Looking for an easy, delicious dessert to bring to a holiday gathering that just happens to be vegan and nut-free? Look no further đ
I'm not going to lie--baking isn't my strong suit. When I am making a dessert, I look for one that is as easy as possible without sacrificing on flavor. Vegan pumpkin cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts and something my mom made for me every holiday season. When I was asked to bring a dessert to a sorority event, I thought it would be fun to make that same cheesecake and cut into bars! In this recipe, I use soy as the base, but if you have an allergy to soy, try using cashews or coconut. I have linked a great recipe using cashews & coconut below:
Because I was bringing this dessert to an event, I wanted to make it nut-free for anyone with nut allergies. I know some people have feelings against soy, but I encourage you to do your own research and make your own decisions. I choose to eat soy and am not afraid of it based off of my research and life experience, but this recipe can be easily switched with soaked cashews or coconut if you prefer to avoid soy.
Makes 16-20 cheesecake bars depending on how wide you cut them
Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: At least 4 hours --must be refrigerated for at least 4 hours but I recommend overnight
Ingredients:
16 oz plain vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti's soy cream cheese because it is widely available)
10 oz pumpkin pie filling (this is already sweetened so you don't need to add sugar/maple syrup unless you want more sweetness)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch
2 cups crushed graham crackers (while some graham crackers do have honey in them, many are accidentally vegan like these Nabisco graham crackers: https://www.target.com/p/nabisco-grahams-original-crackers-14-4oz/-/A-50525995?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000012732781&CPNG=PLA_Grocery%2BShopping_Local&adgroup=SC_Grocery&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=c&location=9030973&targetid=pla-650518421249&ds_rl=1246978&ds_rl=1248099&gclid=CjwKCAiA7939BRBMEiwA-hX5J7zq77U08GxMKJHff0GQi2yKQRHHg_AzqvQlnnQZ2KIthp0QKJAomBoCmd0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
1 cup melted margarine or vegan butter--such as Earth Balance
Recipe:
1. Line a 9 x 9 baking pan with parchment paper and preheat your oven to 350 F. Take your cream cheese out of the fridge and ensure it is at room temperature
2. Crush your graham crackers and place the crumbs into a bowl
3. Melt your vegan butter and pour onto the graham cracker crumbs, stirring to make a crust
4. Press the crust into the parchment-lined baking pan
5. In a blender, blend your cream cheese, pumpkin pie filling, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cornstarch and lemon juice until combined. Taste to see if you want to add more spices or sweetener like maple syrup
6. Pour the blended cheesecake mix on top of the graham cracker crust, spreading evenly around the pan
7. Bake your cheesecake at 350 for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, turn the oven off and let the cheesecake stay in the warm oven for another 3 minutes
8. Let the cheesecake cool for an hour on the kitchen counter to prevent cracking
9. Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, and cut into bars with a sharp knife when you are ready to eat
Let me know if you try out this recipe 𧥠DM or tag me on Instagram @tsoyum and let me know what kind of recipes you'd like to see more of! âşď¸