Pumpkin Cheesecake with caramel drizzle

Anyone else who has food allergies start to panic a bit when the holidays get closer? What food do I bring? Will everyone ask why I’m not eating certain things? Will they notice it’s vegan? Lol—I’ve been there.

Which is why I thought it’d be fun to make something really delicious and decadent that is sure to impress all of your family and friends—no matter their food preferences!

And trust me—this one’s easy too:)

Duration: 60 minutes,

1 day for setting the filling & soaking cashews

*Yields one regular size 8” round pie dish

//Ingredients //

For the crust:

1 sleeve of Biscoff cookies ( or graham crackers if you prefer, just use the same amount in grams.)

1 cup melted vegan (salted) butter

For the filling:

1 3/4 cup cashews (soaked in water overnight—or at least for 6 hours)

1/2 can of coconut cream

1/2 can of pumpkin

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. pumpkin spice powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 tsp salt

Juice of 1/2 lemon

For the caramel:

1 1/2 cups of cane sugar

1/2 cup salted vegan butter

1/4 cup oat milk

//Method//

Let’s make the crust first to set!

1) In a food processor, or with a strong fork, mash up the cookies until they are a small crumb size—not like dust, but not too chunky.

2) Melt the butter and pour over the crumbs and mix well together. Place in a lined cake or pie dish and mold to the dish making sure the crust is evenly spread. Set in the fridge.

…Now onto the filling!

3) In a high powered blender, blend the cashews, coconut cream, pumpkin, and vanilla until perfectly smooth—nobody wants crunchy cheesecake lol. Once it’s nice and creamy, add the rest of the ingredients to the blender. Taste test and add salt or more lemon as you feel led to—I like a bit more lemon taste so it has the tang of real cream cheese, but do what you prefer.

4) Take out your crust and pour the filling onto the crust evenly. Use a spatula to spread it around making sure the crust is covered except the top edges. If you want to get fancy, sprinkle some cinnamon on top and using a spatula, create a design—trust me its a fun touch:)

5) Leave in the freezer overnight or for at least 4 hours.

…okay now the best and most fun part…the caramel drizzle!

This was so fun because it has been soooo long since I attempted making caramel—and it was a first trying to make vegan caramel. How cool!

A little pro-tip: Be patient & don’t leave the stovetop while making caramel and whatever you do, don’t stop stirring! It sucks to have to clean (and smell) burnt sugar or hardened sugar from your pot.

6) Place the cane sugar in a pot over medium heat. Stir for 10 minutes until it dissolves into a golden color—remove from heat when this happens.

7) Immediately add in the butter—it will steam and bubble but keep stirring it in. Once it calms down, add in the milk and stir.

8) Place back on heat and bring to a boil. KEEP STIRRING making sure you’re getting the bottom and sides of the pot. Stir for a minute and then remove from heat.

9) Pour your caramel sauce into a container to store in the fridge. When you’re ready to use it, spoon out what you need and place in the microwave for a few seconds.

//To Serve//

Defrost the cheesecake in the fridge completely before you serve it. It should be easy to cut.

Microwave your caramel sauce and drizzle over the top. I also like to add whipped cream (I use the Trader Joe’s coconut brand—delish!) for some added fun!

Serve and enjoy!