VEGAN PUMPKIN "CHEESE"CAKE
Are you in need of the perfect pumpkin pie + cheesecake combo for your Thanksgiving this year? This undercover vegan recipe will impress all of your guests! While this is NOT I repeat NOT one of those "healthy" pumpkin pies using minimally processed foods (which I most likely will be making as well) this is a delicious pie perfect to enjoy on a special occasion without using any animal products! As we know Thanksgiving is no time to skimp out on the decadent flavors and this recipe does just that. Let me know if you try it!
As I mentioned prior this pie is not meant to be a "healthy" pumpkin pie to be enjoyed all the time but is great for those special occasions and holidays to give you that nostalgic feel. It uses my favorite brand of vegan cream cheese & sour cream Toffuti, a vegan egg replacer JustEgg, and a vegan butter Miyokos or Earth Balance. In terms of the graham crackers you may struggle to find a vegan option right away but here are some brands that are actually vegan; Nabisco, Keebler, and Nairn. Also feel free to use your favorite cookie in this crust to switch things up!
While you can feel free to use any of your favorite vegan alternatives for this recipe these are well tested brands that I know hold up great in baking. They are all vegan companies that do their best to help people make the move towards consuming less animal products by allowing them to still have some of those favorite flavors/ textures.
Also note, please plan accordingly as this recipe does take some time. It would actually be the perfect recipe to make the day before Thanksgiving as you should serve it chilled.
VEGAN PUMPKIN "CHEESE"CAKE RECIPE
Time: 15 minutes prep, 1hr & 45 min baking, 4 hours refrigeration
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients:
The crust:
1 1/2 cups graham crackers (12 graham crackers)
6 tbsp of Miyokos or Earth Balance butter, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinamon
1/2 tsp salt
The filling:
2 8oz tubs of Toffuti Cream Cheese
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
15 oz can of pumpkin
1/4 cup of Toffuti Sour Cream
1 cup of Just Egg
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
Directions:
Start by preheating your oven to 350F.
Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
In a bowl add all of the ingredients for the crust and mix with a spoon till well combined. If mixture seems a bit wet add 1 tbsp of flour.
Transfer mixture into a greased spring form pan. Press down to create an even layer along the base and bring about 1/2 inch up the sides if you desire (I prefer just the base). Bake for 8 minutes, then remove and let cool to room temp (about 15-20 minutes).
While you are letting that cool start working on the filling. In the bowl of your mixer using the paddle attachment (on medium) beat together the cream cheese and sugar until no lumps remain.
*You may want to leave the oven on here or use it to bake something else you might need as we will need it at this temp again soon.*
In a separate bowl whisk together all of the remaining ingredients for the filling. Add this mixture to the cream cheese and sugar mixture slowly beating until well combined. Scrape down the sides as needed.
Pour this filling into the pie crust and bake at 350F for 1 hour. Next turn off the heat and prop open the oven door just barely with a wooden spoon and let cheesecake sit for 45 minutes. Then remove from oven, let cool to room temp, then refrigerate for 4 hours.
Slide a blunt knife around the edge of the cheesecake before slowly releasing the spring form pan.
Serve chilled with whipped topping or pecans.
