Vegan pumpkin cheesecake bars are given a fall twist with pumpkin, spices and a vegan shortbread crust!Â
I was all about the apple desserts last week and this week, I’m jumping into the pumpkin dessert pool with two feet with these vegan pumpkin cheesecake bars! For the longest time, I wasn’t really a pumpkin fan (give me pecan pie > pumpkin pie anyday), but now that I’ve finally nailed the perfect vegan cheesecake, I can’t stop dreaming up ways to work into into all the seasonal desserts. One of the things that makes these pumpkin cheesecake bars the BEST vegan cheesecake I’ve had is the two step process of baking and then chilling. I know it seems like too much time to take for a dessert, but trust me, if you want vegan cheesecake done right, you should really just take the extra time and do it right!
The best for these vegan pumpkin cheesecake bars comes from a combination of raw cashews and non-dairy yogurt, blended together with all of the other ingredients and baked into an easy-as-pie vegan shortbread crust. I haven’t tested this recipe using anything but non-dairy yogurt, so I’m not sure if it can be subbed with anything. The cashews do the bulk of the heavy lifting in making the pumpkin cheesecake filling extra creamy, so don’t skimp on those either! I took a batch of these vegan cheesecake bars to my husband’s family gathering over the weekend and they were highly praised and none were left, so I’ll take that as a home run for vegan desserts. Keep an eye out for a candy cane chocolate version in the coming months, I think peppermint cheesecake would be perfect for the Christmas season, don’t you?
Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 90 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dessert
Description
Vegan pumpkin cheesecake bars are given a fall twist with pumpkin, spices and a vegan shortbread crust!
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 1 cup flour
- â…“ cup coconut oil (melted)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- For the cheesecake:
- 1½ cups raw cashews (soaked for at least 8 hours and then drained)
- 10 ounces vanilla or plain non dairy yogurt (I used almond milk yogurt, This is about 1 cup of yogurt)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 8×8 or 9×9 pan with parchment paper, then grease lightly. Set aside.
- To make the crust: In a small bowl, stir together the flour, coconut oil, powdered sugar and salt until the dough comes together. Press into the bottom of the greased and lined pan and bake for 7-9 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. You don’t want to over bake the crust, or it will become too hard after you add the filling.
- To make the filling: Combine all of the filling ingredients in a high powdered blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour the filling into the prepared pan with crust.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until the filling does not jiggle with shaken. Chill for at least an hour before serving.
Sarah | Broma Bakery says
Vegan or not, I want dem.
Heart of a Baker says
You da best xo
Heart of a Baker says
Gurl, they SO GOOD
Julia says
Guuuuurl these look amazing! I just made pumpkin cheesecake the other day (using regular whole milk yogurt), and it turned out so tasty! Suffice it to say, your photos are making my mouth water and now I’m anxious to “test” your recipe with my face 😀
Heart of a Baker says
Haha, test the recipe with your face..LOVE it! But really, let’s have a cheesecake party? I’m down with this!
Maikki | Maikin mokomin says
These sound lovely! Perfect treat for Fall 🙂
Heart of a Baker says
Thank you Maikki! 🙂
whiskandshout says
Abby, these are unreal! The texture looks delicious 🙂
Heart of a Baker says
Thank you Medha! They are, without a doubt, the BEST cheesecake I’ve made so far 🙂
Tessa | Salted Plains says
The light in these photos is so pretty. They look absolutely perfect. I’m not surprised one bit that they were eaten all up! And yes, a candy cane version would be amazing! xoxo
Heart of a Baker says
Thank you love! I’m already dreaming of all thinks minty for dessert, Thanksgiving/pumpkin season is great, but my heart is with peppermint and Christmas 🙂 xoxo
Rony Jahid says
Hello Abby! Its so pretty & cheese. One of my best friend like cheese cake. so I just want that, I will make it & surprised him. Isn`t it good idea? Thanks for this lovely idea.
Ashlae says
YES GIRL YES GIRL YEEEEES. Love these little cheesecake bars! And those perfect dollops of coconut whip. All the heart eyes and high fives. <3
Heart of a Baker says
Oh man, those dollops just took it over the edge! If only we lived closer I could just being these to your doorstep, I certainly don’t need to eat them all myself!
Traci York says
Hooray for home run vegan desserts, Abby! I love all the ingredients in this recipe and could totally see myself making them. I adore pumpkin and have been eating it so much already. It’s time to go back to the pumpkin patch and get more pumpkin! I love the light in your photography here… gorgeous! xo
Heart of a Baker says
Thank you Traci, that means so much coming from you! I was so fearful of shooting in lower light, but thanks to a tripod and a little luck, it seems like it’s becoming a good challenge 🙂
thefullhelping says
I am a giant sucker for both cheesecake and pumpkin, so this recipe is a total no-brainer for me. Cannot wait to try it, Abby!!
Heart of a Baker says
Thank you Gena! I’m so happy I finally figured out the perfect vegan cheesecake, slowly but surely finding the best replacements 🙂
Heart of a Baker says
Ah I hope you do Gena!
Cadry's Kitchen says
Oh, my gosh. These look incredible! They would be a wonderful Thanksgiving dessert.
Heart of a Baker says
So perfect! I don’t like pumpkin pie much, so these would be perfect for me!
Kathryn says
Yes please to the peppermint cheesecake you mentioned! 😀
Kathleen @ Produce On Parade says
Ooo! My family is vegan and my step-brother always brings a non-vegan pumpkin cheesecake to our thanksgiving. I’d love to bring these bars as an alternative! Thanks so much! <3
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