This no bake vegan pumpkin cheesecake is super light, fluffy, and so delicious. A buttery graham cracker crust and a creamy filling make this dairy free dessert irresistible! This is an easy recipe that you can make ahead of time.
If you’re planning a big Thanksgiving dinner, you know how hard it can be to juggle your time and your oven space!
So many side dishes require the oven, like vegan cornbread casserole, and green bean casserole. Plus, if you love to bake pies, that takes up oven space and time as well.
An easy no bake dessert is the perfect way to make your life a little easier during the holiday season. We love vegan French silk pie, and a new favorite for us is this no bake vegan pumpkin cheesecake.
This pumpkin cheesecake is so light and creamy (even without the dairy!), and it’s the perfect sweet ending to the holiday meal.
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Ingredient Notes
- Dairy Free Whipped Topping – There are a few brands of vegan whipped topping available. You will need to call the various brands to find a product that is safe for your particular needs. Some brands to check out are So Delicious, Tru Whip, or Vegan Reddi Whip.
- Dairy Free Cream Cheese – There are a lot of different brands of dairy free cream cheese out there. Read the labels and call the company to find the best one that is safe for your family.
- Canned Pumpkin – Be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin puree, like Libby’s brand. You do not want pumpkin pie filling, which has added ingredients.
- Powdered Sugar – Powdered sugar is needed to keep the filling light and fluffy. We like Wholesome Brand powdered sugar, which is corn free and vegan.
- Graham Cracker or Cookie Crumbs – There is a lot of flexibility on this ingredient. You can use allergy friendly graham crackers, like Kinnikinnick S’Moreables, or you can use cookies, like Partake brand. You could even use homemade gingerbread cookies to make this crust.
- Vegan Buttery Spread – Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread or the baking sticks are a good choice for making this graham cracker crumb crust.
Substitutions
- Feel free to use any dairy free whipped topping or dairy free cream cheese that works for your dietary needs.
- Use graham crackers or cookies that work for your diet. Partake Cookies, Kinnikinnick Smoreables, or any other brand of crunchy cookie should work just fine. You could even use homemade sugar cookies or homemade gingerbread.
Step by Step Instructions
- Place the cookies or graham crackers in a food processor, and process to make fine crumbs. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and vegan buttery spread, and pulse until the mixture comes together.
- Press the graham crackers into a tart pan or pie pan.
- Put the pumpkin puree, whipped topping, dairy free cream cheese, powdered sugar, and spices into the food processor.
- Process until smooth.
- Spread the cheesecake filling over the graham cracker crust.
- Refrigerate for 8 hours.
Tips for Success
- Use a food processor to process the cookies – this will produce the finest crumbs.
- Firmly press the crust mixture in the pan with the bottom of a measuring cup. This will make the crust nice and flat and even.
- Make sure to chill the dessert at least 8 hours or overnight. It will be easier to slice if you allow it to chill for the full 8 hours.
Storage
Store leftover pumpkin cheesecake in the refrigerator. It should stay fresh for up to 4 days.
I don’t recommend freezing this – I think the texture would change when you thaw it out.
More Dairy Free No Bake Desserts
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Recipe
No Bake Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs About 10 full size graham crackers. You can also use crunchy cookies, like Partake or homemade gingerbread.
- ¼ cup organic cane sugar
- 6 Tablespoons vegan buttery spread melted
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon You can skip this if you use cinnamon grahams.
For the filling:
- 9 ounces So Delicious Coco Whip thawed
- 4 ounces dairy free cream cheese
- ⅝ cup pure pumpkin puree ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
For the topping:
- So Delicious Coco Whip for serving – optional
Instructions
- Place the graham crackers or cookies in a food processor and process on high speed until they become fine crumbs.
- Add the melted vegan buttery spread, sugar, and cinnamon. Pulse until the mixture comes together,
- Press the mixture into a 9 inch tart pan or pie pan. Use the back of a measuring cup to press it in really firmly.
- Clean out the food processor bowl to make the filling.
- Put the So Delicious Coco Whip, dairy free cream cheese, pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and ground ginger in the food processor.
- Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Spread over the graham cracker crust, and refrigerate for 8 hours.
- Slice the cheesecake and serve with a dollop of Coco Whip if desired.
Cate
In the ingredients for Filling it states “ ⅝ cup pure pumpkin puree ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons “ does that mean 1 1/4 cup? Or are you dividing it out. I couldn’t find a reason to divide the purée in the Directions though. Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!
Kelly Roenicke
No, it’s just 5/8 of a cup. Sometimes people get confused when a measurement isn’t standard, like 1/2 cup, 3/4 cup, etc. So that’s why I said, 5/8 cup= 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons. I hope that’s clearer! Happy Thanksgiving!
Darryl
This is one of my favorite desserts!