoveDotCom
dawn says
I would like to try this and your Neopolitan ice cream cake. I see both call for lemon juice. Does that need to be fresh juice? Is bottled too strong? No access to fresh lemons right now. Thanks for the recipe and the help!
Audrey says
Hi Dawn. Bottled lemon juice will work just fine. If the brand you use has a very strong flavor, you can just reduce the amount and add water or non-dairy milk instead. But I've used bottled juice before without a problem. Happy baking! :)
Living Healthy for God says
Just tried out your recipe! I used Bob Red Mill's gluten free all purpose baking flour in place of the coconut flour & tapioca flour for the crust... and I think that's what made it turn out the way it did! It was really goopy and not firm at all. After baking it was kind of a rubbery feeling, but still firm-ish so I went ahead and continued on. My "white" top was almost the same color as the filling, with less orange to it. It also was thicker then I think yours looks.
However, the taste of the batter was good and I am hoping my husband's family who still eats the Standard American Diet will appreciate it tomorrow. Hoping it turns out well after freezing! Thank you for sharing the recipe and I'll try to have coconut flour "in stock" next time so I can follow the recipe exact.
Audrey says
Oh, dear -- sorry it didn't turn out for you! But yes, the Bob's flour swap for the coconut is what did it. I know it's a little too late to save this cake, but for future baking it's good to know that coconut flour is extremely absorbent and if you ever bake anything with it you have to use a lot of liquids to compensate. If you substitute regular flour then you'd have to reduce the moisture levels by A LOT. I'm glad you liked the filling though -- good luck with the next attempt!
P.S. So sorry for the late response here. I just discovered my site has been putting lots of genuine comments in spam and I only discovered them all now! Working my way through them all and wanted to make sure you know your comment and feedback is appreciated!
Katherine Schoolcraft says
I have been dying for a paleo crust that isn't seed based! I'm going to give this recipe a whirl this weekend, thank you so much for sharing!
Audrey says
That's great, Katherine. So glad you found something you like. Happy baking! :)
ilya says
Sounds great :). Will definitely make it.
One note - the line "3/4 of the white layer mixture (see step 4)" (first line under Pumpkin Layer Ingredients) should, probably, say "3/4 cup..."
Audrey says
Hi Ilya. Thanks so much! And thanks for pointing out the error -- all fixed now, and yes that is 3/4 cup. Enjoy it!
Laura@Baking in Pyjamas says
What a pretty coloured cheesecake, it looks great Audrey. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!!
Audrey says
Thank you, Laura! :) See you over at Sweet and Savoury Sunday!