I have had two sugar pumpkins in the back of my pantry for months that I almost forgot about. I wanted to make something more exciting than plain ol’ pumpkin pie out of them, but the inspiration just wasn’t coming…until today! I have wanted to experiment with a vegan cheesecake for some time and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to marry the two flavours together: pumpkin pie and cheesecake!
My recipe uses raw macadamia nuts and cashews to recreate the cream cheese filling. This recipe is completely dairy and gluten free, not to mention delicious!
Pumpkin ‘Cheese’cake (Dairy & Gluten Free)
Serves: 12-16, this is very rich so you don’t need a huge slice!
Ingredients:
Crust:
½ cup dried, unsweetened coconut shreds
1 cup pecans
Dash sea salt
½ cup soaked dates
Filling:
¾ cup soaked macadamia nuts, raw
1 ¾ cup soaked cashews, raw
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
15 soaked dates
1/3 cup 100% pure maple syrup
1.5 baked sugar pumpkins
1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (or your choice of: nutmeg, cinnamon, all-spice, etc)
¼ tsp cloves
Dash sea salt
Instructions:
- Preparation: Soak macadamia nuts & cashews at least 2 hours but no more than 6 hours. Soak dates for 1 hour or less.
- Bake 2 whole sugar pumpkins at 375°F for 45-50 minutes until soft. Let cool completely. Slice in half to scoop out seeds. Scoop flesh away from skin. Reserve other half pumpkin to make pumpkin pie smoothies or oatmeal!
- Process unsweetened coconut for a few seconds until it forms a fine powder. Be careful not to process too long or the natural oils will cause it to become moist.
- “Flour” a pie plate with coconut and put to the side.
- Process pecans and salt into a fine flour. Add dates and process until well combined and sticky.
- Press pecan and date mixture into pie plate on top of coconut. Chill in freezer while preparing filling.
- Drain nuts and add to food processor with all other ingredients. Process until very smooth and creamy which may take up to 10 minutes. The longer you soaked the nuts, the less time it should take.
- Pour filling over crust and let set in freezer for at least 3 hours. Before serving, let sit on the counter for 15 minutes to soften slightly.
- Garnish pie with additional pecans or semi-sweet chocolate chips if desired. Slice into 12-16, serve and enjoy!
What did you think of this recipe? Have you tried it? Let us know what you thought by sharing a comment below. This recipe is healthy and shining with lots of nutrients! So why not share it with someone you love? Use the social media links below to share this recipe with your friends and family. For more delicious recipes by Jackie, click here and let your taste-buds soar!
