Gooey Vegan Pecan Pie Cheesecake Recipe
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This ridiculously creamy pecan pie cheesecake features a simple, creamy brown sugar cheesecake baked atop gooey pecan pie filling and a crisp ginger cookie pecan crust!! Topped with more gooey caramel pecans, absolutely no one will know this holiday cheesecake is vegan, dairy free, and contains no eggs!
The Ultimate Caramel Pecan Pie Cheesecake for all eaters
Pecan pie and chocolate pecan pie (let’s face it, pumpkin pie too, of course) get all of the love on Thanksgiving- and for a good reason! They’re downright delicious.
So what do we for for the ultimate vegan Thanksgiving dessert? Combine the two for a caramel pecan cheesecake (basically pecan pie in cheesecake form!).
You will be speechless after one bite- this pecan pie cheesecake is creamy, rich, and decadent with the nutty aroma and flavor of roasted sweet pecans throughout. And of course the gooey caramel on top!
This cheesecake is the epitome of decadence, and is the most welcomed treat after a delicious vegan Thanksgiving dinner so definitely save room!
Pecan Pie Cheesecake Ingredients:
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this caramel pecan cheesecake recipe! Because vegan brands of cream cheese, yogurt, and dairy free milks can vary so much, I wanted to share a few of my favorite brands that I have used with this recipe.
- Pecans: Use the halved pecans.
- Graham crackers: Because this is a vegan pecan pie cheesecake, I used vegan graham crackers by Annie’s.
- Brown sugar: This is the main flavor profile other than pecans in this cheesecake! I highly recommend it for the caramel as well, but there is a refined sugar free substitution below if needed.
- Vegan butter: I love Miyoko’s for this!
- Vegan Cream cheese: I recommend using Tofutti or Violife. Miyoko’s is also another good option.
- Arrowroot starch
- Dairy free milk: You can use vegan heavy cream, like I did, or substitute in a simple dairy free milk, like coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, or even coconut cream.
- Dairy free yogurt: I also love using vegan sour cream here for extra richness!
- Vanilla extract
Ingredient substitutions & recommendations:
I’ve also included some swaps to other main ingredients if needed!
- Vegan graham crackers: You can substitute in Lotus cookies, or for gluten-free, swap in oat flour or use these vegan gluten free graham crackers!
- Arrowroot starch: Swap in cornstarch.
- Brown sugar: You can also use coconut sugar for refined sugar free.
Overview: How to make a vegan caramel pecan cheesecake:
This caramel pecan cheesecake is made in three stages: the pecan graham cracker crust, the caramelized brown sugar cheesecake filling, and of course, the lovely gooey and sticky pecan caramel topping!
Top your vegan caramel pecan cheesecake, and enjoy! I like to add a few dollops of homemade vegan whipped cream on top for good measure. 🙂 And the cute little pie cut outs? I used scraps of pie dough that I’ve frozen and my pie cut outs from Williams Sonoma!
5 Tips for making vegan cheesecake:
- Bring your ingredients to room temperature: You’ll need to allow a few hours for the ingredients to really come to room temperature. This ensures that when you mix everything together, it all combines properly without any clumps!
- Use a food processor for the filling: You can use a hand mixer, but I find a large food processor so much easier to just quickly blend everything together and pour!
- Don’t skip the water bath! Cheesecakes like super moist environments, and ovens tend to dry them out. Using a simple water bath (I quite literally just use a jelly roll pan and boiling water placed on the rack below the cheesecake!) ensures that our cheesecakes won’t crack! Then you also don’t need to worry about placing foil around your springform pan to prevent water from coming in.
- Toast the pecans: I do this before I stir them into the caramel coating. It adds a really strong and lovely nutty flavor throughout!
- Run a butter knife along the edges of the cheesecake: Prior to removing the springform pan, simply run a butter knife along the edges of the cheesecake. Then undo the springform and remove the wall of the pan.
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Gooey Vegan Pecan Pie Cheesecake Recipe
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 75
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Cheesecake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This decadent caramel pecan cheesecake features a quick and easy creamy caramelized brown sugar cheesecake filling baked in a crisp ginger cookie pecan crust with gooey caramel pecans baked on top! Absolutely no one will know these holiday cheesecake is vegan, dairy free, and contains no eggs!
Ingredients
Ginger Pecan Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups (200 g) ginger spice cookies as crumbs
- 1/2 cup (65 g) toasted pecans
- 1/3 cup (87 g) vegan butter, melted
Pecan Pie Bottom:
- 2 cups (280 g) chopped pecan halves
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
- 4 tbsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1/4 cup (57 g) vegan butter, to be browned
- 1/4 cup (75 mL) maple syrup
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) vegan heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Brown Sugar Cheesecake Batter:
- 4 8-ounce containers (32 ounces) vegan cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (240 g) dairy free yogurt or dairy free sour cream, room temperature
- 1 cup (240 mL) vegan heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- 8 tbsp (80 g) cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3–4 cups boiling water, for water bath
Pecan Topping:
- 1 cup (140 g) toasted pecan halves, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 1/2 cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) vegan heavy cream or coconut cream
Instructions
- Prep: Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the edges of the pan with a bit of cooking or coconut oil as well, and press parchment paper on the sides of the wall as well. Cheesecake pulls away from the walls when cooling, so this prevents cracking!
- Toast the pecans: Preheat the oven to 400F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread all of the pecans onto the baking sheet (from the crust and the pecan pie filling). Toast for 7-8 minutes, or until aromatic. Remove from the oven, and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Keep the oven preheated.
- Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse together the ginger cookies and pecans until mixed. Then add in the vegan butter, and pulse again until it becomes a sticky crumb. Press the crumbs onto the bottom of the springform pan and up the walls. Place the pan into the freezer to chill for 5 minutes before baking. Then poke a few holes into the bottom of the crust, and place the springform pan into the oven with a baking sheet underneath it to prevent any drips. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside while you prepare the filling. Keep the oven preheated, but now reduce it to 350F.
- Make the pecan pie filling: In a small saucepan, whisk together the light brown sugar, cornstarch, maple syrup, and vegan heavy cream. Then add in the vegan butter and brown sugar, and bring the mixture to medium high heat. Continue to whisk until the vegan butter melts, then stir in the vanilla extract and sea salt. Let bubble for 1 minute once you reach a consistent caramel texture, then remove from heat. Add in the toasted pecan halves, and stir to combine.
- Make the cheesecake filling: In a large food processor, stand mixer with whisk attachment, or large bowl with hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and dairy free yogurt until smooth. Add in the brown sugar, sugar, heavy vegan cream, vanilla, and cornstarch. Cream together again until smooth.
- Assemble: Pour the pecan pie filling into the baked cheesecake crust, then carefully spoon the cheesecake filling on top. Smooth the top.
- Create the water bath: Be ready to move to the next step immediately after finishing this step. Make sure that you boil the 3-4 cups water prior to pouring the water into the pan. Pour the boiling water into the pan.
- Bake the cheesecake: Carefully place the baking sheet into the oven on the low rack. Then place the cheesecake onto a separate baking sheet, and onto the middle rack and quickly close the oven to bake for 65 minutes. Once baked, turn OFF the oven, and CRACK the oven door with the cheesecake still in the oven. Let cool in the OFF oven for 1 hour.
- Make the pecan topping: Repeat the same steps for the topping as you did in Step 5.
- Top: Remove the cheesecake from the oven and gently spoon the pecan pie topping on top. The top of the cheesecake will be wiggly and fragile so be careful that you don’t break the top of the cheesecake. Alternatively, you can add this part once the cheesecake has fully cooled the next day.
- Chill the cheesecake: Cover and place the cheesecake into the fridge to chill for 3-4 hours, or overnight.
- Top the pecan pie cheesecake: Plate the pecan cheesecake and remove the springform pan sides. Top with vegan caramel, pie cut-outs or vegan whipped cream.
- Serve and enjoy! Store any leftover cheesecake in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Make ahead: Prepare the pecan pie cheesecake up to 2 days ahead of time, and it will be perfectly moist and rich still.
Pie cut outs: I used Williams Sonoma pie cut outs for cute little toppings with leftover vegan pie crust!
What other ingredient can substitute the coconut cream? Thank you
Hi Mari! I’ve used soy milk and oat milk with great success- also a vegan store bought heavy cream (like by Silk or Plant Crock, which I’ve both tested with this recipe- they work wonderfully!). I hope that helps!! Enjoy!
It wasn’t until I watched your video that I needed to place the cheesecake in the bath and not on the middle rack. The directions weren’t as clear about that.
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a HUGE HIT!! Turned out like a dream – creamy and tangy cheesecake (used Miyoko’s cream cheese) with the maple pecan topping – so so good! I actually preferred it to the traditional pecan pie and definitely won’t be waiting until next Thanksgiving to make this again 🙂 Grateful for you and all that you do to give us these amazing recipes!
This is so wonderful!! I’m so happy to hear it!! Thank you so much for trying it out, and just so happy it all went over so well 🙂 Enjoy!! And grateful for you being here!
Hi! Thank you for another wonderful recipe. It is amazing not only how you come up with these delicious recipes, but that they are also pretty easy to make. Thank you!
This cake was a hit, however, my cake was not as creamy as I think it should have been (or how it looks in your picture). I was wondering if you have any suggestions (since I am making it again soon!). I did it exactly as you wrote it, and the only things I could think of were 1- I used the vegan heavy cream instead of the milk as you mentioned in the ingredients description. could that do it? or 2 – I might have over cooked it? I was worried about it not setting, even though you mentioned it should not look set in the instructions! If you have any suggestions I would appreciate.
Thank you!
Hi Cristina! Oh I’m so happy to hear you loved it!! That’s wonderful 🙂 For the texture, I’m wondering, what size springform pan did you use? The larger the pan, sometimes it’s easier to over bake it, and it doesn’t come out as creamy then! The heavy cream should have worked really well with it, yielding the creamy texture! It sounds like it may have been over-baked a touch- did the center seem wiggly when it came out of the oven?
Thank you! I Think you are right, I forgot to mention in my first post that my cake seemed less thick than yours. I used a 9inch springform pan. It was still quite wiggly when I took it out of the oven, I was worried it would not set. But, it did set just fine. I will try again and take into account the time for the larger pan and let you know! Thank you!
Oh that’s probably it!! For Thanksgiving, I used a 10″ pan because we were at our family’s house, and it was much more set (and long story short, I asked my brother to take it out sooner for me and he forgot so it ended up being baked at the same time I mentioned here haha! It was very set and less creamy, but still delicious!). Definitely either try to bake for less time, OR switch to an 8″- that will help!
Would this freeze? I’d like to make it early and thaw out for the holiday.
Hi Becky! You absolutely can 🙂
Do you have a recommendation for the vegan heavy cream that goes in the cheesecake? Or would the coconut cream listed for the pecan topping work for the filling as well?
Hi Tanya! The coconut cream would also work for the cheesecake batter- or you can try Country Crock Vegan Heavy Cream or Silk! Those are my two faves 🙂 Enjoy!!
The oven is kept at 400 degrees throughout the whole process? Just double checking because it seems too hot, but I cant find anything that says to turn it down for the filling.
Hi Sylvia! Thanks so much for your question! You are correct, 400 degrees throughout the whole process but make sure to follow these important steps after the water bath! Carefully start by placing the baking sheet into the oven on the low rack. Then place the cheesecake onto a separate baking sheet, and onto the middle rack and quickly close the oven to bake for 30 minutes. The cheesecake will need to continue baking after, but we bake the cheesecake for 30 minutes first BEFORE adding the pecan pie cheesecake so that it bakes evenly and thoroughly. While the cheesecake is baking for its first part, make the pecan pie filling. Hope this helps!
The cheesecake is delicious, but the instructions are all over the place.
Britt, you are so talented!! Best cheesecake ever!! Was told it was one of the best desserts I ever made and I bake quite a bit! I have yet to make one of you’re recipes and they don’t turn out incredibly well. Great job!!
Oh my gosh!! You just made my day (as I’m having a bad baking day personally where nothing is going right, so I appreciate your words more than you know!! 😂). This is BEAUTIFUL!! Oh, I’m just so happy you loved it!! Thank you so much for making it and sharing these photos!!
Very delicious! This was a hit. I accidentally added the cinnamon to the cheesecake batter because it was under cheesecake batter list of ingredients. I was glad it did not make a difference.
Oh my gosh, it’s beautiful!! And I love all of the pies!! These are gorgeous! Thank you for sharing 🙂 Enjoy!!
I was thinking of making this for my family that isn’t vegan. Could this be substituted with dairy or would it throw off the recipe and texture. Thank you!
So I’ve never made any of my recipes as anything other than vegan- I’m so sorry I can’t be of more help! Some readers do use dairy with my recipes and report that it all works the same, but again, I can’t truly speak to results because I haven’t tried it myself!
So good! I used Violife cream cheese and it came out wonderfully! This was my first time making a springform pan cheesecake and was impressed on how nice it looked! I also subbed in cinnamon graham crackers for the crust instead of the ginger cookies and felt it complimented the other flavors well