Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Hint of Chocolate

Here’s a vegan cheesecake-like version of pumpkin pie that offers a subtle chocolate twist with each bite. What a perfect way to finish a Thanksgiving dinner! Recipe adapted from Vegan Holiday Kitchen by Nava Atlas. Photos by Susan Voisin.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Hint of Chocolate

Here’s a vegan cheesecake-like version of pumpkin pie that offers a subtle chocolate twist with each bite.

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Course: Dessert / Pie

Cuisine: Vegan / Healthy

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Servings: 8

Author: Veg Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup walnuts
• One 9-inch good-quality natural pastry crust preferably whole grain
• One 12.3-ounce container extra-firm silken tofu
• 1/2 cup vegan cream cheese
• 2/3 cup natural granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or more, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups well-baked coarsely mashed sugar pumpkin or butternut squash
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips for optional chocolate drizzle see Note

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350º F.
• Combine the chocolate chips and walnuts in a food processor and pulse on and off until finely chopped.
• Scatter the chocolate chip-walnut mixture evenly over the bottom of the pie crust and set aside.
• Combine half of the tofu, half the cream cheese, and half of the sugar in the container of a food processor and process until smoothly pureed. Pour into the pie crust and smooth down with a cake spatula.
• Combine the pumpkin or squash pulp in the food processor with the remaining tofu, cream cheese, and sugar, along with the cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Process until smoothly pureed.
• Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pie crust over the tofu layer. Smooth down with a cake spatula.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the mixture is set and the crust is golden.
• Let the pie cool to room temperature. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges to serve.

Note
If you’d like to garnish each slice of pie with chocolate drizzle as shown in the photo, melt the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl in the microwave (start with 45 seconds) or in the top of a double boiler.

Transfer the melted chips to a pastry piping bag or, less fancy but almost as effective, a ziploc bag. If using the latter, snip a tiny hole in one corner. Gently squeeze the melted chocolate over each wedge of pie in an attractive zig-zag pattern.

• Sweet tooth still craving? Here are more Vegan Baking and Sweets.
• Explore more of VegKitchen’s Easy Vegan Cakes and Pies