Easy.

Dairy-free.

ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.

I mean, when I say that this vegan no-bake pumpkin cheesecake is my FAVORITE HOLIDAY DESSERT I am not lying. Why? Well, it’s so easy you could literally make it a couple hours before your holiday party or dinner. You only need 6 ingredients, all of which are easy to procure. And finally, it’s heavenly. It tastes oh so good!!

So, buckle up, because this one’s gonna be a quickie!

Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links for products I use and love. If you make a purchase after clicking one of those links, I may earn a small affiliate commission, perhaps enough to buy some extra gochujang or gochugaru 🙂

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Why No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake?

Every Thanksgiving, my brother would come home carrying a beautiful, white-domed “no bake cheesecake” he acquired from his best friend, Debit Yu (his name is actually “David Yu,” but my father pronounced it “Debit” and thus a new nickname was born). David’s mom would make these gorgeous desserts that tasted so good, many of David’s friend’s would request their own individual pies. Well, once Jaesun got in the habit of bringing them home, many of David’s friends’ relatives (me included) would request a pie of their own!

And thus a new Thanksgiving tradition was born!

Eventually, instead of asking Jaesun to carry home dozens of no-bake cheesecakes, I asked him to bring home the recipe. It turned out to be as easy as, well, pie! Just mix together whipped cream, cheesecake, and sugar, and pour it into a premade graham cracker crust. BOOM! I was off to the races making all my own of these perfect cheesecake confections.

Not surprisingly, I stopped making these babies after going vegan. Back in 2016, vegan whipped cream wasn’t what it is today. Same could be said for vegan cream cheese. Now, the options are much better, giving rise to both a flavor and consistency that very much resembles what I used to eat every Thanksgiving!

Why the addition of pumpkin? While the lovely white filling was perfect for Christmas, I wanted to use up some leftover pumpkin puree on the same recipe to see what would happen. Well, as you can guess, pumpkin magic ensued. The fattiness of the pumpkin adds the perfect amount of richness to the tart cream cheese filling, while keeping this recipe so simple, you still have time to make it, even if your holiday party is a few hours away!

Key Ingredients and Notes on Substitutions for Vegan No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake.

This vegan no-bake pumpkin cheesecake comes together with only six simple ingredients that are available at most regular grocery stores.

So, let’s get into it!

Pumpkin Puree.

Obviously, a no-bake pumpkin cheesecake is going to have some pumpkin in it. In this case, we use pumpkin puree which is far easier to handle than fresh pumpkin. You can find pumpkin puree at most local grocery stores (i.e., you don’t need to make your own homemade pumpkin puree, though do not try to make this recipe with pumpkin pie filling…!).

In terms of substitutions, there really aren’t any. If you want to achieve pumpkin-y flavor, you’re going to need real pumpkin puree! If you don’t care whether it’s technically pumpkin, you can also use mashed sweet potatoes or kabocha puree.

Vegan Whipped Cream.

Mrs. Yu’s no-bake cheesecake included whipped cream, so this vegan no-bake pumpkin cheesecake will include dairy free whipped cream. What’s my preferred brand? For this, I really like pre-whipped full fat So Delicious Vegan Cocowhip. All the work is done for you, so all you need to do is whisk it with the pumpkin puree, vegan cream cheese, and sugar. Of course, if you want to make your own whipped cream, there are plenty of options at your disposal: Country Crock’s Plant Cream, Silk’s Whipping Cream, Nature’s Charm Coconut Whipping Cream, and Cha’s Organic Coconut Whipping Cream.

Vegan Cream Cheese.

Obviously, this no-bake pumpkin cheesecake is going to include cream cheese! There are now so many varieties of dairy free cream cheese out there, but my favorite is an oldie but a goodie: Toffuti’s cream cheese. I like Tofutti because, to me, it tastes a lot like the real thing without any weird, sour aftertaste. But, go with whatever vegan cream cheese you enjoy the best.

Sugar.

Yes, this recipe contains sugar. It is a dessert after all. Can you use something other than refined sugar for this no-bake pumpkin cheesecake? Yes. However, liquid sweeteners (like maple syrup) will create a softer filling that will not set as well. Other non-liquid sweeteners (like date sugar or coconut sugar) will not dissolve as well, creating a more grainy filling. With these caveats in mind, use whatever sweetener you prefer, adding more to taste, if needed.

Store-Bought Graham Cracker Crust.

Yes, of course you can make your own graham cracker crust. But confession time–with the prevalence of vegan store-bought crusts, I haven’t made my own pie crust in years! For this vegan no-bake pumpkin cheesecake recipe, I use 9″ Keebler’s Graham Ready Pie Crust (it comes in both 9″ and 10″ so make sure to choose the smaller one).

Pumpkin Spice Blend.

The very last ingredient for this no-bake pumpkin cheesecake is a dusting of pumpkin spice blend. My grocery store actually sells a number of different blends, but if you can’t find any or want to make your own, you can find the recipe for mine as part of Vegan Pumpkin Spice Syrup recipe. If you don’t want to be bothered with a blend, a dusting of some ground cinnamon will also do the trick!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Vegan No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake.

This 6-ingredient no-bake pumpkin cheesecake is one of the easiest recipes in my library, so it’ll go by fast–as in, there’s only two steps!!

Step 1.

In a large bowl, use a handmixer or standmixer with the balloon attachment to whisk together cream cheese, whipped cream, sugar, and pumpkin puree until smooth. Pour the contents into a pre-made graham cracker crust. Sprinkle with pumpkin spice blend.

Step 2.

Place the pie in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, until it hardens slightly. You can also place it in the freezer if you’re running short on time!

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