Recipe from "Vegan Pie in the Sky"
Adapted by Tara Parker-Pope
- Total Time
- 2 hours, plus chiling overnight
- Rating
- 5(596)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This vegan “cheesecake,” which is adapted from “Vegan Pie in the Sky” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, may not fool everyone at the table, but it will definitely satisfy them. Silken tofu, cashews and banana make it extra creamy, while lemon juice and orange zest provide the tang you’d normally get from cream cheese. (Be sure to soak the cashews long enough; you want them to completely disappear into the batter upon blending.) This dessert can be made in a pie dish or a springform pan, but if you make it in a pie dish, keep an eye on the crust as it bakes; tent the cheesecake with foil if the edges are getting too brown. —Tara Parker-Pope
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Ingredients
Yield:8 servings
- 1¾cups graham cracker crumbs (made from 10 ounces of whole graham crackers)
- 3tablespoons sugar
- 4tablespoons melted nonhydrogenated margarine, melted coconut oil or canola oil
- 1tablespoon plain soy milk or almond milk
- ½cup whole unroasted cashews, soaked in water for 2 to 8 hours, or until very soft
- ¼cup mashed banana (about 1 medium-size banana)
- 1(12- to 14-ounce) package silken tofu, drained
- ½cup sugar
- ⅓cup dark brown sugar
- 3tablespoons coconut oil, room temperature
- 6teaspoons cornstarch
- 2tablespoons lemon juice
- 2½teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼teaspoon orange extract or 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1¼cups canned pumpkin purée
- ¾teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅓cup brown sugar
- 1tablespoon nonhydrogenated margarine
- Pinch of salt
- 1cup pecan pieces, roughly chopped
Graham Cracker Crust
Filling
Topping
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
For the Crust
Step
1
Heat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a 9-inch pie plate or springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Step
2
In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Drizzle in the oil or melted margarine. Use a spoon to blend the mixture thoroughly to moisten the crumbs, then drizzle in the soy milk and stir again to form a crumbly dough.
Step
3
Pour the crumbs into the pie plate or springform pan. Using your fingers or a flat-bottom cup, press crumbs into the the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until firm. Let the crust cool before filling.
For the Pie
Step
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Make the topping: In a mixing bowl, use a fork to mash together brown sugar, margarine and salt until crumbly, then fold in the chopped nuts and stir to coat with the mixture. Set aside until ready to use.
Step
5
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Drain the cashews and blend with the banana, tofu, sugar, brown sugar, coconut oil, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla and orange extracts, and sea salt. Blend until completely smooth and no bits of cashew remain. Add the pumpkin purée, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and blend until smooth, then pour it onto the crust.
Step
6
Bake the cheesecake for 45 to 50 minutes, removing the cheesecake halfway through the baking period to sprinkle on the topping. Return to oven to continue baking. Cheesecake will be done when the top is lightly puffed and the edges of the cake are golden. Remove it from the oven and let cool on a rack for 20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to complete cooling, at least 3 hours or, even better, overnight. To serve, slice the cake using a thin, sharp knife dipped in cold water.
Ratings
5
out of 5
596
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Cooking Notes
Barbara
I could not find vegan graham crackers, but I did find vegan gingersnaps and that is what I use for this recipe.
Mitch
Why does the recipe call for making the crust in a 9" pie plate then in the filling portion have the crust in a springform pan? From the picture it appears the springform pan was used.
SarahJ
1st time: Made this with fresh lemon juice (instead of bottled), orange zest instead of orange extract, and forgot to put in the banana. The cooking time was a lot longer than suggested. It sat for 2 nights in fridge before eating and it was DELICIOUS. People couldn’t tell that it was vegan. 2nd time: added the banana, used lemon juice from a bottle and orange extract, and ate it about 1 hr after baking. Result was not as good. I’d skip the banana again and definitely make a day ahead of time!
bonmom
10 ounces of graham crackers too much. I used one pack (10 long whole crackers) with other ingredients the same and came out great. Just packed the bottom of the pan.
1/4 cup banana is about 1/2 banana, not a whole. Used half and final texture seemed great.
Used only 1/2 cup nuts for the topping; was plenty. Left other ingredients the same.
Did not separate out batter to make it marbled. Put all together; very simple.
1 hour 20 min to cook. Soft; needs 1 T powdered egg replacer.
JD
Made this as one of many pie options for Thanksgiving and this was the biggest hit, the winner by far and nobody bothered to ask if/how it was vegan. Extra delicious I think, because of two secret weapons: Miyokos vegan butter and my Vitamix.
David C
The most popular dessert by far this Thanksgiving. Followed the recipe exactly with the one exception of using a springform pan instead of a standard pie pan...which I highly recommend doing. And even though the pecan topping initially seemed like overkill, it totally makes sense in the final result. Will absolutely make again.
Jorge
What a wonderful recipe. Made this to celebrate my vegan's birthday. It was a hit. not as rich as a regular cheese cake but a really close approximation. Followed the recipe exactly. Batter without the pumpkin is a great springboard for other variations.
Karin Salvalaggio
I used Grape Nuts cereal instead of Graham Crackers to make the crust as I couldn't find vegan graham crackers. The second time I made it, I substituted almond flour for cashew nuts and I didn't notice any difference in taste.
Sally
Used squash instead of pumpkin, half the sugar, a premade whole wheat crust and forgot the tofu. It came out great.
Schley
Belgian Biscotti cookies are vegan and delicious used in the crust of pumpkin cheesecake!
KELS
We loved this. I was worried it would be too soft based on another review so added the equivalent of one non-dairy egg replacement and thought the texture was really good -- soft, but not too soft. I was too lazy to split the cheesecake and swirl. It was delicious. I baked it in a 9" square pan and portion sizes are generous.
Sally
Everyone in the family loves this dessert. The only thing I suggest changing is the name. It looks like a cheesecake, it’s called a cheesecake, and the mouth and the heart want cheesecake when that first bite is delivered. Delicious as it is, it tastes nothing like cheesecake. In order to avoid the inevitable initial disappointment, I have changed the name to Vegan Pumpkin Chiffon pie.
victorya
WARNING: do not use coconut oil for the crust! It will smoke like crazy in the oven! It happened to me... so frustrating.
samantha
This is such a great recipe. My only suggestion is with the crust - I recommend using the crust recipe for the vegan Mexican chocolate pie instead - much better
Kelley
This is delicious! I would recommend chilling it overnight as the recipe suggests, I did not do that and it was a bit too soft.
Chris
Seriously good! I’ve been making vegan pumpkin pies for years and this will now be my go to. Made as is except didn’t have coconut oil so upped corn starch by 3 tsp. Made thanksgiving morning and put in fridge. By 6 pm was firmly set. Feels decadent and rich, perfectly spiced. Non-vegans also raved.
Wow! Amazing Vegan Cheesecake
Everyone loved this (all my non-vegan family and friends, too!). It is silky, fresh, and absolutely delightful. You can slightly taste the banana, but it’s not overpowering. Made exactly as the recipe called for until the bake time. I gave it an extra 10 minutes and it set perfectly.
Name
1/2 c cajous=70g
annie c
I accidentally left out the silken tofu and it was delicious!
Eleanor
Made this with an extra fourth cup of pumpkin instead of banana as my niece is allergic to bananas. I also subbed vegan butter for coconut oil given I didn’t have any coconut oil. I am so pleased with this recipe. My non-vegan relatives were doubtful, but we all loved it. I will definitely make this again. As has been mentioned, the texture is a lot lighter than typical cheesecake. I still thought it was great!
Lisa
This cheesecake is a family favorite and has gone into our "Must Haves" for Thanksgiving.
Abbey
I didn’t need 10 oz of Graham crackers to make 1.75 cups; maybe 7.5 oz? I’d leave the sugar out of the crust. For the filling I decreased the white sugar to 1/3 cup but would do 1/4 cup next time. I did 2 tbsp sugar for the topping instead of 3. Overall, delicious and I’d make again.
Lisa
Nothing like a cheesecake- doesn’t have the fluff or flavor. But doesn’t taste bad. It’s kind of like a mild pumpkin pie.
Sarah
I made this without the banana as others suggested, and rested it for 24hrs before eating. It was still very sloppy, unfortunately — pretty pie when sliced. It tasted good, but you could definitely taste the tofu behind the pumpkin and spices. I’d pick something else if you are not a fan of tofu. The taste and texture are more like vegan pumpkin pie than cheesecake. Don’t skip the nuts — they add a lot!
measurements
210 g of pumpkin purée
Nancy Pyle
WOW! I ate a bit of the batter and was blown away by the complex, delicious flavors. I was worried it wouldn't taste as good after baking. Surprise! Just as delicious if not better than the batter. I like it warm. I didn't add the banana because I simply didn't have it. I agree with Sally that the name is inappropriate. There's nothing cheesecake about it. Infact, it reminds me of my Grandmother's Indian Pudding. Such a great dish. I agree with Debbie about the ingredients being tedious.
victorya
WARNING: do not use coconut oil for the crust! It will smoke like crazy in the oven! It happened to me... so frustrating.
Satya
Wow, super delicious, smooth, perfect. I used 1/3 less sugar, still plenty sweet. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Lisa Y
I found that I needed nearly double the recipe to have enough crust for a 9 in springform pan.
Ann
I’ve made this a million times and it’s always outstanding. So many requests for it for potlucks….
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