Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake

Dreamy baked dairy-free pumpkin cheesecake with a spiced cereal crumb crust and salted caramel swirl. The perfect easy vegan holiday dessert!

SPONSORED BY SUNBUTTER

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I typically share a new spin on pumpkin pie every November, but this year I thought I’d go pie adjacent and create the perfect pumpkin CHEESECAKE instead. And I’m not talking no-bake freezer cheesecake, I’ve done that before, and while it’s a creamy fall fave I wanted a cozy, golden-edged, real deal baked recipe this time. So I’ve blended and baked and taste tested, and I absolutely adore the results. And the salted SunButter caramel swirl on top is just the fancy-ish finishing touch this cheesecake doesn’t need but definitely deserves.

The Perfect Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

This recipe is dairy-free and egg-free, made with healthier ingredients but still definitely decadent enough to be holiday shareable. With three main component, each a little easier to prep than the one before, it really does come together quite quickly. Just make sure you prep it a day ahead of time so it can fully chill before serving time.

Gluten-Free Crumb Crust (made with cereal!)

This has quickly become my favorite way to make a “cookie” crumb crust texture but gluten-free and without a bunch of added sugars or oils. Grind up your favorite cereal (a toasted brown rice variety is my go to) to a sandy crumb texture, then add a little sweetener, a little spice, and a little bit of seed butter to help it crisp and brown. In this case we are using…

• Crispy brown rice cereal. Toasted not puffed is important here, a flake cereal or even granola could work as well. Neutral flavored and not sweetened is ideal.
• Maple syrup. Or agave or honey would be fine too.
• Creamy SunButter. This gives it just the right amount of binding and fat to cut without crumbling, and still be the best buttery, cookie-ish contrast to the creamy filling.
• Pumpkin pie spice. Or a mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
• Salt. We don’t want it to just be sweet, a little salt is good for contrast too.

Creamy Dairy-Free Pumpkin Filling

There are quite a few ingredient involved in creating the perfect silky pumpkin spice cheesecake filling that sets without any eggs and is a delicious balance of cream cheese tang and dessert sweet…

• Raw cashews. Soaked at least 3 hours (or 30 minutes in boiling water if you’re in a pinch!)
• Coconut cream. Just the solid stuff scooped out of a can of chilled full fat coconut milk.
• Almond milk. Just enough to get the mixture to blend, about a half a cup.
• Dairy-free cream cheese. I used a cashew based variety, but any kind should be fine.
• Pumpkin puree. This is essential of course, see title.
• Tapioca starch. To help thicken and set the filling without eggs, cornstarch would be fine too.
• Coconut sugar. Or any granulated sweetener you like: cane sugar, brown sugar, etc.
• Coconut oil. Just a little bit helps a lot with creating the creamiest texture possible.
• Lemon juice. For a little extra pop, omit if the cream cheese alone is enough tang for you.
• Vanilla and pumpkin pie spice.

Salty Sweet SunButter Caramel Sauce

The delicious finishing swirl to our already decadent dessert: SunButter caramel sauce. And even better, this one requires no cooking at all just a simple whisk. Combine Creamy SunButter with equal parts liquid sweetener of choice (I used maple syrup, the flavor is so yummy with pumpkin spice!), a couple tablespoons of coconut oil, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until silky and drizzle-able, heating briefly if it’s too thick or chilling briefly if it’s too thin. You can use this sauce for so many things, but swirling on top of your cooled and ready-to-be-cut pumpkin cheesecake should definitely be one of them.

More Cozy Fall Treats You’ll Love

• Baked Maple Pecan Donuts
• Beet Sweet Potato Pie
• Mini Pumpkin Pie Cups
• Apple Cinnamon Crisp Bars
• Paleo Pecan Pie Bars

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