Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 375F.

To make your crust: Lightly oil or grease (with dairy-free soy margarine) a 9”-10” springform pan, pie plate or desired baking dish, and set aside.

In a food processor, combine the graham cracker crumbs, maple syrup, canola oil, cinnamon and salt, and process for just a few seconds, or until the mixture just barely holds together. Press the mixture into the prepared pan with your hands and bake for 7-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Allow to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

To make the cheesecake:

Put the first set of ingredients (cream cheese through vanilla) in a food processor and puree until completely smooth (or you can beat these with a handheld mixer until blended). Set aside.

To create a two-toned look, put 3/4 cup of this mixture into the crust and spread it with a rubber spatula. Reserve the rest of the mixture in a mixer bowl.

Into the mixer bowl with the rest of the cream cheese mixture, add the canned pumpkin, rum, brown sugar and spice and mix until smooth. Pour over the other mixture and spread around with a spatula.

Bake until the center is not jiggly, which will take about 50-60 minutes.

Chill for at least 3 hours before serving. Garnish with topping of choice and enjoy!