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Chef Linda
Linda Soper-Kolton, Chef, came to the Sanctuary as a guest chef to share her love of compassionate cooking in our then-fledgling culinary program. Lured by the magic of the Sanctuary, her love of animals and the urgency of our mission, Linda stayed on to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food.
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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

By Chef Linda

I wish it were Thanksgiving every week. If it were, we could make this Pumpkin Cheesecake on a regular basis. Vegans will enjoy the luscious creaminess of cheesecake–but please serve it to non-vegans, too, and watch with delight as they devour it and ask for more.

The recipe is not complicated and comes together fairly easily. Preparing the springform pan and making a water bath so that the cheesecake doesn't crack is well worth the bit of extra effort, so don't be intimidated. Instead of tofu, which is commonly used in vegan cheesecakes, I used vegan cream cheese (Kite Hill brand is my favorite).

Whether you serve this Pumpkin Cheesecake with chocolate ganache (recipe below), caramel sauce, whipped cream (all vegan, of course), or plain, it's remarkably delicious, and gratifying to be able to make a familiar favorite with compassion.

Ingredients

For the Crust
 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 16 whole rectangular crackers, pulsed in food processor)(Substitute vegan ginger snaps for added holiday flavor)
 3 tbsp brown sugar
 1 tsp cinnamon
 ½ cup vegan butter, melted (I used Earth Balance)
For the Filling
 24 oz vegan cream cheese (I used 3 containers of Kite Hill Cream Cheese)
 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
 ¾ cup vegan sour cream or plain, unsweetened yogurt
 ½ cup coconut cream
 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
 3 tbsp cornstarch
 2 tsp vanilla
 2 tsp cinnamon
 ¼ tsp ground cloves
Chocolate Ganache
 ½ cup coconut cream or non-dairy milk
 ½ cup dark chocolate, chopped

Directions

1

Preheat oven to 350ºF. To prepare the springform pan, cut a piece of parchment paper just slightly smaller than the diameter of the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Lay the paper on the bottom of the pan. To prepare the pan so that no water leaks into it while cooking, wrap the pan in foil using 18-inch wide heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place a large square of foil on a flat surface. Place the springform pan in the middle of the foil. Fold up the sides of the foil around the pan. Crimp the foil around the top edges of the pan. Place a second large square of foil underneath the pan, and repeat.

To make the crust, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter and stir to combine. The mixture should look like wet sand. Empty the crust mixture into the prepared pan. Spread crumbs evenly. Using clean hands, or the bottom of a glass, press down firmly against the bottom and up the sides of the pan just a bit. Place pan on a baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes until the crust starts to turn golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce heat to 325ºF.

To make the filling, place all ingredients in a blender and blend till completely smooth. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Place the springform pan in a high-sided roasting pan. Pour the filling over the crust and smooth with a spatula. Create a water bath for the cheesecake by pouring the boiling water into the roasting pan so it surrounds the springform pan. Place the roasting pan on the bottom rack (you can also pull out the rack halfway, put the roasting pan on it and then pour the water in if that’s easier), and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn oven off and crack the oven door. Let cake stay in the oven for another hour, then remove and cover the pan with foil so that the foil doesn’t touch the cake. Refrigerate overnight. Slice and serve chilled with coconut milk whipped cream or caramel sauce.

To make the chocolate ganache, place chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring coconut cream to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the coconut cream over the chocolate and let stand for about a minute then whisk mixture until smooth. Let cool, stirring often, then pour over cake and smooth, if necessary.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache
IngredientsDirections

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache

DifficultyModerateCook Time1 hr 30 mins
YIELDS
12 to 14 pieces

INGREDIENTS

For the Crust
 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 16 whole rectangular crackers, pulsed in food processor)(Substitute vegan ginger snaps for added holiday flavor)
 3 tbsp brown sugar
 1 tsp cinnamon
 ½ cup vegan butter, melted (I used Earth Balance)
For the Filling
 24 oz vegan cream cheese (I used 3 containers of Kite Hill Cream Cheese)
 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
 ¾ cup vegan sour cream or plain, unsweetened yogurt
 ½ cup coconut cream
 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
 3 tbsp cornstarch
 2 tsp vanilla
 2 tsp cinnamon
 ¼ tsp ground cloves
Chocolate Ganache
 ½ cup coconut cream or non-dairy milk
 ½ cup dark chocolate, chopped

DIRECTIONS

1

Preheat oven to 350ºF. To prepare the springform pan, cut a piece of parchment paper just slightly smaller than the diameter of the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Lay the paper on the bottom of the pan. To prepare the pan so that no water leaks into it while cooking, wrap the pan in foil using 18-inch wide heavy-duty aluminum foil. Place a large square of foil on a flat surface. Place the springform pan in the middle of the foil. Fold up the sides of the foil around the pan. Crimp the foil around the top edges of the pan. Place a second large square of foil underneath the pan, and repeat.

To make the crust, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter and stir to combine. The mixture should look like wet sand. Empty the crust mixture into the prepared pan. Spread crumbs evenly. Using clean hands, or the bottom of a glass, press down firmly against the bottom and up the sides of the pan just a bit. Place pan on a baking tray and bake for about 10 minutes until the crust starts to turn golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce heat to 325ºF.

To make the filling, place all ingredients in a blender and blend till completely smooth. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Place the springform pan in a high-sided roasting pan. Pour the filling over the crust and smooth with a spatula. Create a water bath for the cheesecake by pouring the boiling water into the roasting pan so it surrounds the springform pan. Place the roasting pan on the bottom rack (you can also pull out the rack halfway, put the roasting pan on it and then pour the water in if that’s easier), and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn oven off and crack the oven door. Let cake stay in the oven for another hour, then remove and cover the pan with foil so that the foil doesn’t touch the cake. Refrigerate overnight. Slice and serve chilled with coconut milk whipped cream or caramel sauce.

To make the chocolate ganache, place chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring coconut cream to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the coconut cream over the chocolate and let stand for about a minute then whisk mixture until smooth. Let cool, stirring often, then pour over cake and smooth, if necessary.

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