The bottom layer of this pumpkin cheesecake is lightly flavored with lemon, while the top is pumpkin spiced; eaten together, they’re just plain heaven.
[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” and The Best Vegan Green Bean Casserole. But I’m absolutely positive that I will be bringing this delicious dessert.
This vegan 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. But I warn you–you won’t be able to stop at just one piece of this luscious cheesecake.
2017 Update
Since I first posted this recipe, it has become our traditional holiday dessert. I make it for both my husband’s and my extended families’ Christmas celebrations, and I never have leftovers to bring home.
In recent years, we’ve made this cheesecake with Kite Hill plain vegan cream cheese, which has no added oil, and it works just fine. I no longer believe you have to use Tofutti brand cream cheese for the pie to turn out right.
For more of my favorite fall and winter holiday recipes, please check out my Thanksgiving archives.
Vegan Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
Cheesecake
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese Such as Kite Hill Almond cream cheese or Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese non-hydrogenated version in the yellow container
- 12 ounces extra-firm silken tofu Mori-nu brand in aseptic package
- 1/2 cup agave nectar or sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pumpkin
- 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 (so much better than pre-ground)
Crust
- 1 pre-made 8-inch graham cracker crust or oatmeal cookie crust
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Put the "Cheesecake" ingredients (cream cheese through vanilla) in a food processor and puree until completely smooth. It should be silky smooth–not chalky or lumpy.
- Remove a heaping cup of this mixture from the processor and spread it in the bottom of the crust.
- Add the "Pumpkin" 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!)
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
I hope all of you who celebrate it have a happy Thanksgiving!
Please pin and share:
william
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.
SusanV
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.
kendra
what if i used real pumpkin how much would i add to the mixture…real meaning not from the can
Susanne Swisher
about 2 cups would approximate the 15 oz can.
SusanV
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.
Zafiro
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.
Sarah Bryant
Do we use fresh or ground ginger? Does it matter?
SusanV
I used ground ginger but I'm sure fresh would lend a nice zing to this recipe.
Anonymous
i don't have any tofu, do you think i could just sub more toffuti for the tofu? same amount?
Anonymous
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!
Susanne Swisher
a strong blender, like a Vitamix, or a strong electric handmixer, or a standmixer like a KitchenAid would work.
Anonymous
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.
Anonymous
I'm so excited to make this – but just discovered I don't have rum or ginger. Will it be ok without? Thanks 🙂
SusanV
I'm sure it will be fine without rum and ginger, but you could increase the other spices a little to compensate.
Susanne Swisher
its fine without the rum, but you could sub 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice for the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
MCH
I have this in the oven right now! I hope it sets up- if not- it will still taste wonderful! Thanks for recipe! 🙂
syl g.
oh man this was SOOO GOOOOOOD!!!! all my nonvegan friends LOVED IT. i added a little more lemon just for the zestiness. great recipe!!
Anonymous
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.
rosy_lee
In the oven as we speak!
Pre-baking taste tests got a big thumbs up from the kids.
Looks and smells divine.
erin
i made this for todays dinner and it was absolutely delicious!! even my daughter who loathes all things pumpkin liked it. thank you susan 🙂
Laina
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. 🙂
Eliz Staeheli
Buy tofu online at Vitacost
Eliz Staeheli
Okay. Not paying attention. See if you have a nearby food coop. Even if you have one anywhere nearby, the food coops sometimes do deliveries into areas for a reasonable fee.
M&E
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!!!!!
Samanpka
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!
Anonymous
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!
Britt Bravo
I made this last night, and it is absolutely delicious.
moonwatcher
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
Eliz Staeheli
Can you post that recipe?
Adrianna
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
Tiana
Just made this last night and it was delicious!! I have to agree with Adrianna, this is the best cheesecake ever!
pdxet
Absolutely DELICIOUS!!!
JonathanCline
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.
SusanV
There is a non-hydrogenated version of Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese. Look for it in the yellow container (which you can recycle later). 🙂
Eliz Staeheli
If it’s only once a year, lighten up!
Teri
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.
Gary Loewenthal
I must make this for a future bake sale, to share with the world! Although I may not be able to wait that long!
Rhonda
JonathonCline – As Susan states in the recipe you can use the non-hydrogenated kind. It’s a bit harder to find, I’ve only seen it at Whole Foods, but it exists. Personally I just use the easier to find version because I use maybe 1 or 2 tubs a year when I bake things like this and I can buy it at just about any grocery store. A little bit once in a while isn’t going to kill you.