This is a variation on our other vegan pumpkin cheesecake (yes, also gluten-free). The differences are in the crust, and in the method and time it takes for it to set. Either will be a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving or other holiday table, or just because!
Our other gluten-free vegan cheesecake recipe is here. And, of course, this is why this second vegan pumpkin cheesecake is called “Vegan Gluten-free Pumpkin Cheesecake #2”.
Vegan Gluten-Free No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake #2
INGREDIENTS:
CRUST:
2 3/4 cups macadamia nuts
pinch of sea salt
OR
1 vegan, gluten-free graham cracker style pie crust of your choosing
FILLING INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight OR soaked for 1 hour in boiling water
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
pinch of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup maple syrup or brown rice syrup
4 Tablespoons tapioca flour (also called tapioca starch)
INSTRUCTIONS
To make the crust, blend macadamia nuts with dash of salt until finely ground, but do not go to the point of making a paste or nut butter! The crumbs should be fine, and should hold together when pressed together. Press into 9″ pie pan and chill in refrigerator while preparing the filling.
Drain the cashews, then place them into a food processor with the S blade, or a strong blender.
Mix the lemon juice, coconut milk, and maple syrup together and pour half of the mixture into a separate bowl and set aside. Add the other half, along with the pumpkin, vanilla and spices to the cashews and process until smooth.
Pour the liquid that you set aside into a small saucepan, reserving two tablespoons in the bowl. Do not heat the saucepan yet.
Mix the tapioca flour into the reserved liquid in the bowl and mix until no longer lumpy (it will be quite thick).
Heat the saucepan, and when the liquid in the saucepan is warmed (don’t let it boil) remove it from the heat, pour a bit of it into the tapioca mixture, mix it until it is smooth, and then scrape it all back into the saucepan and heat over low heat until smooth and the consistency of peanut butter.
Scrape the mixture from the saucepan into the food processor/blender, and blend everything together until smooth and creamy. Pour into prepared pie shell.
Refrigerate at least a few hours, although it will get firmer if you refrigerate it overnight.
Sorry that the below picture isn’t prettier, we forgot to take a picture until it was almost all gobbled up! But at least you can see the consistency!
