Vegan Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

J.J. Foxhound's Note:

The best vegan adaptation of a cheesecake I've had. I avoid any vegan cheesecakes that call for tofu because the texture turns out funky, and tastes, well, not like cheesecake should taste like. This variation is great for the holiday season! You can make your own crust or find a separate recipe for a cheesecake crust, but I wanted to save time so I just used the pre-made crusts. I would recommend the bigger "extra serving" pie crust because this yields quite a bit of filling.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8-10

Yield: 1.0 cheesec ...

• 20 ounces vegan cream cheese , room temperature (Two and a half 8 oz. tubs)
• 6 ounces vegan sour cream (Half of a 12 oz. tub)
• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin (or two cups of roasted, peeled, and sliced pumpkin)
• ½ cup unrefined sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 ½ teaspoons arrowroot or 3 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix "cream cheese," sugar, vanilla, and arrowroot powder/cornstarch.
3. Add "sour cream" and mix.
4. Mash or blend pumpkin into mixture (blending will make for a smoother texture, but is not necessary. Just mash really well with fork or potato masher if you don't have a blender or food processor.)
5. Add cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; mix.
6. Pour into graham cracker crust.
7. Bake for 35-40 minutes until top is lightly "toasted" or browned.
8. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight until chilled and firm.
9. Serve plain or garnish with vegan whipped topping+cinnamon and enjoy!