With Thanksgiving around the corner, I wanted to share one of my favorite desserts: a treat that combines pumpkin, cheesecake, and a hint of chocolate.
I filmed a video all about these pumpkin cheesecake bars on YouTube that includes helpful tips to get the texture just right — I’d love for you to watch and tell me what you think.
Raw vegan cheesecakes are common online, but baked vegan cheesecakes are rarer. Many assume vegan cheesecakes must be raw to taste good. I disagree. While raw cheesecakes can be delicious, they usually lack the dense, creamy richness of a baked cheesecake. These baked vegan pumpkin cheesecake bars deliver that classic, indulgent texture while remaining dairy-free and lower in cholesterol than the traditional version.
These bars are easier than a traditional baked cheesecake: no water bath, no constant oven-checking, and no worry about undercooked centers. I bake them in a simple 8×8-inch square pan so you don’t need a springform pan or any special equipment.
To make the bars feel special for the holidays, I turn the pumpkin filling into a pumpkin swirl — a small extra step that creates a beautiful marbled top. The crust pairs ginger and chocolate: ginger snaps and a bit of cocoa with walnuts and pecans form a flavorful, slightly unexpected base that complements the spiced pumpkin.
I hope you enjoy making these Baked Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars. If you like video guidance, check the YouTube walkthrough for tips on texture and timing.
Baked Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
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Review
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup (112g) unsalted walnuts and pecans (or just use one)
- 20 ginger snap cookies
- Pinch of sea salt
- 5 tablespoons (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 cup (140g) raw cashews (soaked 8 hours/overnight and drained)
- 1/2 cup (120g) solidified coconut cream (refrigerated 24 hours)*
- 1 cup (170g) vegan cream cheese, softened** (Tofutti recommended)
- 1/3 cup (100g) pure maple syrup
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 1/2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 1/4 cups (300g) pumpkin purée
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated recommended
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
Instructions
- Line an 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) square pan with parchment paper, grease lightly with coconut oil, and preheat the oven to 350°F (~176°C).
- Make the crust: pulse the walnuts, pecans, gingersnaps, salt, and cocoa in a food processor until mostly pulverized. With the motor running, add melted coconut oil and process until the mixture is slightly sticky and holds together.
- Press the crust mixture evenly and firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Make the cream cheese filling: blend the soaked cashews and solid coconut cream in a food processor until the mixture resembles ricotta. Add the remaining filling ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides as needed; this can take a few minutes.
- Reserve 3/4 cup of the cream cheese filling in a bowl and set aside.
- Make the pumpkin filling: to the remaining filling in the food processor, add pumpkin purée, maple syrup, and spices. Blend until combined.
- Pour the pumpkin filling over the crust. Dollop the reserved plain cream cheese filling on top and swirl with a toothpick or skewer to create a marbled effect.
- Bake at 350°F (~176°C) for 40–50 minutes, until the edges are slightly dry and the center is just a little jiggly but not wobbly.
- Let the bars rest 10–15 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate until completely cool, at least 4 hours or overnight. Slice into bars to serve.
Video
Notes
**If you don’t have vegan cream cheese, use 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (instead of 1 cup) and 1 cup coconut cream (instead of 1/2 cup).
Nutrition
| Carbohydrates: 22 g
| Protein: 5 g
| Fat: 20 g
| Saturated Fat: 9 g
| Fiber: 3 g
| Sugar: 9 g
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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