vegan pumpkin cheesecake with pecan topping + oatmeal crust
Imported from previous blog:
Last week we made a vegan pumpkin cheesecake with pecan topping. The best part was the pecan topping. I loved the crunchy sweet taste of that caramelized pecan mixture! I liked the pumpkin too, I would probably up the sugar a bit.
We used Isa Chandra’s recipe on Post Punk Vegan Kitchen. We used firm tofu because that was all that was available at the store we went to and we didn’t use coconut oil (we used olive oil instead). We also made our own oatmeal crust.
The oatmeal crust recipe: modified fromFat Free Vegan Kitchen
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons natural sugar (we used regular sugar)
1/4 cup smashed banana (recipe called for applesauce but we didn’t have any).
How to:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil pan.
Finely grind oats in food processor or blender. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and blend until everything is well incorporated. It will look like a stiff dough. I blended the banana in as well but if using apple sauce simply add it to the mixture until well combined.
Put the mixture into the pan and starting at the center flatten and press it down with moistened finger until dough extends to whole pan.
Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until it is crisp. Set aside to cool before filling.
Isa’s vegan pumpkin cheesecake recipe
Filling:
1/2 cup whole unroasted cashews soaked in water for 2 to 8 hours or until very soft
1/4 cup mashed banana (about half of 1 medium-sized banana)
1 12 to 14 oz package silken tofu, drained [we used firm tofu and that was fine]
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons coconut oil, at room temperature [we used regular oil]
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin puree
3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon nonhydrogenated margarine *or* coconut oil
Pinch of salt
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped
Make the crust:
Preheat oven to 350F and lightly spray a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl, combine the 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.
Pour the crumbs into the pan. Press firmly into the bottom. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until firm. Let the crust cool a bit before filling. Keep oven on 350 to bake the cheesecake.
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 the mixture. Set aside until ready to use.
Make the filling:
Drain the cashews and place in a blender with the banana, tofu, sugar, brown sugar, coconut oil, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, orange zest, and sea salt. Blend until completely smooth and no bits of cashew remain, a food processor or strong blender should be able to get the job done.
Set aside 1/2 cup of batter. To the remaining batter, add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and blend until smooth, then pour it into the crust. Randomly spoon dollops of the reserved batter onto the cheesecake. Poke the end of a chopstick into a batter blob and gently swirl to create a marble pattern; repeat with the remaining dollops.
Bake the cheesecake for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove cheesecake halfway through baking and 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 about 20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to complete cooling, at least 3 hours or even better if overnight. To serve, slice the cake using a thin, sharp knife dipped in cold water.
*I definitely recommend leaving this in the fridge overnight. The taste is better. This takes a lot of preparation and is definitely not the type of dessert you can eat right away so plan accordingly. It would make a great dessert for a family gathering or potluck.
Happy Baking! :]