No Bake Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake in a Gluten Free Crust

The count down to the Holidays has begun! This No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake in a crushed pecan (gluten free) crust is sure to be a hit with both you and your guests. You will love it because it is quick and easy to prepare and doesn’t require baking! Your guests will love it because it is delicious and offers a gluten free alternative to other desserts!

Pictured above are the ingredients you will need in addition to a gluten free crust made from crushed pecans.

Let’s Talk About Preparing the Crust

The basic recipe on the back of the Mad Dash Mixes Cheesecake Mix says it can be made in an 8″ graham cracker crust. I recently purchased a 9″ Springform pan to replace the one that somehow got misplaced when I was going thru the downsizing/moving process.

The first crust I made in it was a Chocolate Graham Craker Crust. The Graham Cracker crust is NOT Gluten Free. If you don’t need a gluten free crust, all of the information for that crust including the recipe can be found here: Harvest Thyme Pumpkin Spice No Bake Cheesecake

Since the Cheesecake mix worked great in the springform pan with the chocolate graham cracker crust, I thought I would see if it would work with a gluten free pecan crust. My husband & I were attending an event where some of the quests were following a gluten free diet. I reached out to a blogger friend of mine for some guidance on preparing a gluten free crust. She sent me her recipe and then I tweaked it a bit. The recipe for the crust can be found below the photo.

The recipe is really designed for a 7 ” springform pan and the pan I used was a 9 inch. I think it worked just fine, the crushed pecans cover the bottom, they just don’t cover much of the sides. The resulting cheesecake was still very delicious!!!

Gluten Free Crust with Chopped Pecans

A chopped pecan gluten free crust can be made in a springform pan following these directions.

Prep Time 15 minsChill 1 hrTotal Time 1 hr 15 mins

Servings 1 7 inch crust

Equipment

• 7 ' Springform Pan
• Rolling Pin
• plastic bag with a zipper closure
• parchment paper

Ingredients 1x2x3x

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter
• 1 Tablespoon Stevia
• butter or shortening to grease the sides of the pan

Instructions Preparing the Springform Pan

• Line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper

use butter or shortening to grease the sides of the pan. In place of the butter or shortening, it may be possible to spray the pan with pan spray. Check the directions with the pan. You could also line the insides of the pan with parchment paper.

Well greased sides are essential in getting the finished cheesecake out of the pan without the crust crumbling.

Preparing the Crust

• place the chopped pecans in the plastic bag and zip shut

using a rolling pin, crush the pecans

Place the crushed pecans in a bowl and add the melted butter & Stevia. Blend with a fork until all pecans are covered

Place the pecan mixture in the prepared pan. Using a spatula, press the crumbs firmly in the bottom

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place the pan the refrigerator for an hour

after an hour, you will be ready to fill with the filling of your choice

once you have filled the crust and allowed it to chill, unlatch the latch and gently remove the outer rim from the pan

The filling in the picture is the Pumpkin Spice No Bake Cheesecake.

Sprinkle ground cinnamon ( similar topping) if desired to the top of the cheesecake, slice and serve

Notes

• When using a springform pan, carry it by holding the sides. Once the pan is filled with either a crust, cake batter or cheesecake... DO NOT PRESS THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN! Pressing the bottom can cause the pan to come apart and potentially make a mess! Ask me how I know...
• Individual cheesecakes could also be prepared using a muffin tin. The pecan crust could be used in the individual muffin tins to give a gluten free alternative.

Tried this recipe? how it was!

ALTERNATE SERVING IDEAS

The gluten free pecan crust could be prepared in a regular pie plate or pie tin instead of the springform pan. I personally like the presentation that the springform pan gives but the taste of the finished product is the same regardless of the shape of the pan.

Instead of filling a pie crust, the prepared no bake cheesecake can be served in a bowl as a dip for fresh fruit or cookies. The cheesecake filling prepared as a dip would be a Gluten Free alternative.

Another No Bake Cheesecake Flavor from Mad Dash Mixes that I have prepared is the Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. I prepared it in a ready-made chocolate graham crust, but it could easily be prepared using the gluten free pecan crust.

If you don’t need a Gluten Free Crust, a plain graham cracker crust could be used in place of the crust that I made in the springform pan. You could purchase a ready-made crust or follow the directions for making the chocolate graham cracker crust and substitute regular graham crackers for the chocolate ones. One grocery brand even makes a ready-made graham cracker crust that has pecans in it! I think that would be really delicious! I will have to try that one soon!