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Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

5.0(670)

This vegan “cheesecake,” which is adapted from “Vegan Pie in the Sky” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, may not fool everyone at the table, but it will definitely satisfy them. Silken tofu, cashews and banana make it extra creamy, while lemon juice and orange zest provide the tang you’d normally get from cream cheese. (Be sure to soak the cashews long enough; you want them to completely disappear into the batter upon blending.) This dessert can be made in a pie dish or a springform pan, but if you make it in a pie dish, keep an eye on the crust as it bakes; tent the cheesecake with foil if the edges are getting too brown.

by Tara Parker-Pope

Open original recipe

Dessert

Servings

8 servings

Total time

Calories / serving

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Ingredients (23)

serves

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (made from 10 ounces of whole graham crackers)
3 tablespoons sugarsugar
4 tablespoons melted nonhydrogenated margarine, melted coconut oil or canola oilmargarine
1 tablespoon plain soy milk or almond milkmilk
1/2 cup whole unroasted cashews, soaked in water for 2 to 8 hours, or until very softcashew
1/4 cup mashed banana (about 1 medium-size banana)banana
1 (12- to 14-ounce) package silken tofu, drainedsilken-tofu
1/2 cup sugarsugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugardark-brown-sugar
3 tablespoons coconut oil, room temperaturecoconut-oil
6 teaspoons cornstarchcornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juicelemon-juice
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extractvanilla
1/4 teaspoon orange extract or 1 teaspoon grated orange zestorange
1/4 teaspoon fine sea saltsalt
1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin purée
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamoncinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground gingerginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmegnutmeg
1/3 cup brown sugarbrown-sugar
1 tablespoon nonhydrogenated margarinemargarine
Pinch of saltsalt
1 cup pecan pieces, roughly choppedpecan

01For the crust: Heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9-inch pie plate or springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
02In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Drizzle in the oil or melted margarine. Use a spoon to blend the mixture thoroughly to moisten the crumbs, then drizzle in the soy milk and stir again to form a crumbly dough.
03Pour the crumbs into the pie plate or springform pan. Using your fingers or a flat-bottom cup, press crumbs into the the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until firm. Let the crust cool before filling.
04For the pie: Make the topping: In a mixing bowl, use a fork to mash together brown sugar, margarine and salt until crumbly, then fold in the chopped nuts and stir to coat with the mixture. Set aside until ready to use.
05Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Drain the cashews and blend with the banana, tofu, sugar, brown sugar, coconut oil, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla and orange extracts, and sea salt. Blend until completely smooth and no bits of cashew remain. Add the pumpkin purée, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and blend until smooth, then pour it onto the crust.
06Bake the cheesecake for 45 to 50 minutes, removing the cheesecake halfway through the baking period to sprinkle on the topping. Return to oven to continue baking. Cheesecake will be done when the top is lightly puffed and the edges of the cake are golden. Remove it from the oven and let cool on a rack for 20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to complete cooling, at least 3 hours or, even better, overnight. To serve, slice the cake using a thin, sharp knife dipped in cold water.