Pumpkin Cinnamon Cheesecake
As the weather is changing I'm leaning towards recipes that call for pumpkin, apples, cranberries and the like and am craving time in the kitchen to make lots of warm food for my family. Along those lines, this Pumpkin Cinnamon Cheesecake is a winner. This gluten free dessert doesn't last long around the boys and their friends.
With so many healthy and nutritious ingredients, this pie style cheesecake could almost be part of the main course, though I prefer to save it for an after dinner treat in our house as I enjoy the dessert and tea ritual at the end of a meal (the boys love to make tea every evening and are now old enough to hold the kettle of hot water after it has boiled; they are growing up).
For those of you looking for a standard pumpkin pie, I do have a recipe for that dish in my gluten free cookbook, The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook
casein lactose free if made with the right type of yogurt, the Pumpkin Pie recipe in my book is completely dairy free and is another family favorite.
1 medium pie pumpkin, acorn squash or butternut squash (how-to roast squash)
1 quart whole milk yogurt, strained overnight or up to 24 hours (discard whey)
½ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
- Fill the bottom of a baking dish with a little less than ¼ inch of water
- Cut pumpkin in half, remove seeds, and place face down in baking dish
- Roast pumpkin in the oven for 45-55 minutes until soft
- Allow pumpkin to cool and scrape flesh into a bowl, then measure out 2 cups
- In a cuisinart
, combine 2 cups pumpkin, strained yogurt (minus the whey which was strained out), agave, vanilla and lemon juice and process until smooth, about 1-2 minutes
- Process in cinnamon and salt
- Pour batter into a 9-inch tart pan
- Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes, until firm
- Remove from oven, cool and serve
Serves 8
Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Robyn O'Brien, another local author. She penned an amazing book that is on my must read list called The Unhealthy Truth
Oh and don't forget about Nourishing Days Food Roots for October! Submit a post about what you're doing to find your food’s roots.
Posted on October 9, 2009 in desserts by Elana
you might also like: Pumpkin Pie Muffins
or Yogurt with Orange and Coconut
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77 comments
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oh, yum. this looks divine...I too have started craving the fruits of autumn...
Oh my gosh! I am so excited to try this recipe. Pumpkin cheesecake is my number #1 favorite dessert ever and to find a GF, casein-free version? Woah mama!
Caution: whole milk yogurt would have casein.
whether the yogurt is whole milk, low fat or non fat is irrelevant to casein content...
see this link for more info: http://www.pecanbread.com/p/yogurt1.html#yogurtarticle
Hi guys, I think Elana meant to say lactose free, as SCD yogurt is free of lactose. Maybe she will make a correction!
Susan :)
How funny, I just thought she was including the possibility that we might try it with soy or coconut yogurt, which would indeed be casein free! Guess I was reading with myself in mind.
I've been going crazy for pumpkin recipes lately. I definitely want to try this one!
This is TOTALLY going to end up on my table for Thanksgiving! Hope you don't mind my adding a bit of ginger and nutmeg to the party!!
Thank you Elana! This looks wonderful. I can't wait to try it.
Cheesecake with a touch of cinnamon! I love it!!!! great touch, can't wait to try this at my next house party. Yummy
Clipping yet another of your recipes. This one will definitely be made for Thanksgiving - if I can wait that long!
Great! A cheesecake without eggs ;)!
I could probably add an optional almond flour crust to it...
Do you know how much yogurt cheese you obtain after training the yogurt overnight?
I have some farmers cheese that I'd like to use, if I have enough...
Thanks ;).
This sounds perfect for Thanksgiving! I'll have to see if I can make it for Sunday's feast =D.
SOunds wonderful. Cant wait to make it w/ goat yogurt for my 13 year old. :)
My husband has read the Unhealthy Truth but I have not, so I am excited for the opportunity to win it!
For those of you who are avoiding agave syrup, I have exchanged honey 1:1 for the agave in other recipes of Elana's, and everything has turned out perfectly :)
This sounds very nice. I've been making autumn fruit dishes lately: svestkove knedliky, pears simmered in red wine (served with maple sugar caramel sauce), and roasted apples. I was planning on using pumpkin next, and this looks like just the recipe to try.
I can't wait to make this. The current weather definitely makes me want to stay in and cook, especially seasonal goodies like this! Thanks, Elana!!!!
Hi Elana,
Thanks for the great recipe! I think you meant to say that with the appropriate yogurt the recipe would be lactose free, not casein free. :)
Of course we're talking about SCD yogurt, which I intend to make soon!! I've been thinking about pumpkin cheesecake lately... yum!
Susan
'Tis the season for ALL of those flavors - excellent dessert!
this sounds super yummy!
instead of a pumpkin pie, i may make this for thanksgiving!
Looks wonderful, I will definitely be trying this out!
Yay! Just in time for Cdn Thanksgiving... and I just sat down to figure out my menu and shopping list. Good timing!
Sounds wonderful! Can't wait to try it out! :)
I am loving your new cookbook. Can't wait to try this yummy treat. Sounds perfect. The book, Unhealthy Truth, looks like a must read. Thanks for sharing all that you do!
Sounds delicious! Can't wait to get myself a pumpkin at the farmer's market and start baking!
I can't wait to try this. I made the lemon bars and scones from you cookbook last weekend and they were gone in two days! Excellent
Looks delicious!! I have a pumpkin sitting on my table waiting to be made into a cheesecake.
Hey Elana,
love your style...you had enough comments already so I may not have a chance to win the book... so I love to leave a message for you... and let you know that I admire you in many ways.
BTW, I am 100% vegan, but I usually replace what is not vegan from your recipes and enjoy them to the last peace. be veg go green http://www.lovinghut.com
I'd love a free book! Enter me.
Pumpkin Cheesecake.... MMMMM! And a drawing from a Yanks cap- Perfect!! Thanks for all your hard work... my family appreciates it!
Yum...I cant wait to make it..think it will be ok to cheat and used organic canned pumpkin?? I have tried and tried to roast so many pumpkins..and we just dont end up liking them...we have a pumpkin patch in our backyard that comes up in our grass every year at this time too..LOL.. the seeds are great..but not sure why but the flesh isnt so great. My dogs ate some pumpkins my boys smashed in the backyard and now our backyard grows interesting new pumpkin species every year.....we have green, white, orange, and yellow pumpkins that have just grown.. Oh and for the food roots..make sure you add some plant derived minerals to your gardens or potted plants. I get mine from Youngevity.com if you need more info let me email me..
Happy Fall Baking.
Sounds so yummy. I can't wait to try it!!
sounds like a great book...and a fabulous recipe!
Kudos to Robyn for addressing a serious issue in one of the wealthiest nations in the world. I do believe that all the food additives are catching up to the health of this country. I believe we are the guinea pigs for companies. I am living proof of that. In my forties I developed several allergies including gluten. Sulfites are horrible to track down. The FDA doesn't even require labeling if there's less than 10 ppm. Why 10 ppm? Because that's the level they're easily tested at. Why they can't just say if there's ANY sulfites (or any other preservatives) they must be listed, I'll never understand. But as a result people like me spend nights in the emergency room because of anaphylactic responses. The last time was dire and led to several weeks in the hospital and over a year out of work. Robyn should be commended for tackling such a serious problem.
Ooohhh, I think that I am going to try this with soy yogurt and see how it turns out. Thanks for the recipe!
Pumpkin, cinnamon, in a cheesecake. Need more be said? :)
I am so excited to find something pumpkin without eggs! Can't wait to try it out! Thank you!
This pie looks delicious! I made my dripped yogurt and the 1 quart with whey removed turned out to be about 1 cup, is that right? Thanks in advance!
Karen
I am intrigued about the pumpkin cheesecake, but more about the Book: I'm going to school to become naturopath, not much money and have worked with the Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients for years. Would like to read the copy, write review for Jonathan Collin and also enjoy the cheesecake
Alena
Alena,
What school are you going to?? I am thinking of going to Clayton College to get my Masters and even my doctorate? I am so frustrated with Western Meds..and have had several issues with losing weight...that they only want to medicate me for...UGH..no!! I want to know whats wrong and how I can fix it nutrionally!!
Thanks.
Lisa
What a great and easy pumpkin pie recipe! I have pumpkin puree in my freezer so I will definately make this :-)
Oh, how I wish I could eat dairy. This looks fabulous!
Sounds so yummy! I'm going to try to make this today! Thanks!
Was looking for a new pumpkin recipe and this looks delish! I have all the ingredients on hand and will be making this this weekend!
interesting recipe, I think I'll make some modifications and give it a try myself. You are such a motivator to try things "outside the box!"
tm
This sounds lovely. I'm intrigued by the use of yogurt rather than cream cheese, I'd imagine this would be much healthier - and I love pumpkin!
I've been on a punpkin kick lately too! And I just got permission to add a few cranberries back into my diet (my first fruit in 10 months!) so I'm super excited to try some recipes that include fresh cranberries too!
Hubby and I have a date to go to Borders tomorrow while the baby is with Grandma...and your book is at the top of my wish list! I hope it's in stock!
Thanks for hosting the book giveaway and keep the great recipes coming!
This sounds wonderful! I wonder if it's as creamy as a cream cheese version.
Mmmm! This Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe sounds delicious! Can't wait to bake this one. It seems like a great one for Thanksgiving.
Yum! I think I'll try greek yogurt, since I don't have the patience to strain regular yogurt.
Thanks so much!
This is going to be my next pumpkin adventure! I love pumpkin anything, and this looks fantastic!
Hi Elana! This recipe sounds great! I am going to be making it soon! But don't discard the whey from your yogurt, you can use it soak grains and beans - making them easier to digest!
The book sounds very interesting. Thanks for giving us a chance to win it!
Oh, this looks so good! I have been wanting to make cheesecake with coconut milk yogurt cheese. And adding pumpkin, agave and cinnamon makes it even better!! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Yum! We are going to try this for a special treat - with butternut squash! :) Thanks, Elana!
This recipe looks great, but don't toss the whey! For those of you who eat grains or beans, a few spoonfuls of whey, along with water, can be used to soak those foods to make them more digestible (similar to the soaked nuts in Elana's granola recipe). For those who are dairy-free, you can use raw apple cider vinegar (like Bragg's) or lemon juice instead of whey.
I've been trying to help out 18 y.o. g/daughter who just moved in adjust to our WOE. This will definitely help her along the right path. :) The giveaway sounds awesome!
I am so stoked about this recipe!! I wish I could make it tonight!! :) I have been craving both pumpkin & cheesecake - Now I can have them together! I will be making this baby soon! :) Thank you, Elana!!
That looks so good. And the book sounds incredibly interesting. As someone who has suddenly, inexplicably developed numerous food allergies almost seemingly overnight, I'd love to find out more.
Yum! Have you ever tried this with silken tofu instead of yogurt? How many cups of yogurt do you get once you strain it of the whey?
Yummy! I've got a butternut squash ready to use right now. I love how your recipes are so simple that many of the ingredients are things I already have on hand. Thank you :)
@Danelle - I was also feeling too lazy to wait for the yogurt, so I made it last night with a Greek-style yogurt (it's actually Turkish, since that's what I can get here) of 3.5% fat. I used 1 cup since that's what someone commented she had left of the yogurt after letting it drip.
The taste is good, and the consistency is fine as well, although it required more cooking--45 minutes for an 8" pan when I cooked only half the recipe. I just cooked it until the center was slightly wobbly and then let it set overnight. I haven't actually cut into it yet, but it came out of the pan well and seems firm.
I used soy yogurt but it didn't separate at all so I just used it as is and added an egg in case it needed more binder since the yogurt was not as thick. It set up fine.
Wouldn't this strained yogurt result be the same as Greek yogurt? Could you just start with that? Anyone know?
Yum! Can't wait to try this one with the little pumpkin I just got in my CSA. Thanks for all the great recipes!
Is there any other taste bud tantilizing dessert in fall than pumpkin pie? Delish. Since finding myself to be glutin sensitive your website has been such a great resource. Thank you Elana!
Happy "Canadian" Thanksgiving!
Update on the Greek yogurt: works just fine!
Yum! Can't wait to try it!
I can't wait to try this! And I can't wait to WIN that book! I feel it.
This looks adorable! I love pumpkin but don't know many recipes of it. The pumpkin season is approaching here, I must give it a try.
I was just wondering what types of tea you have with your children after dinner.
I love pumpkin, just had pumpkin pancakes the other day. Can't wait to make the cheesecake, my kids will love it!
My son's favorite flavor is pumpkin. Last Thanksgiving we had pumpkin in just about every dish we made. This dessert will make a great addition to these year's dinner table. Thanks so much. As a side note, I wonder how Greek yogurt would taste to this . .hmmmmm.
The greek yogurt was tangy! It set up well, but did take about 15-20 longer than the recipe as written. I am gonna try this next time I make it with Sweetpotatoes. Yummy!
I used a butternut squash. It came out of the oven smelling and looking wonderful. But my family won't eat it...it's just too tangy. :( I might try whipping some sweetened cream later to top it-that might help them.
I love pumpkin cheesecake. I especially like that this one calls for no flour or cookie crumb base. Naturally gluten free and easier to make in general. I will probably try this with our bees' honey, of course. :-)
Thanks, Elana!
Shirley
this recipe looks so delicious! can't wait to try it, and interested in the book as well :)
wonderful recipe! thank you. anyone know if it can be made dairy-free? would love to win a book...
I made this last night and like a few others, couldn't wait for the yogurt to strain. So I added one egg for binding and used maple syrup instead of agave. The texture and flavor were perfect - so much better than cream cheese. I wanted to make a crust for a GF holiday class I'm teaching at Whole Foods, so I crushed pecans with teff flour, palm sugar and coconut oil. It's a winner!