NO BAKE PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
{no-bake, gluten and grain-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free}
prep time: 20 mins
cook/chill time: 5 hours
makes: 6″ cake {double for 9″ cake}
Crust Ingredients:
1¼ cups raw almonds {or another nut}
6 soft medjool dates, pitted
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut oil
White Layer Ingredients:
1½ cups raw cashews, presoaked and strained {soak overnight for best results, or soak in boiling water for 20 minutes if in a rush}, at room temp
3 tablespoons lemon juice, at room temp
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk, at room temp
6 tablespoons maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of your choice), room temp
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
dash of salt
Pumpkin Layer Ingredients:
White layer mixture, minus ¾ cup of it, which should be set aside (see step 4)
2 tablespoons maple syrup (or liquid sweetener of your choice)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, liquified
1¼ cups pumpkin puree, room temp
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon cloves
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
Place all crust ingredients into a food processor and process into a sticky crumble. Transfer into a springform pan and shape into a crust {either by flattening it entirely to the bottom, or pushing it up the sides a little for a taller crust effect}. Set aside.
Place all white layer ingredients into a high-speed blender {I used my Vitamix for this recipe} and process until mixture is smooth. Scoop out about ¾ cup of this mixture into a bowl and set aside.
Add pumpkin layer ingredients to the blender to the remaining mixture and blend until mixture is smooth and uniform.
Pour pumpkin cheesecake mixture into the crust in the springform pan. Smooth out the mixture a little using a spatula. Pour white layer ingredients (that were set aside earlier) on top of the pumpkin layer, being careful not to mix the two layers in the process {you can freeze the pumpkin layer for about 20 minutes first if you like to help it firm up, which makes adding the white layer without having the two layers mix up a lot easier}. Gently smooth out the surface.
Freeze the cheesecake for 4-5 hours {or overnight} to set, and then transfer and store in the fridge until ready to serve. You can also have it straight out of the freezer as a pumpkin ice-cream cake, but when you have it out of the fridge it has the consistency, texture, and flavor of a real cheesecake
Notes:
Doubled up on the recipe as 6″ is a tiny tin, it eventually made an 18cm springform tart. I substituted butternut for the pumpkin, honey for the maple syrup & used coconut milk. I left out the “all spice” as I couldn’t find any at the shops. Cooked the butternut a day before, just to give it ample time to drain. Topped the cake with a little bit of the sticky crust. Blend the cashew nuts in batches to get a smooth consistency. This cake is ideal for someone who follows the “paleo” lifestyle.
Photo: Lesdee Gloak Bam
