Cheesecake! Pumpkin cheesecake — no-bake, vegan-friendly mini cheesecakes made with wholesome ingredients and a gingerbread-style crust.
These little desserts are everything I look for in a fall treat: creamy, spiced, pumpkin-forward, and easy to make. They’re ideal for Thanksgiving, but equally wonderful on an ordinary autumn afternoon.
The filling is based on soaked raw cashews. Soaking the cashews—overnight in cold water or briefly in boiling water—softens them enough to blend into a rich, silky texture. Mixed with pumpkin puree, maple syrup, canned coconut milk and warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, the blended cashews become luxuriously dense and unmistakably cheesecake-like.
The crust is no-bake and has a nutty, gingerbread-inspired flavor thanks to pecans, oats, a touch of molasses and warm spices. Once the crust is pressed into muffin liners and the cashew-pumpkin filling is spooned on top, a brief stint in the freezer firms everything into perfectly portioned mini cheesecakes that are easy to pop out and serve.
These cheesecakes are dense, ultra-creamy, perfectly spiced and loaded with pumpkin — all made entirely in a food processor or high-speed blender. The lemon juice adds a subtle tang that mimics the brightness of traditional cream cheese without leaving a lemon flavor.
Despite being plant-based and made with healthful ingredients, these taste remarkably like classic pumpkin cheesecake. They keep well: store in the fridge for several days or freeze for longer storage. If frozen solid, allow the cheesecakes to sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving so they soften slightly.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turns out — leave a comment or share a photo on Instagram. Happy cheesecake-making!
Mini No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Chelsea Colbath
15 minutes
Ingredients
Pecan Gingerbread Crust
- 1 cup pecans can substitute walnuts, if preferred
- 1 1/2 cups oats
- 3 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon molasses*
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice**
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews soaked overnight in cold water, or 30–60 minutes in boiling water
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
- 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree canned or homemade — unsweetened
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice**
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- juice from 1/2 a lemon adds a subtle tang similar to cream cheese without tasting lemony
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
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1. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside. Make sure you have room in the freezer for the pan, as the crust and cheesecakes will chill there.
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2. Make the crust: toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes so they are warm but not hot. (If you prefer, store-bought roasted pecans can be used.)
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3. In a food processor or high-powered blender, pulse the warm pecans and oats until they are broken into small bits. Add the remaining crust ingredients (coconut oil, molasses, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice) and pulse until the mixture holds together when pressed.
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4. Divide the crust mixture among the prepared muffin cups, using a tightly packed tablespoon in each. Press and flatten the crust into the bottom of each liner using your fingers.
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5. Transfer the muffin tin to the freezer to chill while you prepare the filling.
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6. Drain and rinse the soaked cashews, then add them to the food processor (no need to clean it after making the crust) along with the canned coconut milk, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Puree until completely smooth and silky, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed.
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7. Remove the muffin tin from the freezer and spoon about 1/4 cup of the cheesecake filling into each crust. Return the pan to the freezer for at least 1 hour to firm up. After they’ve set, you can transfer the cheesecakes to the refrigerator for short-term storage or keep them frozen for longer storage.
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8. To store, remove the cheesecakes from the muffin pan and keep them in an airtight container or a large freezer bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If frozen solid, allow them to soften at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
**If you don’t have store-bought pumpkin pie spice, you can mix your own: 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger and 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg works well for this recipe.
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