Description
This pumpkin chai cheesecake is an easy, vegan and gluten-free dessert that everyone, vegan or not, is going to LOVE. A creamy cashew and coconut filling that is perfectly spiced and poured over a nutty date crust. This cheesecake is full of flavor, easy to make and requires no baking!
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup packed deglet noor or medjool dates (pitted before measuring), roughly chopped
- 1 cup raw walnuts*
- 1/2 cup Sunfood heirloom pumpkin seeds (or an additional 1/2 cup walnuts)
- 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil, melted*
- 1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt (or sea salt)
Filling
- 2 cups Sunfood raw cashews, soaked and strained*
- 1/2 cup canned full-fat coconut milk*
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
- ¼ cup refined coconut oil, melted*
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt (or sea salt)
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch of black pepper*
Toppings of choice, such as
- CocoWhip
- Pumpkin seeds
- Cinnamon
- Date Syrup
Instructions
- Prepare a large springform pan. We lined the bottom of ours with parchment paper and then sprayed the sides with coconut oil to ensure that the cheesecake did not stick.
- Add the Deglet Noor dates to a food processor and run until broken down into small pieces. Add in the remaining ingredients and process until a dough forms. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides to ensure that everything is blended together. You will know that it is the right consistency if it sticks together when you press some of the crust in between your pointer finger and thumb. If it is too dry, add more melted coconut oil 1/2 tablespoon at a time.
- Transfer the crust mixture into the springform pan and gently begin to press it down into a crust to form a bottom layer. It is okay if you have some of the crust come up the sides as well. Once you have evenly pressed down the crust, place the pan into the freezer as you prepare the filling.
- Drain the soaked cashews and add them to a high-speed blender along with all of the filling ingredients and puree until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the freezer and pour in the filling into the springform pan. Use a spatula to evenly spread out the batter until it is as smooth as you can get it. Tap the pan a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Place the cheesecake into the freezer until firm – about 4-6 hours, depending on the size of the dish.
- Once set, remove the cheesecake from the freezer and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Gently remove the outer edges of the springform pan and slice the cheesecake as desired.
- Serve the cheesecake with toppings of choice. We topped ours with CocoWhip, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, and date syrup.
Notes
- Soak the cashews in filtered water overnight OR to speed up the process, cover the cashew with boiling hot water and allow it to sit for 30-60 minutes.
- Be sure to fully shake/mix the coconut milk before measuring out 1/2 cup.
- You may use unrefined coconut oil as well, but just keep in mind that it will leave a coconut-y flavor.
- A small amount of black pepper is recommended as it increases the bioavailability of curcumin in the turmeric, a powerful anti-inflammatory compound. There is so little that you will not taste it!
- You can also use 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice instead of 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cloves and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg.
- The nutrition facts does not take into consideration the additional toppings.
- Prep Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Fall, Thanksgiving
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-free
Keywords: Dessert, Fall, Thanksgiving, Chai, Cheesecake, Vegan, Gluten-free, Pumpkin
This may be a weird question, but I really dont like date/nut crusts. Would it be possible to bake this? Or bake a crust and fill it with this filling, then put it in the fridge?
Hi Alice! No problem– what you could do is use a baked crust from another recipe/a store-bought crust (most you don’t have to bake but if you do, you can bake it until cooked through). Then you can follow with the filling as the recipe calls for and then freeze it until set. I have not baked the filling and I cannot guarantee results as it may be a little runny since there aren’t many thickeners.
Dear Jasmine and Chris,
I made this beautiful no bake cake yesterday for the Thanksgiving feast, and it was bomb!!! Our guests loved it, they brought over a regular cheesecake, quite fancy I must add (4 different flavors) but everybody preferred your creation. Today after lunch, my super picky nephews and nieces (4 of them 5,6,8 and 11 years olds) fought over the last few pieces and completely discarded the regular cheesecake which made me so so happy. Yeaaaaay, vegan take over!!!! Thank you so very much for this beautiful recipe, you guys are my inspiration. I seriously wait for your Youtube videos impatiently every single week. I really do hope that you guys know how much impact you make in this world. Much love and respect ???????? ????
Hi Jaggie! Thank you SO much first off for the support and also for taking the time to share. This made us so happy and it is exactly why we do what we do. So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
What’s the best way to store the leftovers? Put them back in the freezer?
Yes! 🙂