Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
[Insert standard "this is not a fat-free recipe" disclaimer here. Geez, what was I thinking when I named this blog!]
I know most of you who celebrate Thanksgiving have already figured out your menus. I'm probably the only slacker who still doesn't know what she's cooking! I'm lucky, though. I'm going to my in-laws' celebration which is essentially a huge pot-luck. We can usually count on there being some side dishes prepared vegan just for us, so I can get away with bringing just a dish or two. At this point, I'm relatively sure that I'm making Bryanna's Soy and Seitan "Turkey," but I'm absolutely positive that I'm making this:
This pumpkin cheesecake is without a doubt the most delicious dessert I've had in a long time. The bottom layer is lightly flavored with lemon, while the top layer is pumpkin-flavored without being heavy; eaten together, they're just plain heaven. No, it's not fat-free, but I challenge you to find a lower-fat cheesecake that tastes this good. Also, it relies on agave nectar for much of its sweetness, so if you're concerned about the glycemic index, that's another point in its favor. But I warn you--you won't be able to stop at just one piece of this luscious cheesecake.
Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
(printer-friendly version)
8 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese (look for the non-hydrogenated version in the yellow container)
12 ounces light firm silken tofu (or extra-firm)
1/2 cup agave nectar (or sugar)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned, not pumpkin pie mix)
2 teaspoons rum (optional)
3 tablespoons brown sugar or natural sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg (please!)
1 pre-made 8-inch graham cracker crust (or oatmeal cookie crust)
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Put the first set of ingredients (toffuti through vanilla) in a food processor and puree until completely smooth. It should be silky smooth--not chalky or lumpy.
Remove a cup of this mixture from the processor and spread it in the bottom of the crust.
Add the next set of ingredients (pumpkin through nutmeg) to the ingredients remaining in the food processor and process until well blended. Smooth it carefully over the white layer in the crust, heaping it slightly in the middle. Bake until the center is almost set, about 50-60 minutes. (Insert a toothpick. If it comes out liquidy and cold, give it more time, until the center is firm.) Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 3 hours. Serve to delighted guests. (Don't tell them it's vegan, and they won't know!)
Serves 8. Per serving (not including the crust): 218 Calories (kcal); 7g Total Fat; (28% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 179mg Sodium.
Hope all of you who celebrate it have a happy Thanksgiving. And if you don't celebrate, you may in fact be saving your own life!
I know most of you who celebrate Thanksgiving have already figured out your menus. I'm probably the only slacker who still doesn't know what she's cooking! I'm lucky, though. I'm going to my in-laws' celebration which is essentially a huge pot-luck. We can usually count on there being some side dishes prepared vegan just for us, so I can get away with bringing just a dish or two. At this point, I'm relatively sure that I'm making Bryanna's Soy and Seitan "Turkey," but I'm absolutely positive that I'm making this:
This pumpkin cheesecake is without a doubt the most delicious dessert I've had in a long time. The bottom layer is lightly flavored with lemon, while the top layer is pumpkin-flavored without being heavy; eaten together, they're just plain heaven. No, it's not fat-free, but I challenge you to find a lower-fat cheesecake that tastes this good. Also, it relies on agave nectar for much of its sweetness, so if you're concerned about the glycemic index, that's another point in its favor. But I warn you--you won't be able to stop at just one piece of this luscious cheesecake.
Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
(printer-friendly version)
8 ounces Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese (look for the non-hydrogenated version in the yellow container)
12 ounces light firm silken tofu (or extra-firm)
1/2 cup agave nectar (or sugar)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned, not pumpkin pie mix)
2 teaspoons rum (optional)
3 tablespoons brown sugar or natural sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg (please!)
1 pre-made 8-inch graham cracker crust (or oatmeal cookie crust)
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Put the first set of ingredients (toffuti through vanilla) in a food processor and puree until completely smooth. It should be silky smooth--not chalky or lumpy.
Remove a cup of this mixture from the processor and spread it in the bottom of the crust.
Add the next set of ingredients (pumpkin through nutmeg) to the ingredients remaining in the food processor and process until well blended. Smooth it carefully over the white layer in the crust, heaping it slightly in the middle. Bake until the center is almost set, about 50-60 minutes. (Insert a toothpick. If it comes out liquidy and cold, give it more time, until the center is firm.) Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 3 hours. Serve to delighted guests. (Don't tell them it's vegan, and they won't know!)
Serves 8. Per serving (not including the crust): 218 Calories (kcal); 7g Total Fat; (28% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 35g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 179mg Sodium.
Hope all of you who celebrate it have a happy Thanksgiving. And if you don't celebrate, you may in fact be saving your own life!
Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free
Labels: higher-fat, holidays
posted by SusanV at 11:07 PM
141 Comments:
I'd love to make this for Thanksgiving! It looks very good. :P
I will not, however, eat 4,500 calories of food like that article mentions in the NYT link you posted! holy cow! 229 grams of fat??? Not with your blog recipes on my side!!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family, Susan!!
Susan,
I have been following your blog for about a year now. I have made many successful recipes of yours.
I never commented before, but this time I just cannot hold back... You are aware that most of us already have our menus, yet you proceed to post a recipe such as this?! You are practically forcing me to go out and buy the ingredients and change my desert plans. Somehow I think my family will thank me (or you) for this one.
Thank you,
Alyce
ok! its official! i am making that just for myself!!! forget everyone else! :)
or maybe i'll be nice & make it for christmas.
Oh man, am I making this for sure!!!!
Ah Susan, You had me at the first layer. Lovely!
Oh no...I don't have Tofutti cream cheese. Is there any way I can make my own, or can anyone tell me where to get tofutti? Trader Joe's?
This looks amazing! We don't really celebrate thanksgiving, and those American-style orange pumpkins are ridiculously expensive here. They're also only sold around Halloween, with plastic eyes and smiles glued on them...
But I think I'll try making your cheesecake with sea buckthorn jam, and tweak the spices a little bit. Thanks for the recipe, and happy thanksgiving!
Mustardseed, definitely try Trader Joe's. From what I hear, they have a lot of vegan products. If there's a Whole Foods near you, they definitely should have it.
I wanted to make something *other* than pumpkin pie this year, but I'm so in love with pumpkin pie that I just couldn't sacrifice it. Now I can!! (cause I'm making this!) :o
Susan, looks like a great recipe. I love seeing more and more desserts popping up with agave nectar too!
Susan, Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
After seeing this, I may just have to change my plans! I love how it's light and yet decadent. I also adore the two-tone...it's like a saddle-shoe cheesecake.
Susan this looks super yummy!
question: after you take a cup of the tofutti recipe, what do you do with the remainder? Or did I just miss this?
thanks!
After you take out the cup of cheesecake filling, you leave the rest in the food processor. Then add the pumpkin+spices to the processor and blend it all together for the top level.
I actually just got done making a pumpkin cheesecake when I came to your blog. I have a suggestion that helps with the texture of the pie. Put the pumpkin mix on a couple of layers of paper towels and get some of the moisture out.
^_^
Oh. My. Dog!!! This looks so scrumptious. It's going on my list of must makes for sure!
Please do let us know how Bryanna's soy and seitan turkey turns out. I've never made it and am curious to know what other people think of it.
oooo that looks AMAZING
Oh Susan, you have outdone yourself! I am having a "sympathy Thanksgiving" because I want an excuse for cool food, and have nothing so cool looking planned! I have an idea in my head for a different type of double layer pie though.....
Yum!! This Double-Layer-Pumpkin-Cheesecake looks so elegant and delicious; and hey, I forgive you for it not being fat-free - it's the holidays!! you have to live a little!! :0D
I read that article you linked to, at the end of your post - welcome to America.
Thank goodness I'll be safe from "dangerous drowsiness" while driving home from class today!
And I'm definitely putting this on the menu, for a holiday in the future. Thanks!
Oh, and Vivacious Vegan, I just saw your comment. I've made Soy and Seitan "Turkey" many times, and it's one of the best alterna-turkeys I've ever had. Much better than store bought seitan, in fact. There's a photo on my site (click my name) if you want to see it.
Looks fantastic! What makes it set? I make my regular vegan pumpkin pie with cornstarch- we like the firmer texture. Can I add that or will it spoil the effect?
Anon, there's 2 tbsp. of cornstarch already in the recipe, which is enough to help it set (it may not even need that much). This is more a cheesecake than a pumpkin pie, so the texture is lighter and less starchy than a pumpkin pie. I just transported one in a cooler for 3 1/2 hours over bumpy road, and it's still in perfect shape, so I'd say it's set just right!
oooooohhh! aaahhhhh!
Susan you have posted another fantastic recipe. I got up at 7:30 am and made if for you Thanksgiving dessert. I will post pictures the next day or so. I love it!
Susan you have posted another fantastic recipe. I got up at 7:30 am and made if for you Thanksgiving dessert. I will post pictures the next day or so. I love it!
oops! I made it for OUR Thanksgiving dessert.
Oh, my Susan! My mouth is watering!
Happy Thanksgiving!
This looks really delicious!!!
I am not vegan (=I would use ricotta instead of tofu) ... nevertheless, my first visit to your blog could not have been tastier!
Now I need to figure out the translation to metric measures.
Ciao
I made this for Thanksgiving and no one could believe it was vegan. They were shocked when I rambled off the ingerdients.
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you Susan! I made my first all vegan Thanksgiving dinner. I made you favorite lasagna and for dessert I made your pumpkin cheesecake. We had a non-vegan friend that went home stuffed!
Krystal
Absolutely delicious! I am still drooling at the layered cheesecake.
Hope u had an awesome Thanksgiving!
~ Siri
i had no dessert on thanksgiving proper, but i made this today. so glad i did, as it was nice to cook without pressure and the c'cake's glory wasn't overshadowed by other awesome foods!
That's beautiful, Susan! Like you, I don't generally figure out my thanksgiving menu until pretty much the last minute. I didn't eat this yesterday, but I hope to make it very soon!
I did it! Last minute change of dessert plans! This was so, so delicious!! Thank you, Susan! Even my husband, lover of cheesecake and all things unhealthy, thought this was the BEST!!!
Susan, this recipe is amazing...smooth, creamy and light! Even the self-declared "tofu haters" loved it! I'll definitely use this one again before the holidays are over!
Aw, I'm sad that this recipe is only for American people (lucky to have tofutti!) but I can still eat it with my eyes. Mmm.
This looks so wonderful! I think my friend who shies away from sugar will love that this uses mostly agave nectar. I am SO excited to make it for us!
(I can't have dairy, her husband can't have gluten--I'll substitute GF crushed cookies for the crust--, she doesn't want to eat dairy, wheat, or sugar... I'm always looking for recipes!)
Kathy in MD
Wow...I really enjoyed this post!
I love pumpkin cheesecake!
Just out of curiosity….Do you know where I can purchase good quality foods online? I am now trying to order from online stores only because of various reasons…….can you help me with any suggestions??????
There is only one place, out of all that I have tried that really stood out for true quailty, and that is Celebrityfoodds.
If you can help me grow my list of quality services or stores, where I can buy my food, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you!
This looks great!
I'd be wary of agave, though. Apparently it's treated by the body like High Fructose Corn Syrup! I'll try the recipe with stevia and lo han guo. Looks great!
That was so Delicious! Amazing!!!! I made it for Thanksgiving dessert (after we ate the yummy sweet potato casserole and green bean casserole)! Everything was so yummy! Everyone said they would have never know it was vegan!
Oh, by the way, I had no idea about agave nectar being metabolized like high fructose corn syrup??? That's not good, considering I live on the stuff. Could you elaborate a little more, I am very curious now!
Thanks!
I've read some of the scare stories about agave nectar, but I'm just not worried. None of them come from sources I consider scientifically authoritative, and until I see one that does, I'm going to continue using it.
Looks delish. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for another great recipe. I was wondering, is pumpkin puree the same thing as canned pumpkin pie filling? If not, and if pumpkin pie filling is all my store carries, would you suggest omitting some of the other spices in the recipe? Thank you!
Theo, as you guessed, pumpkin pie filling includes spices, so if that's all you can find, leave out the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. It also may be sweetened, so leave out the sugar in that case. BUT, I seriously advise you to keep looking for the plain pumpkin. Then I know it'll turn out right.
Hi Susan,
This cheesecake is fantastic. Your picture shows a better layer than mine, but the taste was still fantastic. It is already on the menu for Christmas. Oh my, DH and I could eat the whole thing in one day if we gave it a valent effort. Thank you so much for the recipe!
How important is the tofu either being light or not firm or extra firm?
i have regular silken tofu- and it does not say light, firm, or extra firm?
Maya, what you have should be fine. I would just advise not to use soft silken tofu and to stick with silken tofu that comes in aseptic packages.
ok- thanks! i do have the refrigerated one, so i will be picking up a new one! i really enjoy your blogs- thanks alot!
So I made this delish cake last night- and Wow! It was just way better then I would have expected! I used extra-firm refrigerated tofu, and Pumpkin Pie spice- and cooked for a bit longer then called for- results? Amazing! Thanks so much- and I can't wait to try many more recipes of yours! The lasagne is probably next-haha...
I made this a week after thanksgiving and have to say it is the best vegan pumpkin pie I've had yet. It was excellent! My guys gobbled it right up. No complaints this year.
Thanks!
This was really good...but too sweet for me. My non-Vegan friends liked it too, but agreed about the sweetness... it think I might to cut it down to 1/4 of a cup agave and see. It had great texture too. I will definately make this again! Love your site!
Unfortunately, I missed this in time for Thanksgiving last month, but now I get to make this for Xmas! Yay!
Just wondering: does the filling set enough to make this in a spring-form pan? I'm thinking it'd just be easier to serve and my regular graham cracker crusts never seem to look as pretty as yours does.However, I don't want to take this out of the pan just to have it flop all over on me and be ruined :(
Animal-Friendly, I think it would work, but I haven't tried it and wouldn't want to be responsible if it flops on you. Still, it's a fairly stiff cheesecake, so who knows? Sorry I can't say for sure.
I don't have Agave Nectar, can I use organic cane sugar or something else?
Sure, organic cane sugar should work fine.
I made this for my family's christmas dinner and it was a HUGE hit! They are all meat-eaters and loved it. My dad said it was the best 'vegan thing I have ever made' and asked that I leave him an extra piece (which is an incredibly high compliment). This was my first time ever making a cheesecake - let alone a vegan one - and I couldn't believe how easy it was! Mmm so good!
Susan, do you like the vegan cheesecake listed in your "thanks and more thanks" blog entry , or do you prefer this one? I was thinking of just doubling the "vanilla" part of this cheesecake and making an entire vanilla cheesecake instead of using the pumpkin this time. (i loved it the pumpkin way too already) What is your recommendation?
Honestly, I wouldn't double the cream cheese part of this one; I think it will come out too sweet and also be too much volume for one pie crust. I would use the regular one (created by Nic at Baking Bites"), which is the general inspiration for all my cheesecakes.
I've made this a couple of times now, but finally got my Google/Blogger ID. GREAT recipe!!! I find myself cleaning the Cuisinart bowl by hand (if you know what I mean). It can be difficult to find graham crackers or premade graham cracker crusts without honey, but I've made my own crust using vegan ginger snaps instead of grahams... a spicy option which you should try. Also, note there are two varieties of Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese out there; only one of them is trans-fat free. Read the labels!
Yay! I finally posted my gluten-free variation of this recipe. I see the link showed up below so I won't repeat it, but thank you for letting me share the recipe with my readers. It's yummy gluten-free, too! And, I must say, it's ridiculously cute made in mini-ramekins. :)
-Sea
I used gluten free cookies ground up (food processor) and threw together a crust. (only used it on bottom of pan).
Next day it looked exactly like this!!! (cept for the edge crust, but we did not miss it).
My mom liked this so much saying how delicious and rich it was, that she said to please make for company or thanksgiving/Christmas dinner. That's how much she enjoyed it!
I told her it was much less fat than regular and she was more thrilled saying you could not tell.
I think she liked it more than I did! lol. I was never big on cheesecake. (unless it was plain New York kind).
But it works well and is easy to make gf.
-Kim H.
Not counting the crust's calories, how many calories is in the pie?
Like say for 8 slices (and crust free)?
Would greatly appreciate it!
Thanks.
Each slice, without a crust, contains 218 calories, so the whole pie, or 8 slices, contains 1744.
My daughter's birthday is coming up soon. This is certainly going to be the centerpiece dessert. Will try it once this weekend before finalising:)
Oh my God this looks delicious ! In France we don't celebrate Thanksgiving but do we really need an excuse to try this cheesecake ? I don't think so ! Susan thank you for showing me that cooking car be healthy and sooooo good at the same time !
Hi Susan, Once again another wonderful recipe! I had a craving for cheesecake and having used your recipe before I did not want to wait until the holidays to make it again. So I made it today! It is so good!
this is possibly the best thing i've ever eaten as a vegan.
Is there any way you can think of combining this recipe and the chocolate cherry pie one? How can I substitute chocolate for the pumpkin and at what preportion? I want to do a double chocolate tofu cheesecake pie instead. Help?!
Wow! This cheescake even won over my husband who has never really cared for cheescake at all!!! I made it to take to work and only had half by the time I left the house. Everyone at work loved it too. I am new to the vegan world an your site has been my daily bread so far. I enjoy your comments as much as the recipes and your pictures are superb!! Thankyou!
This will be a go-to this holiday season for me. Thanks!
I recently found your blog and it is AMAZING! It's helped inspire many healthy meals in our house. And this pie was a huge hit. I admittedly made two at once, knowing my...um...appetite. But I just noticed that the Tofutti cream cheese has 2g of trans fat per serving. Is there any good substitute for the supposedly "Better Than Cream Cheese"? Thanks!
Hi Leah--Tofutti makes an non-hydrogenated version of the cream cheese that doesn't have any trans fat. Look for it in a yellow container. Glad you liked the cheesecake!
Unfortunately when I was shopping for the ingredients I couldn't get any soy cream cheese.
I'm not vegan, so I just used regular (fat-free) and it was still delicious.
I think i'd add a little more pumpkin next time.
It tasted better the longer it cooled for.
Tasty! Even the non-veggies I served it to were impressed! I found that the one cup for the regular cheesecake layer wasn't quite enough, though.
I have to say that i love your site, and i come here often for inspiration. When i saw this recipe i was very excited to try it, but i was a little dissapionted when i saw that you recommended a premade crust, only because most have trans fat, anyway i made my list and set out for whole foods. I colected my ingredients and to my absolute shock Tofutti better than cream cheese's second ingredient is hydrogenated oil. I told a manager at the store and he assured me that they didn't carry any thing with trans fat in the entire store, then i showed him and he pulled them all of the shelves. I am a firm believer in zero tolerence for trans fat, and i am curious why you would go to such lengths to aviod dairy when you are substituting some thing entirely worse, and then posting the recipe on line for people to use under the guise that it is heathy, i think is just a tradedy. I would love to see this recipe revised, and i am sorry but i had to say something.
Thank you for pointing out ways in which the recipe could be clearer. I tend to assume that people will use the healthiest options possible, but they may not always be aware of what options exist. As I mentioned before (3rd comment up from yours) Tofutti makes a non-hydrogentated cream cheese. It's in the yellow container. Also, I don't recommend a packaged premade crust; the recipe calls for a pre-made crust, one that's prepared beforehand. For a fat-free crust, I recommend my oatmeal cookie crust recipe.
I've edited the recipe to provide links to the non-hydrogenated Better Than Cream Cheese and the fat-free crust. Of course, the healthiest option of all is to avoid desserts like this completely!
I just started reading your blog (I went completely vegan at the beginning of october) and i LOVE it. i pour over your recipes when i should be doing homework instead very often..
this "cheesecake" was one of the first recipes i tried and it was absolutely AMAZING. it was one of the creamiest desserts i think i've EVER had, but yet, after eating alot of it, i barely felt guilty because half of it is just tofu!
anyways, just wanted to say hi and
thanks for making such a great blog!
Gabriella
I've saved several recipes from your blogs, but this is the first one that I've made so far. When I came across it I actually ran right out and got the ingredients. I think I could have left it cook a little longer, I'm used to making traditional pumpkin pies so when I checked it at 45 minutes, I immediately took it out. Consequently, its not quite as firm in the center. BUT, it's still DELICIOUS! I'm so excited to take it to work tomorrow and see if anyone notices its vegan =)
Thank You!
I don't have a food processor yet, can you blend the ingredients in a blender? This looks amazing!
I tried your recipe and it is incredible! Very easy and so good! I used a white piecrust. Next time I'm in seattle, I'll have to get a graham crackers or a graham crust.
Thanks so much for sharing it.
this is the best vegan dessert I have ever had in my LIFE! thank you sooo much for putting the link to it in the sidebar! i am making this for thanksgiving at my school's potluck and at my family's thanksgiving. mmm i need to go get another piece ;)
Holy Yum!!! Everyone loved this! I made it as a practice for Thanksgiving, and it will definitely be coming with me! Perfect!!!
Hello Susan,
Thanks for posting such wonderful recipes for us to enjoy. I've been eyeing this recipe for the past few weeks, and hope to make it for Thanksgiving. I don't have any experience making desserts like this-- do you think that the recipe would be as scrumptious with sweet potato puree instead of pumpkin puree? It seems to be easily found than pumpkin puree in local stores. Thanks for your time!
Does this really only call for 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree? That doesn't seem like enough judging from the photo...
I just text messaged my boyfriend: "I printed a recipe for a double layered pumpkin cheesecake. Think your parents would like that if we made that?"
His reply "Hell, I think I would like it!"
hahaha I guess we'll make it and if anything is left we'll take it to his parents house :)
Mark, that's the correct amount. Remember, it's mixed with the cream cheese mixture, which makes up the bulk of the pumpkin layer.
Hi Susan :) I am planning on making this for thanksgiving dinner this year but have a question: My family isn't into anything with a very sweet flavor so I was thinking of adding a bit more pumpkin to the pumpkin layer and laying off the agave nectar a bit. Maybe even combining yams and pumpkins for a real pumpkin punch. My question is, do you think the pumpkin layer will become to heavy for the bottom layer? Thanks!!
This is an amazing site, first of all. I was stressing out about the pumpkin pie recipe I was going to use for Thanksgiving, because it's just shocking how terrible it is. I'm going to test out your pumpkin pie recipe and see how that turns out...it sure looks delish! Anyway, I had a question about this recipe, which I'll surely use sometime this holiday season: what do you bake this cheesecake in? A pie pan? I'm pretty sure that I have the same Pyrex pan as you (I saw it in a photo) and was wondering if that's what you used. If not, what do you recommend?
Hi Rina, yes a regular Pyrex pan (do you have the blue one?) Or, if you're using a bought graham cracker crust, just use the pan it comes in.
For plain pumpkin pie, have you tried Bryanna's recipe? It's delicious, and you can find it here:
http://www.fatfreevegan.com/desserts/pumpkin_pie.shtml
I've looked at FatFree Vegan for a long time, only made a few things because I was living on my own for a while and didn't end up cooking much.
This year, I'm hosting my mom and my boyfriend and my boyfriend is not a vegetarian.
I'm planning to make this vegan pumpkin cheesecake, but I wanted to ask about egg replacer. I was reading in your guide that pureed pumpkin OR applesauce can be used. If you're already using pumpkin in this recipe and add more canned pumpkin to the mix, does it act as a binder? Sorry if this is a no duh type of question.
Hi Wilma--You shouldn't need to add more pumpkin to this recipe because it doesn't use more egg replacer. Maybe you're thinking of the Impossible Pumpkin Pie? It uses egg replacer, but in that case I would recommend a half teaspoon of baking powder instead.
Hi Susan - love your blog! I have a question - can this be made the day before it will be served? My experience has been that many vegan desserts are often better the next day anyway, but with my hectic Thanksgiving schedule, I'd prefer to make it on Wednesday if possible. Thanks so much, I can't wait to try this!
Certainly! I'm making it on Wednesday, and it will be doing some traveling on Thursday. I don't think that this is one that improves in flavor, just stays delicious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LC7pTuqkyM
Thanks Susan. Beautiful beautiful dessert. Here is a video of me making it. Sadly, I did not have the whole nutmeg, so I used the regular stuff I could find. But Christmas time, for sure.
It turned out great!
Crystal Jones - Nashville TN
I made this for Thanksgiving tonight and it was absolutely delightful!! It tasted just like real cheesecake but without that heavy icky feeling. I'll certainly be making it again!
I made this for the first time and it turned our perfect! It was so delicious. I will make it again and again. Great recipe!!
Mine didn't turn out like a cheesecake at all, not sure what I did wrong -- it had more of a custard texture. Since everyone is raving about it here I'm sure I just messed up, so I'm determined to try it again. My tofu said firm silken -- it wasn't supposed to be the firmer water packed kind, right? It's supposed to be silken?
Anna, it sounds like you used the right tofu and did everything right. I think it's a combination of oven temp and timing. Mine took about 10 minutes longer to cook this time, I think because my oven was not as hot as it should be (old oven, heats erratically.) Next time, cook it until it gets firm in the middle. Test it with a toothpick to make sure the center has gotten hot and lost most of its liquid.
I've changed the recipe a little to indicate a longer cooking time and some guidance on how to know it's done. I'm sorry for any problems my incomplete instructions may have caused. My best advice is just to cook it until it looks like it's done. :)
I've been searching for a vegan pumpkin pie recipe for years, and tried many. They never seemed to work out quite right - they didn't set, or were too lumpy, or had an odd flavor. It became a family joke - next year for sure... Well, this was the year, and this was the pie! It was FANTISTIC!! Thank you so much for sharing this (and your other) fabulous recipes!
Yes, I do have the same blue one. Thank you! I'll be making this in two weeks and will be sure to tell you how much it gets praised!
For Thanksgiving, I made your Impossible Pumpkin Pie and I realize why you call it that...best pie EVER! I never liked pie in the first place, but I decided that it was "THE" thing to make for Thanksgiving dessert. I will make it from now on, every year! It tastes light and it's healthy, just the way I like dessert to be. Thank you so much! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Sorry! But one last question...would fat-free cream cheese work in place of the Tofutti? I would like to use Tofutti but I don't think our Fred Meyers has it.
I can't think of any reason why it wouldn't work...but you should know that it's been a couple of decades since I've worked with dairy cream cheese, so I'm not the best authority!
I made this for someone who broke their ankle at our church. It cooked for about an hour and a half until it was done! Is it still going to taste good? Why did it take so long? I'm worried he won't like it....Let me know tgirl14@sbcglobal.net
Thank you!
This was an amazing recipe...I made it just a few days ago and it was lovely. Being a major cheesecake fan, yet super strict on what I eat, this recipe made my day! Thank you so much. I'll soon be making the Eggnog Cheesecake for Christmas!
Absolutely phenomenal!
I made this for my boyfriend who is a pumpkin addict but loves his dairy and he is obsessed with it. The thought of this cheesecake makes him drool!
Thank you! Thank you! It should be easy explaining why veganism is actually not so bad at all when I make this for my family of doubters.
Thank you so much! This is a wonderful recipe.
The vegan cream cheese in my area is very expensive so I made my own with this recipe. It worked out really well (I replaced the water/soy milk with soy creamer).
http://www.theveggietable.com/recipes/tofucreamcheese.html
Oh I am def. going to have to bake this baby up!
Hi Susan,
This looks so wonderful! Even though it isn't still pumpkin season, I decided I'd try it anyway.
However, I used FF cream cheese instead of tofutti.
The white layer tasted heavily of tofu though before baking (its still in the oven now). Is this normal? or maybe it was the cream cheese?
Thanks,
Lexi
This is AMAZING! I tried it for Thanksgiving and have made it about 3 times since! Even my anti-vegetable/anti-anything-healthy husband LOVES this!
My husband & I have been following your blog for a long time but were never brave enough to try cooking things.
Well Sunday We got the ingredients together to make this cheesecake and OMG!! We both loved it!! It was so good I am making it for my work function :)
Thanks for giving me my favorite desset back :)
Susan,
Once again, this looks so totally irresistible that I can't wait to make it. However, is there any substitute for "Better Than Cream Cheese" you can recommend? I'm not able to purchase here in Japan.
Thanks.
William, you might try using some silken tofu instead of the cream cheese and add a little extra corn starch and lemon juice. It probably won't taste the same, but it might still be good.
what if i used real pumpkin how much would i add to the mixture...real meaning not from the can
Kendra, as long as all the water is pressed out of your cooked pumpkin puree(making it the consistency of canned), you use the same amount of pumpkin as in the instructions.
I made this last thanksgiving for work and some people liked it, so of course I did it again this year. My coworkers liked it and some had a hard time believing it was vegan.
Do we use fresh or ground ginger? Does it matter?
I used ground ginger but I'm sure fresh would lend a nice zing to this recipe.
i don't have any tofu, do you think i could just sub more toffuti for the tofu? same amount?
Hi Susan -
I am food processor-less and not inclined to add anything else to my VERY space challenged kitchen. Are there any alternatives to the food processor for this recipe? Someone asked last year but I didn't see an answer. I really want to shock my very carnivorous family with this recipe; I'm sure they won't know it's vegan. Thank you!
Re: food processor
I used a blender last year and it turned out perfectly.
Also, thank you Susan! I made it last year. Everyone had seconds of this one!
I will make it again this year. I added more lemon which was perfect for our family.
I'm so excited to make this - but just discovered I don't have rum or ginger. Will it be ok without? Thanks :)
I'm sure it will be fine without rum and ginger, but you could increase the other spices a little to compensate.
I have this in the oven right now! I hope it sets up- if not- it will still taste wonderful! Thanks for recipe! :)
oh man this was SOOO GOOOOOOD!!!! all my nonvegan friends LOVED IT. i added a little more lemon just for the zestiness. great recipe!!
I just made this and I thought it turned out too lemoney. I will leave the lemon out next time. It took away from the pumpkin taste.
In the oven as we speak!
Pre-baking taste tests got a big thumbs up from the kids.
Looks and smells divine.
i made this for todays dinner and it was absolutely delicious!! even my daughter who loathes all things pumpkin liked it. thank you susan :)
Susan, I'm wondering if I sub molasses for the rum, would that work?
I'm not sure I can find the toffuti here. Is there an online resource?
Thanks so much! Can't wait to try this. :)
Oh my gosh, I made this for Thanksgiving dinner for mostly non veggies and I'm the only vegan. I usually don't make desserts with tofu because I can always taste it but I decided to give this a go since it had so many positive comments. It was amazing! I am lactose intolerant and haven't had cheesecake for YEARS! It was so good there were no leftover to take home and it was the first dessert to be finished. Thank you so much for this recipe!!!!!
I made this for Thanksgiving and as I expected, it was delicious. I had a piece for breakfast this morning. Mine didn't look quite as perfect as yours with the layers, but it wasn't a big deal. I'll definitely make this again, but when I do I think I'll add a lot more pumpkin puree, spices, and rum, because it just wasn't quite pumpkiny enough. Looking forward to making the eggnog one for Christmas!
I used to make a conventional version and was happy as could be when I found this. Was great. The only thing I did different was double the spices. I love it to be spicy!
I made this last night, and it is absolutely delicious.
Hi Susan,
I have been looking at this recipe off and on, and thought I couldn't attempt it because I can't have the tofutti cream cheese because of the palm oil in it. Then I got the idea to try making Bryanna's tofu cream cheese in The (Almost) No Fat Cookbook. I tweaked it a little, putting a little cashew butter in it, instead of sesame meal. It worked great! We absolutely loved it, like everyone else who posted here. And once again that oatmeal cookie crust is a gluten free life saver.
thanks, Susan!
xo
moonwatcher
Best. Cheesecake. Ever.
Real or fake, this is phenomenal! Made it for a Vegan pot luck and it was a winner. Cant wait to try the eggnog version
Just made this last night and it was delicious!! I have to agree with Adrianna, this is the best cheesecake ever!
Absolutely DELICIOUS!!!
How about substituting the "Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese" for whole food ingredients ? Search for the fake food on the web, read the ingredients: it's mostly PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED (Bad!) Soybean Oil, Tofu, gum thickeners, and a bunch of other yucky stuff that would be better left out of all food (like sugar, preservatives, and isolated soy protein). Yikes!
Considering this, it should be possible to replace the "Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese" with pure Soybean Oil, a little more Tofu, and some Gum powder or perhaps tapioca flour(?).
This "Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese", after reading the label, should be tossed in the trash... don't forget to recycle the container afterwards.. don't trust these fake dairy products! Most of them are just as bad or worse than this Better Than stuff.
I made this on Saturday and my non-vegan meat eating family has almost finished it. My brother even had it for lunch. Thank you for the perfect introduction to tofu.
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