While I make several cheesecakes that don't need a water bath and don't split, this pumpkin one has a spiced, whole-food crust made with almond meal.
Is cheesecake gluten-free?
Typically, cheesecake crust contains gluten. Cheesecake filling is often gluten-free. However, some might be thickened with wheat flour, so you need to watch out for that. Pure cream cheese is usually gluten-free, so it's not too difficult to make a cheesecake with gluten-free filling. Use either store-bought gluten-free crackers for the crust or make this one with almond flour.
How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Combine the dry ingredients for the crust in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly pour in the melted coconut oil, honey, and egg. Stop processing when it starts to clump up like this.
2. Press the crumb crust mixture into the bottom and sides of a springform pan.
3. Beat the softened cream cheese until light and fluffy.
4. Blend the remaining filling ingredients in a blender.
5. With the splash guard in place and mixer running, slowly pour the liquid from the blender into the beaten cream cheese. At least once, stop to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Beat until the filling is smoothly combined. Carefully pour it into the prepared shell.
6. Bake until the centre is almost set. Leave in the oven with door open to cool. Then cover and refrigerate.
How to Melt Coconut Oil
I lived in Canada, where my coconut oil was solid most of the year. The easiest way I've found to melt it for a recipe like this one is to put it in a Pyrex measuring cup in my preheating oven. I take a conservative guess at the amount I'll need and scoop it into the cup. As soon as I've turned on my oven to start preheating, I set the container of coconut oil inside. It doesn't need to be left in there very long. Coconut oil has a fairly low melting point. I remove it before the oil has completely melted, so it can finish melting from the warmth of the Pyrex cup. At this point, it has usually melted enough for me to check the measurement accurately and add more if necessary.
Note: If you leave the coconut oil in the oven too long, it will become too hot to mix satisfactorily with the other ingredients.
More Great Gluten-Free Cheesecake Recipes
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Recipe
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake
Equipment
- blender optional
- Stand Mixer or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 ¼ cups ground almond meal
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder, gluten-free, if necessary
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 large egg
Filling
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie filling
- ½ cup whipping cream
- 1 cup organic raw cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 24 ounces cream cheese, brick form, NOT spreadable, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Combine almond meal, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, and salt for the crust in a food processor. Pulse to combine. OR whisk them together in a mixing bowl.2 ¼ cups ground almond meal1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon1 teaspoon baking powder,½ teaspoon ground ginger½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- With the machine running, pour in melted coconut oil, honey, and egg. Stop the food processor when the dough starts to clump together. OR whisk the liquid ingredients separately and stir them into the dry mixture.2 tablespoons coconut oil,2 tablespoons honey1 large egg
- Press crust into bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Add all remaining ingredients, EXCEPT the cream cheese, to a blender and puree until smooth. OR whisk vigorously by hand.4 large eggs1 cup canned pumpkin puree,½ cup whipping cream1 cup organic raw cane sugar1 tablespoon tapioca flour1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon1 teaspoon ground nutmeg½ teaspoon ground ginger½ teaspoon ground cloves
- Beat cream cheese until fluffy.24 ounces cream cheese,
- While beating cream cheese, slowly pour in the ingredients from blender. Continue to beat until smoothly combined, stopping to scrape down sides and bottom at least once.
- Carefully pour filling into prepared crust.
- Set the springform pan onto a large baking sheet to catch any leaks. Bake for 10 minutes at 425°F. Turn down the heat to 225°F and continue baking for another hour without opening the oven door. Bake until the cheesecake is almost set in the centre. It will finish firming up when it cools.
- Open the oven door, but leave the cheesecake sitting inside for one hour.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
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