No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake
This No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake has layers of chocolate and pumpkin spice cashew-based cheesecake, on top of a gluten-free chocolate date crust. This make-ahead raw dessert is perfect for the holidays!
Who’s ready for Thanksgiving?! It’s coming up QUICK this year – as it usually tends to do. I’ve got my plant-based Thanksgiving menu tentatively planned, with a list of recipes linked in my Evernote.
So far, I’ve got many sides (including mashed potatoes, cabbage slaw, mushroom gravy, vegan broccoli gratin, and mushroom stuffing) and a lentil loaf as our vegan main dish.
Desserts are still to be determined, but this layered chocolate pumpkin cheesecake will definitely be on the menu. It will satisfy the pumpkin pie lovers in my family (my sister…only her) and the chocolate lovers in the fam (of which there are LOTS).
Thankfully, it’s super easy to make. Even better, you can make it ahead of time! Just store it in the freezer and let it defrost in the fridge on Thanksgiving Day. There’s really nothing better than anything you can make ahead for Thanksgiving to reduce the stress in the kitchen that day.
Time for Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake!
We make the crust with pecans, almond flour, dates, cacao powder, coconut oil, and salt. It’s all pulsed in the food processor or blender until it forms a sticky, chocolatey dough. Do your best not to eat it all before you press it into the pan ;)
Then comes the layers for the Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake! We make the filling mixture with soaked cashews, coconut cream, maple syrup, molasses, spices, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. We save half of it for the pumpkin layer. For the chocolate layer, we add cacao powder + a little extra maple syrup to the other half.
I opt to put the chocolate on the bottom because I prefer the way that looks. You can do pumpkin on the bottom/chocolate on top, if you prefer :)
I recommend topping off your slice of Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake with a BIG dollop of coconut cream and/or a drizzle of chocolate. It’s sure to be a hit on Thanksgiving…or let’s be honest, ANY other day of the year. Enjoy!!
No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Raw
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake has layers of chocolate and pumpkin spice cashew-based cheesecake, on top of a chocolate date crust. This make-ahead raw dessert is perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw pecans
- 1/2 cup (48g) blanched almond flour
- 4 Medjool dates, pitted
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For the cheesecake
- 1 2/3 cups (187g) raw cashews, soaked in water for at least six hours or preferably overnight
- 1/3 cup canned full-fat coconut milk, shaken
- 1/3 cup (81g) pure pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup (50g) coconut oil, melted and cooled (use refined coconut oil if you want no coconut flavor)
- 1/4 cup (84g) + 1 tablespoon (21g) pure maple syrup, divided
- 1 tablespoon (20g) unsulfured molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger,1/8 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves)
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
For the toppings
- 1 can coconut cream, whipped
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate, melted
Instructions
- Grease a 6” springform pan with coconut oil, or line an 6” cake pan with strips of parchment paper for easy removal, and grease well with coconut oil. Set aside.
- Add the pecans, almond flour, pitted dates, cacao powder, coconut oil, and salt to a food processor or high-powered blender and pulverize until it comes together into a sort of sticky dough, with small pecan bits remaining. Press the date dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- In the same food processor or high-powered blender (no need to wash between – I used my Vitamix, but most powerful blenders should do the job), combine all of the filling ingredients except for the cacao powder and 1 tablespoon maple syrup and blend for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is silky smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides as necessary.
- Pour half of the filling into a separate bowl. Add the cacao powder and remaining one tablespoon of maple syrup to the other half of the pumpkin mixture, still in the blender. Blend it in until smooth.
- Pour the chocolate filling into the prepared pan over the crust. Smooth out the top and tap the pan hard against the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Spread the remaining pumpkin filling over the chocolate filling and smooth out the top, tapping the pan against the counter again to release air bubbles.
- Place in the freezer to set for at least 4 hours or until completely firm.
- Let thaw at room temperature for 10-15 minutes or for an hour in the refrigerator before serving. I recommend running your knife under hot water to warm it up before cutting the cheesecake with the still-hot (dried) knife.
- Serve with coconut whipped cream and a drizzle of melted chocolate!
Such pretty layers, I love this cheesecake!
Thanks so much, Laura!
I made the recipe and it was super delicious. It was much thinner, though, than the cake in your pictures. Do you have ideas on what may have gone wrong ? Thank you!
Hi Kristina, I’m guessing you used a pan that’s bigger than a 6″ pan, which is what I used and call for in the recipe! A larger pan would need for the recipe to be doubled or even tripled.
This recipe was amazing for Thanksgiving dessert! Made it long enough in advance that I didn’t need to freeze it. It firmed up nicely in the fridge with about 6hours before dinner and it kept really well for the few days after as we continued to enjoy it. Thank you!
So thrilled it was a hit for your Thanksgiving, Larissa! So much for the feedback :)
I made this at Thanksgiving and it was FAB! If I wanted to make this as bars instead of a cake would I need to double the amounts?
Thanks!
Hi Lisa, no that’s fine – just use an 8×8″ square pan and the amounts will be perfect :) enjoy!
Loved this recipe and it was so so pretty!! I sweetened the filling up slightly more with a couple extra tablespoons more maple syrup because I guess I like desserts a little bit sweeter. I also added a tiny bit of lemon juice and super small amount of apple cider vinegar to get a similar tang as regular cheesecake.
So happy to hear you loved it, Shelly! Thanks for the feedback.
I made this cheesecake. It’ s amazing. Thank you for the recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
This recipe looks great and I’m adding it to my Thanksgiving menu this year! If I make this a few days in advance, would I still need to freeze it, or would it set in the fridge?
Hi Syleanna, it will absolutely set in the fridge if you make it a few days ahead of time!
Hi, can you tell me what can I use as an alternative to coconut mil and coconut oil. The recipe looks lovely but I can’t use the coconut.
Hi Sandy, in place of the coconut milk, you can use a full-fat non-dairy milk, and in place of the coconut oil, you’ll want to use a fat that firms up – cocoa butter could be a good option!
Hi, could you advise the amount of chocolate instead of pumpkin to make this a solely chocolate cheesecake? :)
Hi Antonia, you’ll want to add an extra tablespoon of maple syrup and an extra 1/4 cup of cocoa powder. Enjoy!