Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake with a Molasses Cookie Crust

I have never truly craved cheesecake until my Mom began making the most irresistible double-layer pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving. Out of all the desserts that decorated the holiday table, this cheesecake was the only thing my I laid my eyes on. It was so tasty that I would literally dream about eating it as Thanksgiving approached. However, as a vegan, one of the most complicated recipes to replicate is cheesecake, because although there are delicious raw cheesecake recipes out there, they do not satisfy that true cream-cheesy goodness. As I searched for a baked cheesecake recipe, I came across and used the Minimalist Bakers: Easy Baked Cheesecake. The outcome was out-of-this-world amazing. When I brought it into school to share with my classmates, I had people asking for second and third servings. They were not only shocked that it was vegan, but they were also surprised that tofu and cashews could make for such a delicious dessert.

As Thanksgiving approached this year, my memory of how delicious that cheesecake was ran through my mind. I went to the drawing board, and using Dana's recipe as inspiration, came up with this delightful pumpkin swirl cheesecake with a molasses cookie crust. The recipe is not too complicated, is packed with flavor, and is something that all your friends, vegan or not, can enjoy. I tested the recipe once or twice before Thanksgiving and brought it into school, and everyone really loved it. In fact, two people, one vegan, and one non-vegan, asked me to make each one of them a pie for their Thanksgiving dinners. 

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INGREDIENTS (Yields one 9 inch pie)

For the Crust:

For the Main Filling:

  • 1 Cup raw cashews*

  • 1 Cup coconut cream

  • 8 Ounces Toffuti vegan cream cheese

  • 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch

  • 1 Tsp. vanilla extract

  • 2/3 Cup maple syrup

  • 1 Tbsp. Earth Balance or coconut oil

  • 1-2 Tsp. lemon zest

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice,

  • 1/8th Tsp. sea salt

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. molasses

  • 1/2 Tsp. pumpkin pie spice

For the Pumpkin Filling:

  • 2/3 Cup pumpkin puree

  • 1 Tsp. pumpkin pie spice

  • 1 1/2 Tsp. cornstarch

  • Scant 1/4 Cup maple syrup + more to taste if needed

  • 1 Tsp. molasses

  • Small pinch of cloves + fresh nutmeg

*Cashews must be soaked in a bowl of water overnight or heated on a stove with boiling water for about 20 minutes so they are softened. 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  2. To make the crust, pulse the vegan butter and molasses cookies in a food processor until the cookies have completely crumbled and the two ingredients are evenly combined. The mixture should not be overly wet, but the cookie crumbles should hold together if you pinch them between your fingers. If the mixture is too wet, add more molasses cookies. If the mixture is too crumbly, add more vegan butter.

  3. In a greased pie dish, evenly distribute the cookie mixture. Firmly press the mixture down with your fingers or a glass to shape the crust and to pack the cookie crumbles so they hold together. Try to make an even layer of the cookie mixture around the entirety of the dish to avoid uneven leveling in different places. You may not need to use the entire cookie mixture.

  4. Bake the crust in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the crust has lightly browned.  

  5. To make the main filling, add all of the ingredients together in a food processor and blend for about 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. The filling should be silky smooth, and there should be no cashew bits present. Adjust the flavors as needed. More lemon juice adds acidity, lemon zest adds tartness, maple syrup contributes sweetness, and molasses creates a deeper brown-sugar flavor. 

  6. Pour the filling into the pie dish, tap the dish to remove any bubbles, and smooth the surface with a spoon or spatula.

  7. Create the pumpkin pie filling by adding all of the ingredients together into a food processor, and processing until smooth. The pumpkin pie filling should be thicker than the main filling. Adjust flavors as needed.

  8. Add the pumpkin pie filling into the pie dish. To create the decorated look shown in the picture, I dolloped large spoonfuls of the pumpkin filling onto various places of the pie, and then using a toothpick, I slashed the dollops in different directions so they mimicked leaves. The technique is similar to the feather decoration method, but instead of making lines I dolloped the puree, and instead of following a specific slashing pattern with the toothpick, I did random cuts in different directions.

  9. Bake the pie for about 50 minutes to an hour, until the edges look slightly dry and only the center appears slightly wiggly if shaken (it should still have some give). However, the center should not be liquidy. 

  10. Let the pie cool for about 10 to 15 minutes, and then lightly cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in the fridge for 5 to 8 hours, or even overnight, so it can firm up. 

  11. Once cooled, cut into slices and enjoy with coconut whip cream or vegan vanilla ice cream. Store the leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

 

Holiday, DessertZoePie, Pumpkin, Cheesecake, Molasses, Crust, dessert, ThanksgivingComment