Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake with Chipotle Chile Ganache & Coconut Cream

Pumpkin to me is one of the best variety of squash to cook with in the fall / winter.  It has a very mild flavor, is easy to work with, and really takes on whatever flavors you add to it.  Its a great squash to use in sweet or savory dishes, and really brings that ‘fall flavor’.  Baking with pumpkin is probably one of the more popular ways to cook it, and since pumpkin pies have been done time and time again, I wanted to create a variation for you guys.  We created a pumpkin pie marbled cheesecake, with a chipotle chile ganache, & coconut cream.  The chile ganache gives a nice sweetness from the chocolate, but also a bit of a kick from the spice that helps cut through the richness of the cheesecake. This is a very easy recipe, and doesn’t take too much explaining or detail to complete at home, so i’ll let the recipe speak for itself on this post!

CRUST

• 1 1/2 cups ground almonds & pecans
• 2 tbs coconut oil
• 4 large medjool dates
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of pink himalayan salt

PUMPKIN LAYER

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 tbs corn starch
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• pinch of clove

CHEESECAKE LAYER

• 3/4 cup cashews (soaked in hot water for 2 hours)
• 14 oz. silken tofu
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbs sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tbs coconut oil
• 2 1/2 tbs lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tbs cornstarch
• 1 tbs vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

GANACHE

• 1 cup coconut oil
• 3/4 cup cacao powder
• 1 tbs chipotle chili powder
• 4 tbs agave 
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper

COCONUT CREAM

• 1 can of coconut cream (just the thick cream scraped off the top, do not add any of the water on the bottom and do not mix before using)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbs powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare the crust by pulsing the nuts, coconut oil, dates, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor until it forms a crumbly dough consistency.
2. Press the paste into the bottom & slightly up the sides of a springform pan and set aside
3. Make the pumpkin layer by combining the pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, arrowroot powder, and spices in a blender.  blend for 1 minute, pour into a bowl and set aside. 
4. Make the cheesecake by putting the cashews, tofu, sugar, water, coconut oil, lemon juice & zest, arrowroot powder, vanilla, and salt in a blender and blend until completely smooth. 
5. When completely smooth, pour into the pan over the crust.  Then take the pumpkin mixture and gently spoon overtop the cream layer.  Place onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 60 minutes..  Turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven with the door closed for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours.
6. While its cooling, melt your coconut oil in a pot and mix in your cacao, chipotle, cayenne, and agave.  Heat until everything is dissolved.  Pour the ganache over the cheesecake, and place in the fridge for at least 6 hours.  Best results if you leave it overnight.
7. Before serving, add your coconut cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar into a bowl and whisk until it forms stiff peaks, like how typical whipped cream would.  Spoon some overtop each slice while serving.