Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecakes are made with cashews, real pumpkin, maple syrup and buttery graham crumbs. You really can’t go wrong with this dessert!
Every year around Thanksgiving I start googling ‘vegan pumpkin pie’ and I get super excited, cause, well, pie.
But then I start reading the instructions for making a pie crust…
And decide, no pie crust disaster this year!
(I made one that was completely whole wheat last year. It was… dense.)
And the thought of buying a crust doesn’t really appeal to me. The graham crumbs baked with butter in this recipe will make you forget about pie crust anyway?
These Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecakes are NO FAIL, easy, super delicious and virtually unrecognizable as being vegan (says my carnivorous brother!)
The real pumpkin, maple syrup, rich coconut cream and smooth cashews make this almost like a cheesecake consistency.
They would make a perfect Thanksgiving dessert!
HOW DO YOU MAKE VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE TARTS?
Soak your raw cashews for 4 hours (or overnight). Or if you’re anything like me and you’re making this new recipe for the first time 1 hour before your guests arrive, throw them in some boiling hot water for 10 minutes!
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, then line a muffin tin with some pretty liners.
Mix the graham crumbs with the melted vegan butter or margarine. Scoop the crumb mixture evenly into the liners. Squish each liner down with the bottom of a round glass, making them flat discs.
Bake the crumbs for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.
When they’re finished, remove and let them cool.
Meanwhile, throw all the other ingredients into a high powered blender. You will probably need to use a tamper here. Start slow, tamping everything down. Gradually increase the speed and blend on high for a full 1-2 minutes. At first, it will seem like it’s not getting creamy. Give it enough time! It should look thick and creamy.
Once the graham crusts have cooled, scoop the pie mixture onto each one evenly. You can fill them almost to the top.
Gently shake/tap the pan so the tops of the pies smooth out.
Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours.
You can serve them immediately for an ice cream type dessert. For more of a cheesecake style, allow them to thaw for 20 minutes.
Top with vegan whip cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon!
Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecakes are made with cashews, real pumpkin, maple syrup and buttery graham crumbs. You really can't go wrong with this dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup vegan margarine, melted
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours *see notes
- Cream from one can of coconut milk *see notes
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 cup fresh or canned pureed pumpkin
- 1/2 + 1/4 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners.
- Mix the graham crumbs with the melted margarine and scoop into the muffin liners. Using the bottom of a round glass, gently pack the graham crumbs down so they're flat and condensed.
- Place the graham crumbs in the oven and bake for 8 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Add all the rest of the ingredients into a powerful blender. Start slowly and use a tamper. Gradually increase the speed. It will look like it's not mixing, give it a full 1-2 minutes on high speed until rich, smooth and creamy.
- When the graham crumbs are done, remove from the oven and let them cool.
- Spoon the pumpkin mixture into the muffin liners almost to the top.
- Gently tap/shake the tray to smooth out the top of the pies.
- Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours. Serve them immediately for an ice cream consistency. For a cheesecake consistency, wait 20 minutes before serving out of the freezer.
- Top with vegan whip cream and sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon!
Notes
After blending, do a taste test to see if you'd like more/less sweetener or pumpkin pie spice.
If you are in a hurry, feel free to soak the cashews in boiling water for 10 minutes instead of waiting four hours.
Make sure the can of coconut milk is cool and the cream has separated. When you open it, scoop off the hard cream and leave the liquid.
LOOKING FOR MORE VEGAN THANKSGIVING RECIPES?
- Vegan Cuban Lunch
- Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Vegan Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
- Vegan Thanksgiving Stuffing
- Vegan Thanksgiving Roast
Did you make these Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cheesecakes? Let us know how they turned out for you in the comments and don’t forget to click the image below to pin the recipe for later!