No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake (Gluten Free + Paleo)

You’ll love this super creamy No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake! It has a pecan crust and a spiced pumpkin cheesecake filling that’s made with soaked cashews. This healthier pumpkin cheesecake is gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo + vegan, and absolutely perfect for the holidays.

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Ah, Monday. Hi. This post is a little bit late, as it’s now Monday morning at 10AM – well past when my usual Monday posts are published. But, after a long birthday weekend, I cut myself a little slack – I hope you guys don’t mind :)

Annddd I’m sure you won’t, once you see what deliciousness I’ve got in store for you today! In fact, I wish I was eating a slice of this goodness right now, as I hope you are too after looking at these photos ;)

I’ve started to go pumpkin crazy, spicing everything up with cinnamon and nutmeg, and adding the orange stuff to everything. My fall obsession has collided with my other favorite dessert obsession as of late: cashew cheesecakes. The result is this gorgeous, smooth, creamy, super flavorful No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake.

Let’s start at the bottom, with the delectable crust! We make it with a combo of almond flour and pecans. The fatty, sweet flavor of the pecans pairs perfectly with the rest of the flavors of the cheesecake. It also works so well with the caramel-covered pecans on top of the cheesecake. A few dates help to hold the crust together and we add cinnamon for warmth.

The filling is super simple to make, but it does require a bit of forethought. To soften the cashews, we must soak them in water for at least 4 hours or so. Once we’ve soaked the raw cashews, they transform. You can blend them to be super smooth and creamy, which provides an amazing base for the “cheesecake” filling. You won’t even miss the cream cheese!

In addition to the cashews, we make the filling with an all-star cast of Fall ingredients: pumpkin puree (of course), maple syrup, molasses, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves, along with coconut oil to help firm the cheesecake up, and coconut milk to help it blend easily. That’s all! And to make it, you just whiz everything in a high-powered blender (I use my Vitamix) or a food processor.

You’ll need a little more patience as you wait for the pumpkin cheesecake to set in the freezer. But – after a few hours, you’re ready to devour. Don’t forget the SUPER simple caramel sauce to go on top 😏! We make it with cashew butter, coconut oil, and maple syrup, and it’s amazing. I stirred some chopped pecans into mine too, for some extra crunch.

A slice of this no-bake vegan pumpkin cheesecake makes up your Fall dessert dreams. It’s got a crunchy, slightly chewy crust, topped with a rich, decadent pumpkin spice cheesecake filling and a creamy, sweet caramel sauce drenched on top. When you sink your teeth into this decadence, you’ll be hard-pressed to remember that it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and vegan.

Whether you make this vegan pumpkin cheesecake for a casual weekend or let it have a spot on your holiday dessert table, it will steal your PSL-loving heart. Nothing basic about this, though :) enjoy!

It’s pumpkin season! You’ve got to try these spiced treats…

• Pumpkin Pie Crumb Bars (Gluten Free + Vegan)
• Pumpkin Granola (Gluten Free + Vegan)
• Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies (Gluten Free + Refined Sugar Free)

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No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

★★★★★ 5 from 10 reviews

• Author: Bakerita | Rachel Conners
• Yield: 8 slices 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake is super creamy with a pecan crust and a spiced pumpkin cheesecake filling that’s made with cashews! This healthier pumpkin cheesecake is gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo + vegan, and absolutely perfect for the holidays.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the graham cracker crust

• ½ cup raw pecans
• ½ cup blanched almond flour
• 5 dates, pitted
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the cheesecake

• 1 ⅔ cups (187g) raw cashews, soaked in cold for at least six hours or preferably overnight (see Notes)
• ⅓ cup canned coconut milk, shaken
• ⅓ cup pumpkin puree, NOT canned pumpkin pie, which has added sugar and spiced
• ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled (use refined coconut oil if you want no coconut flavor)
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ⅛teaspoon ground allspice
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

For the cashew caramel sauce

• ¼ cup cashew butter
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans

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Instructions

1. 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.
2. Add the pecans, almond flour, pitted dates, coconut oil, cinnamon 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. Don’t over process, or it’ll turn into nut butter! Press the date dough evenly along the bottom of the prepared pan.
3. 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 and blend for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is silky smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides as necessary. You may need to add a bit more coconut milk to get it to blend smoothly if your blender isn’t super high-powered.
4. Once it’s smooth, taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness/tartness levels, if desired.
5. Pour the 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. Garnish with whole pecans.
6. Place in the freezer to set for at least 3 hours or until completely firm.
7. 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.
8. Serve with the simple cashew caramel sauce. Store leftovers tightly wrapped in the freezer.

For the cashew caramel sauce

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the cashew butter, maple syrup, and coconut oil until smooth and combined. Warm in the microwave for 15 seconds to melt together if any of your ingredients were cool. Stir in the pecans.

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Notes

You can also cover the cashews in very hot/boiling water and let them sit for about an hour if you want to speed up the process – it won’t be quite as creamy, but it will do the trick!

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