Vegan Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

This vegan double layer pumpkin cheesecake is the perfect holiday dessert featuring both a vanilla and pumpkin layer. Easy and delicious!

A row of double layer pumpkin cheesecake laid out on a cutting board and topped with candied pecans.

Literally have been in love with this cheesecake for ages. It is my go to recipe for the holidays and I look forward to making it for family whenever I can. This vegan double layer pumpkin cheese cake is gluten free, delicious, just the right amount of tang and it firms up like a dream. Super easy to put together too!

Taking a piece of cheesecake with a fork.

Why you’ll love this unique vegan double layer pumpkin cheesecake

  • Less sugar than your average cheesecake, but still bursting with flavor and one of my favorite holiday desserts I make every year
  • This is vegan, gluten-free and super simple to make
  • Has two delicious baked cheesecake layers, your plain vanilla cheesecake and then overtop is the pumpkin cheesecake layer

A can of pumpkin puree next to a box of shelf stable aseptic extra firm mori-nu silken tofu.

Key ingredients

  • Pumpkin Puree: make sure if using canned pumpkin that it says pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling
  • Extra Firm Silken Tofu: make sure this is the mori-nu extra firm silk tofu in an aseptic shelf stable container, not the one you find refrigerated
  • Vegan cream cheese: make sure it’s at room temperature when ready to prep the filling
  • Vegan yogurt: use a 6oz cup of your favorite vegan yogurt and opt for plain if available for the nice hit of tang
  • Pecans: help to add a nice buttery texture to your crust
  • Oats: a great base ingredient to make a hearty crust
  • Nut butter: I used peanut butter, but feel free to go for something more neutral to bind your crust ingredients together
  • Organic Sugar: sugar is sugar is sugar whether it’s coming from maple syrup or cane sugar, so enjoy it here if you need to
  • Pumpkin Spice: can you call this a pumpkin cheesecake without the pumpkin spice…I think not
  • Corn starch: one of the most important ingredients as this helps to hold and firm up your cheesecake the most in place of traditional eggs

Steps for making the crust. Step 1 add all crust ingredients to the food processor. Step 2 process until a slightly sticky dough forms.

Step by step image of the filling. Step 1 blend your vanilla cheesecake layer ingredients. Step 2 take half of the filling and layer it on top of the crust. Take remaining filling and blend with pumpkin ingredients. Step 3 pour pumpkin batter over top the vanilla layer. Step 4 spread pumpkin layer evenly on top.

How to make a good double layer pumpkin cheesecake

  1. Start by setting the oven to 350F. Then it’s time to prep the crust. To a food processor, add some pecans, oats, maple syrup, nut butter, salt and pumpkin spice and pulse together until a sticky dough forms.
  2. Line some parchment paper into a 9×5 in loaf pan then take your dough and start spreading it out flat on the bottom of the pan. You can use a flat bottom cup or measuring cup to make sure the crust is flat.
  3. Take your pan and then place in the oven for about 15 minutes while prepping your filling. Once crust is cooked, remove from the oven and then lower the heat of your oven down to 325F.
  4. Wash out the contents of your food processor and now place in silken tofu, plain yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, salt and corn starch. Seal and process on high until your filling is completely smooth.
  5. To the crust, add 1/3 of the filling to the pan and spread out evenly.
  6. Add pumpkin puree, some coconut sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin spice to the remaining filling left in your food processor and process on high again until filling is smooth.
  7. Scrap filling and place on top of the plain layer of cheesecake filling in your pan. With a spatula, delicately spread the filling flat and then lift and tap your pan to release any trapped air bubbles.
  8. Place your pan into the oven for 50-60 minutes. When you remove the pan from the oven, you will notice the middle might jiggle slightly. It will firm up as it cools, so do not worry.
  9. Allow to cool for 15-30 minutes at room temperature, and then transfer to your refrigerator to cool for a few hours or overnight before serving.

A view of the cheesecake right out of the oven cooling.

Tips for making this recipe

  • To help make the crust flat, use a cup with a flat bottom and use it to lightly press into the dough to flatten all across the surface. If you’d like a raised dough around the edges, just press the dough against the edges of your loaf pan. You may notice your crust puff up a little after it bakes. Just gently press it back down before adding your first layer of filling.
  • The type of silken tofu you use for the vegan double layer pumpkin cheesecake matters for this recipe. Technically, you can make this with regular silken tofu, but I feel this recipe comes out so much better if you use extra firm silken tofu. This is still silken tofu, but has a little less fluid to it, so it impacts the texture. If you use regular silken tofu, know that you will likely have a softer filling. Flavor should be the same, but the texture might just not be as firm.
  • I chose to make this in a loaf pan instead of a spring-form pan because I didn’t want to buy an extra pan I would not be using often. It comes out great in the loaf pan. I just cut the parchment paper to fit in the pan by cutting the corners so it fit like a rectangle in the pan. Once you prep, cook and cool your cheese cake, you can lift it out of the pan easily with the parchment paper. Carefully remove it and then cut your cheesecake into bars or into triangles for a classic look.
  • Your cheesecake may crack and that is okay. That is what toppings are for! Feel free to top as desired. I chose some candied pecans, but feel free to use vegan whipped cream or sauce as desired to cover any blemishes.
  • Store extra slices in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Top down view of freshly cut slices of cheesecake.

More Fall Dessert Recipes

Slice of double layer pumpkin cheesecake sitting on a plate with candied pecans.

Print
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A side view of the two layers of cheesecake in one, the layer of vanilla cheesecake on the bottom and the pumpkin cheesecake layer on top.

Vegan Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 70 minutes
  • Total Time: 85 minutes
  • Yield: 8 slices 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This vegan double layer pumpkin cheesecake is the perfect holiday dessert featuring both a vanilla and pumpkin layer. Easy and delicious!


Ingredients

Scale

Crust

  • 3/4 cup pecans
  • 3/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup nut butter
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Vanilla Cheesecake Filling

  • 1 12 oz package aseptic extra firm SILKEN tofu ((I used Mori-nu brand))
  • 1 8 oz vegan cream cheese ((I used Tofutti brand))
  • 1 6 oz container vegan plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 tbsp corn starch
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 4 tbsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

  1. Start by setting the oven to 350F. Then it’s time to prep the crust. To a food processor, add some pecans, oats, maple syrup, nut butter, salt and pumpkin spice and pulse together until a sticky dough forms.
  2. Line some parchment paper into a 9×5 in loaf pan then take your dough and start spreading it out flat on the bottom of the pan. You can use a flat bottom cup or measuring cup to make sure the crust is flat.
  3. Take your pan and then place in the oven for about 15 minutes while prepping your filling. Once crust is cooked, remove from the oven and then lower the heat of your oven down to 325F.
  4. Wash out the contents of your food processor and now place in silken tofu, plain yogurt, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, salt and corn starch. Seal and process on high until your filling is completely smooth.
  5. To the crust, add 1/3 of the vanilla cheesecake filling on top and spread out evenly. Add pumpkin puree, some coconut sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin spice to the remaining filling left in your food processor and process on high again until filling is smooth.
  6. Scoop filling and place on top of the plain layer of cheesecake filling in your pan. With a spatula, delicately spread the filling flat and then lift and tap your pan on your counter surface to release any trapped air bubbles.
  7. Place your pan into the oven for 50-60 minutes. When you remove the pan from the oven, you will notice the middle might jiggle slightly. It will firm up as it cools, so do not worry.
  8. Allow to cool for 15-30 minutes at room temperature, and then transfer to your refrigerator to cool for a few hours or overnight before serving.

Notes

  • No pecans? That’s okay, you can replace it with most nuts as desired. 

Did You Try This Recipe?
Then let me know what you thought! Share your creations by tagging me on Instagram with the hashtag #plantbasedrdeats

 Catherine

This vegan double layer pumpkin cheesecake is the perfect holiday dessert featuring both a vanilla and pumpkin layer. Easy and delicious!
This vegan double layer pumpkin cheesecake is the perfect holiday dessert featuring both a vanilla and pumpkin layer. Easy and delicious!

8 Comments

  1. Hello,
    This sounds delicious! I am curious, though, is there really only 1/2 cup pumpkin purée? This doesn’t sound like enough to make a whole pie…
    Thanks!

    1. Hi Kristina! Great question. Yes, it’s only 1/2 cup for 2 reasons. First, this is cooked in a smaller pan, so don’t need as much of the ingredients. Second, half of the cheesecake batter is left plain, and the second half used to make the pumpkin cheesecake part, so you don’t need as much pumpkin for that. If you want to make it all pumpkin flavored, then you would need to add more pumpkin for sure. The pumpkin part of this cheesecake is very pumpkin forward. Hope this helps!

    1. I have frozen slices and works out great. Just make sure to completely thaw before eating again in the fridge.

  2. Hello! Is it possible to sub something out for the cream cheese and yogurt? Would only soy milk or similar work? Thanks!

    1. Hi! I haven’t tried this without the vegan cream cheese or yogurt and chose these ingredients because it lead to a nice thick texture. Minimalist Baker has a great 7-ingredient cheesecake that uses a cashew base that I believe would be a good option if you wanted to avoid those ingredients.

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