This is the creamiest and most perfect Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake for autumn! Truly easy to make, this creamy and lightly spiced cake is a real crowd-pleaser for the holiday season.
This Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake is perfect for all of your holiday celebrations. The pumpkin cream cheese filling is lightly spiced and so creamy while the graham cracker crust beautifully complements the fall flavors. Make every slice complete with a dollop of vegan whipped cream on top!
Made with vegan cream cheese, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, and coconut cream, every bite is so luscious and smooth. It’s also surprisingly light and airy!
Just like my classic Vegan Cheesecake, it’s seriously simple to make! The hardest part is waiting for it to chill in the refrigerator so it can firm up, so plan on making it the day before you want to serve it.
How to make vegan pumpkin cheesecake
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
You’ll need a 9-inch springform pan and aluminum foil to make this cheesecake. To prevent oil from leaking out of the pan, wrap the foil around the bottom and sides. If you don’t have a springform pan, refer to the notes in the recipe card for more options.
First, make the crust:
- Stir the crushed graham crackers, butter, and sugar together in a bowl.
- Press the mixture into an even layer on the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.
No need to blind bake the crust! Now you can move on to the filling:
- Beat the vegan cream cheese in a bowl using a standing or hand mixer until it’s smooth. Next, add the rest of the filling ingredients and beat again.
- Pour the smooth filling on top of the crust in the pan. Use a spatula to spread it into an even layer.
Finally, the cheesecake is ready for baking:
- Place the pie in the oven to bake for an hour. When it’s done, let it sit in the oven for 10 minutes. This prevents the cake from cracking. NOTE: The cheesecake will still look jiggly, especially in the middle when it’s done. This is normal and fine! It will firm up as it chills.
- Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature before letting it chill and firm up in the fridge overnight or at a bare minimum, 6 hours.
- Slice and enjoy with dairy free whipped cream!
What vegan cream cheese is best for cheesecake?
My favorite cream cheese to use for vegan cheesecakes is Tofutti vegan cream cheese. Kite Hill and Trader Joe’s are a good backup if you can’t find Tofutti. I don’t recommend using Daiya cream cheese or Violife (thought I love this one for bagels), because your cheesecake will turn out a watery mess.
Crust options
Both this pumpkin cheesecake and my Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake are delicious with a graham cracker crust, but you can easily change it up to fit specific dietary needs or tastes:
- Gluten free – Most honey-free graham crackers aren’t gluten free. Instead, swap them for gluten free golden oreo cookies or gluten free gingersnap cookies. Gluten free pie crust works in a pinch as well.
- Cookie crust – If you don’t want to use graham crackers, golden oreo cookies, gingersnaps, or any vegan ginger cookie will work well.
Cheesecake toppings
You can keep each slice simple or serve it with plenty of rich, fall-themed toppings such as:
- Candied pecans or almonds
- Coconut whipped cream
- Caramel sauce
- Aquafaba whipped cream
- Vanilla ice cream
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin pie spice
How long does vegan cheesecake last?
Keep the baked cheesecake covered in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freeze, cover the baked cake really well in foil to prevent freezer burn.
Looking for more vegan desserts for autumn?
Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 1/2 cups vegan graham cracker crumbs
- 5 tablespoons melted vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Cheesecake Filling
- (3) 8-ounce containers Tofutti vegan cream cheese
- 13.5 ounce can coconut cream
- 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice mix
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
For Serving
- Vegan Whipped Cream or
- Coconut Whipped Cream or storebought non-dairy whip
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap a 9-inch springform pan with 1-2 layers of aluminum foil, covering the bottom and the sides. If you skip this part, oil will leak out causing your oven to smoke, so don't skip it! Cut a circle of parchment paper for the bottom of the pan and spray the pan lightly with oil.
Make the crust
- In a medium bowl, add the graham cracker crumbs, melted vegan butter and sugar. Stir well with a fork or spoon to combine, then press the crumbs down evenly in the prepared pan. Press down firmly and evenly, going up the sides of the pan a little bit. Set aside.
Prepare the filling
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the vegan cream cheese until smooth.
- Now add the rest of the filling ingredients and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Once it's completely smooth, pour it into the pan with the crust and spread it out evenly.
Bake
- Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour, then turn off the heat and let sit in the oven for 10 minutes. Do not open the oven door at all during this time.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven, carefully. It will still look jiggly in the middle, don't worry that is correct! It will firm up as it cools.
- Let it cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill and firm up for at least 6-8 hours. Overnight is best!
Serve
- When ready to serve, slice pieces of cheesecake and serve with coconut whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!
- Storage: The cheesecake will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, and it also freezes well, up to 3 months. To freeze, cover well with aluminum foil to prevent freezer burn.
Notes
- Gluten free – Use gluten free graham crackers, gluten free oreo type golden cookies or gluten free gingersnap cookies.
- Allergies – Note that tofutti cream cheese does contain tofu. If you have a nut allergy, read the ingredients well on whatever brand you use, as Kite Hill contains almond and I’m not sure about other brands.
- DO NOT USE THE FOLLOWING BRANDS OF CREAM CHEESE: Daiya and Violife definitely won’t work here! For best results, use Tofutti brand. Trader Joe’s may work as well as Kite Hill, but I have the best luck with Tofutti.
- If you can’t find coconut cream, substitute full fat coconut milk. It works okay, but coconut cream is best.
- If you don’t have a springform pan, or want a smaller cheesecake, you can cut the cheesecake filling ingredients in half and use a regular 9-inch pie pan instead. It will still need about 40-50 minutes to bake.
Wowza! This is the most delicious Thanksgiving dessert we have ever had. Vegans and omnis agree! The cheesecake is so big – it filled my 9” x 3” springform pan to the top – I thought we would be giving leftovers away, but not a chance! We put half in the freezer for later. My only edit was to double the spices – we love pumpkin spice! This cheesecake is fluffy and light, and you don’t feel weighed down like a dairy cheesecake. Our go to recipe from here on. Thank you, Nora!
Hi Nora-Thank you for this recipe. I did it exactly as you wrote with the exact ingredients(Tofutti cream cheese), baking time, 10 minutes, etc. The top of the cake looked baked, but it was VERY jiggly all over. I put it In the fridge Wednesday afternoon through last night and it seemed to firm up fantastically. However, when I served it last night, it was very melty and more of an ice cream consistency than cake. The crust was awesome and not at all soggy.
I’m trying to figure out what went wrong. Could it be my oven temp was off? That has happened every now and then. Otherwise, I’m at a loss and I would love to try this again and see it work out.
Thank you!
Hi there, I’m so sorry it didn’t work out for you. I’m not sure why it was melty even after chilling if you use tofutti cream cheese; was your pumpkin really runny by chance? That’s the only other thing I can think of. It could be your oven temp, especially if you’ve noticed that happening before. If it never cooked enough it wouldn’t have thickened up as well.
Hi Nora! I used a store bought Keebler graham cracker crust. I don’t have a 9” springform pan. As it turned out, this was smaller than a 9” springform pan would’ve been. More shallow. It’s baking now. There is still half the batter left that won’t fit in that ready made crust, so I’m wondering how long I should bake it- I’ll make another one in a few days to use up the rest of the batter.
Can I use a water bath to prevent cracking or will that ruin the cake?
Hi Kaylee. No water bath is needed for this recipe. Just follow the recipe as is! Enjoy the cheesecake, and happy baking!
Hi Nora! This looks divine!! Could I use either country crock heavy cream or the silk half n half in place of the coconut cream?
I think it will work but I haven’t tried it myself. The cheesecake might not be as firm but I bet it will work well.
Looks like only the last line came through on my post. I’ll try again. After the hour, the entire top seems very wiggly. I’ve made vegan no bake before, but this is the first baked one. I can’t see how this will firm up enough. I followed directions exactly. This was for thanksgiving. I’ve made numerous dairy cheesecakes before with very little issue. I’ll let you know if it works out. No time for another attempt.
Did you use tofutti brand cream cheese or something else? It will indeed seem VERY wiggly still. I know this is different than non-vegan cheesecakes. But that is fine, it will firm up. But if you used a different vegan cream cheese like Violife or one I do not recommend, it won’t work well and it may be watery.
Do you mean wrap the outside of the springform pan with foil?
Yes, that is correct.
I made this recipe for my fiancé and i, we loved it! I was wondering if this is a recipe where you could make mini pies? His friends are hosting a party and I want to be able to bring everyone their own pie rather than splitting one altogether.
Much appreciated!
I’m glad you loved the cheesecake! You could probably make into mini cheesecakes in a cupcake pan. I’d say 15-20 minutes is all the baking time you’d need. Hope this helps! Thanks for your awesome review and feedback!
I loved the consistency but even though I used Tofutti cream cheese, it tasted chemically and really had very little flavor. I want try it again, adding more pumpkin pie spice and some amaretto. Not a hit with my TG crowd.
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy the pumpkin cheesecake. Did you follow the recipe exactly and not cut the sugar down or anything that would alter the taste?
Made this for Thanksgiving; I followed all of the instructions. This cake is seriously so delicious. Thank you for sharing all of these recipes, Nora! Who doesn’t love baking that is equally as approachable as it is tasty?
I’m thrilled you loved it, Conor! Thank you so much for your wonderful review!
I used the Philadelphia brand vegan cream cheeze and it turned out amazing. I was worried because it came out of the oven very soft but it firmed up well and tasted delicious! Thank you for your amazing recipes Nora.