In anticipation of Thanksgiving around the corner, I am going to share some of my favorite holiday traditions. One of them is this week’s recipe for a Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake. This dessert is a variation of my Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake, and encompasses all of the traditional pumpkin pie spices, like cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and allspice. It is a real treat!

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Ingredients:

Crust

1 cup macadamia nuts

1 cup raw almonds

1 cup dates

½ cup dried, unsweetened coconut

1 pinch sea salt

¾ t. ground ginger

Filling

3 cups cashews, soaked in water for 3 hours

¼ cup lemon juice

1 can organic pumpkin (or substitute 2 cups steamed pumpkin)

1 t. cinnamon

½ t. ginger powder

¼ t. ground cloves

1/8 t. allspice

1/8 t. nutmeg

¼ t. salt

3/4 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup coconut oil

1 tablespoon vanilla

½ cup of water

Topping

1 cup pecans- chopped fine

¼ cup maple syrup

Instructions:

1. Pulse the macadamia nuts and almonds in the food processor until finely chopped. Add dates and coconut and process until the mixture sticks together. Add salt and ginger powder.
2. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a fluted tart pan with removable bottom, and press up along the sides, creating a nice edge
3. Blend all of the filling ingredients in the food processor. Make sure to scrape down the sides and continue blending until smooth.
4. Pour filling mixture into tart pan crust and put into freezer for 1 hour before adding the pecan topping.
5. Pulse the pecans into small pieces, but do not over pulse into a flour. Add the maple syrup and pulse again until mixed. Sprinkle on top of the cheesecake. Replace the cheesecake into the freezer.
6. Remove the cheesecake from freezer 15 minutes before serving.