Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Topping

This Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake has an amazing flavor, definitely just like a creamier version of a pumpkin pie! And the pecan topping gives it the perfect crunch.

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 1/4 cups of finely ground graham crackers or gingersnaps
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons melted non-hydrogenated margarine, melted coconut oil, or canola oil
• 1 tablespoon plain soy or almond milk.

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
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, at room temperature
• 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

Instructions

Make the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and lightly spray a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the crumbs and sugar. Drizzle in the oil or melted margarine.
3. 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.
4. 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:

1. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.