Vegan Caramel Pecan Cheesecake (unbelievably rich, creamy!)

This vegan caramel pecan cheesecake is also paleo, no-bake and truly rich, creamy and decadent. It freezes great and can be made well ahead of time, making it perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Ingredients

For the crust:

▢ 1 cup (110 grams) roasted pecans chopped, see notes
▢ 1 tablespoon (14 grams) coconut oil see notes
▢ 1/2 cup (75 grams) pitted dates
▢ 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
▢ 1 tablespoon (12 grams) coconut sugar tightly packed
▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

▢ 3 cups (435 grams) raw cashews see notes
▢ 3/4 cup (180 ml) full-fat canned coconut milk
▢ 2/3 cup (160 ml) maple syrup
▢ 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1/4 cup (56 grams) coconut oil I recommend refined
▢ 3 tablespoons lemon juice
▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the caramel:

▢ 2/3 cup (160 ml) coconut cream from a chilled can — NOT coconut milk! see notes
▢ 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup
▢ 1/4 cup (50 grams) coconut sugar very tightly packed
▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:

▢ the above caramel
▢ 1 1/2 cups (165 grams) roasted pecans chopped

Instructions

Prepare the crust:

Line the bottom and sides (all the way to the top) of a 7" circular springform pan with a piece of foil.
In the bowl of your food processor using an S-blade, pulse all the crust ingredients until it starts to come together. Depending on your food processor, this will take about 30-60 seconds. Pinch a bit of it together - it should stick together easily. You can also use a high-speed blender to make the crust but you have to scrape the sides of the container often. I thought it was much easier with a food processor.
1 cup (110 grams) roasted pecans, 1 tablespoon (14 grams) coconut oil, 1/2 cup (75 grams) pitted dates, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon (12 grams) coconut sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt
Firmly press down the mixture over the bottom of the prepared pan. Place in the fridge or freezer while you prepare the filling.

Prepare the filling:

Get out a high-speed blender and make sure it's large enough to fit all the ingredients. The filling yields about 5-6 cups. Add all the filling ingredients, in the order listed, and blend for about 30-60 seconds, or even longer, depending on your blender, or until totally smooth and no lumps remain.
3 cups (435 grams) raw cashews, 3/4 cup (180 ml) full-fat canned coconut milk, 2/3 cup (160 ml) maple syrup, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 cup (56 grams) coconut oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt
Pour the filling over the crust and place the cheesecake in the freezer for about 2 hours or until you think it's firm enough to put the caramel on top.

Prepare the caramel:

Add all the ingredients, except for the vanilla, to a saucepan or small pot. Put in a candy thermometer if you have one.
2/3 cup (160 ml) coconut cream, 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup, 1/4 cup (50 grams) coconut sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt
Bring to a boil, over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once it's come to a full boil, continue boiling for 8 - 10 minutes. Adjust the heat if you need to so that the mixture doesn't burn. I kept mine at 5 out of 9 and never had an issue with that.
The mixture quite quickly came to 194 °F (90 °C), and then it took several minutes before it started getting hotter. Then it quickly moved to 201 °F (95 °C). You could also see a change in the mixture when that happened (but maybe you won't so don't use that as a measure of it being ready). But it will be clearly thicker than when you started. If it's still super thin, it's not ready.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups (165 grams) roasted pecans
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and pecans. Let cool enough so that it doesn't melt the cheesecake.

Decorate:

Pour the pecan caramel evenly over the top of the cheesecake. It'll take 9-12 hours for the cheesecake the freeze solid. To defrost it, set it out at room temperature for about 30-60 minutes (will depend on how warm your kitchen is). You can also thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. It can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days for a softer consistency. We loved it both ways!

Notes

To roast the pecans for the crust and the topping, place 2 1/2 cups (275 grams) pecan halves on a baking tray. Toast the nuts for about 5-8 minutes or until they smell toasty, stirring them about halfway through. Let cool and then chop.
I used refined coconut oil for no coconut taste.
It wasn't a problem for my Blendtec to use non-soaked cashews. If you prefer, you can put the cashews in a pot and pour boiling water over them. Let them sit for about 10-20 minutes and that'll soften them.
If using coconut cream, don't use any water that's pooled at the bottom of the can. If using a can of canned coconut milk, chill it overnight and use the top, hardened part (which is coconut cream).
The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.