Vegan Cheesecake (No tofu or cashews!)
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This baked vegan cheesecake is made without cashews, nuts, and without tofu, but you’d never tell- It’s so rich, thick, and creamy! No fancy kitchen mixers needed.
It’s no secret that I love cheesecake. Although up until now, they’ve been of the no bake variety. We’ve had the classic no bake cheesecake and the chocolate version, but now? We have, what I consider, the BEST Vegan Cheesecake.
No seriously, I dare you to find a better baked cheesecake out there, especially one with such a simple ingredient list! Unlike many vegan desserts, this cheesecake is made with no dairy, no nuts, and definitely no tofu.
It’s thick, creamy, and rich, without being heavy at all. This vegan cheesecake recipe was actually inspired by the Cheesecake Factory’s New York Style cheesecake, which has the most delicious flavor (and also was the only vegan option available there!).
Not only is this cheesecake vegan, but it can easily be made gluten free and sugar free.
I made my non-vegan friends try it out, and no one could tell- it tastes like the real deal!
How to make a vegan cheesecake
The Ingredients
- Dairy free cream cheese– Use a good quality vegan cream cheese, preferably one with minimal or no added water in it. This will ensure the cheesecake remains creamy once it has been baked. You want your cream cheese to be softened. I like using Kite Hill, because it’s thicker and bakes consistently well.
- Sugar– Either white sugar or unrefined white sugar is best. You can try to keep it sugar-free, by using erythritol or monk fruit sweetener.
- Corn starch– Allows the cheesecake to remain intact, and holds it all together. You can also use arrowroot starch.
- Dairy Free milk– I used unsweetened almond milk, but you can also use oat milk, coconut milk, etc.
- Lemon Juice– Reacts with the cream cheese and sugar to give the cheesecake a slight tang. You won’t taste the lemon at all.
- Vanilla Extract– Always add it to my baking!
- Pie Crust– Use your favorite homemade or store-bought 8-inch pie crust. I made a simple vegan graham cracker crust, but any will work.
The Instructions
Start by preparing your pie crust, or using a store bought crust. Next, prepare your cheesecake filling mixture. Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese with sugar until smooth and creamy. Now, add the milk, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Continue beating on low, until combined, before turning it up and beating on high, until smooth and creamy. Be sure to regularly scrape down the sides. Transfer the cheesecake filling into the pie crust and spread out the top, using a rubber spatula. Bake the cheesecake for 40-45 minutes. Once cooked, remove from the oven and let cool in the cake pan completely. Once cool, place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
How to make a vegan graham cracker pie crust
As mentioned before, any pie crust will work. As I want the cheesecake to be the center of attention, I used the simple graham cracker crust.
To make– 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup vegan butter, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
In a large mixing bowl, add your ingredients and mix well, until combined. Transfer to an 8-inch pie plate. Refrigerate while you prepare the cheesecake mixture.
Cheesecake Tips
- If you use a store bought crust, be sure it is vegan friendly and made without eggs. Also be sure it has no nuts, to keep it nut free.
- You must regularly scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl when blending the cheesecake mixture. Sometimes, the cornstarch can stick to the sides, which will cause the filling to be less stable. Remember, the cornstarch is what thickens the cheesecake.
- If possible, refrigerate your cheesecake overnight. This gives it the best firm texture, especially when it comes to slicing the cheesecake.
- To slice the cheesecake, use a slightly wet and extra sharp knife.
- While perfect on its own, feel free to dress up the cheesecake with fresh berries, whipped cream, or even serve it with some ice cream.
- For a gluten free cheesecake, swap out the cornstarch or tapioca starch or arrowroot starch.
- For a sugar free cheesecake, replace the sugar with a sugar free alternative, like erythritol.
Storing and Freezing Tips
To store: Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator, either in a sealable container or covered with plastic wrap. Refrigerated cheesecake will keep well for up to 7 days.
To freeze: Freeze individual slices of cheesecake in a freezer friendly container. They will freeze well for up to 6 months.
More Vegan Desserts to make
Vegan Cheesecake (No tofu or nuts!)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 8-inch pie crust Homemade or store bought * See notes
- 16 oz vegan cream cheese room temperature ** See notes
- 2/3 cup sugar *** See notes
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch can use tapioca starch or arrowroot starch
- 3 tablespoon milk of choice I used almond milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare your pie crust in an 8-inch pan, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your softened cream cheese with sugar and beat on low, until smooth and creamy. While still on low, add in the cornstarch, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Continue beating on low until combined. Once combined, turn up to high and continue beating, until smooth.
- Transfer your cheesecake into the prepared pie crust. Bake the cheesecake for 40-45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Once cool, refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
This was the first time I ever made vegan cheesecake and it did not disappoint. It is absolutely delicious! The only thing I changed was subbing unsweetened coconut cream for milk (same amount). It turned out perfect! I will be taking this to parties and get togethers from now on so I always have a vegan dessert.
Hi Courtney, this is so nice to hear! So glad you liked the recipe 🙂 Can I ask what brand of vegan cream cheese you used? Always on the look out for new brands to try!
Amazing! The flavor, texture and the fact that it’s so light is amazing! I used Tofutti whipped cream cheese and it turned out wonderful!
Thanks, Aisha- I’m so glad you enjoyed this cheesecake. I do enjoy tofutti for the cheesecake portion, but when developing this recipe, I wanted it to be different from most out there which do use some form of tofu. I appreciate your wonderful review.
Where do you find an 8 inch vegan pie crust? I can only find 9 inch ones.
Hi Kailee- I regularly find them in Whole Foods or Wegmans. I typically just make the one in the post.
I’ve made this twice now and while it tastes good, it comes out super yellow, thin and looking nothing like cheesecake 😭 I’m using all the cream cheese brands you recommend I don’t know what’s going wrong!
Sorry to hear that, Mikyala. The yellow color usually comes from the coconut cream- some brands have a more yellow tint than others, so it’s worth trying a different one. For the thinness, make sure you’re using a 9-inch springform pan and not anything larger, as the bigger pan will spread the filling too thin. Also double check the cornstarch is fully mixed in as that’s what gives it structure and height. Hope the third time’s the charm.
One of the weirdest things happened during baking. Around the 35 minute mark, it started to bubble over the sides of the pie crust pan. What is in the pie crust isn’t solidifying much but still bubbling. I have no idea why this would happen. I didn’t change anything other than having to step away for about a half hour prior to putting it in the crust and I to the oven. Would that have affected it? I am just going to let it stay in the oven until it shows signs of actually baking. Any insight would be helpful.
Oh no, Gary! The bubbling is likely because the filling sat out for 30 minutes and the coconut cream started to separate and become more liquid before baking. It’s best to pour the filling into the crust and get it straight into the oven. A pie pan is also quite shallow compared to a springform, which means there’s less room for the filling before it spills over. A 9-inch springform is really the way to go here for best results!
Best vegan cheesecake ever..
Love it..
Thanks so much, Clifford- I really appreciate it!
I don’t know what I did differently as I followed the recipe as written, but this cheesecake turned out a gooey globbery mess and basically melted into a liquid. What did I do wrong?
Sorry to hear that. A completely liquid result almost always comes down to the brand of vegan cream cheese. Not all brands behave the same way when baked- some release a lot of water and just can’t hold their structure. I’ve tested this with kite hill and that’s what I always recommend for the best results. It’s also worth making sure the coconut cream was full-fat and well chilled before using. Hope that helps for next time!
I don’t know why this recipe never works. I’ve tried it twice and it bubbles over and turns into an inedible goo. I’ve made it with the violife bricks, which have worked out fine in other cheesecake recipes I’ve tried. It’s extremely disappointing considering how much they cost. It looks fine before baking, so might work as a no bake cheesecake, but baking it is just a disaster.
Sorry to hear that. Violife unfortunately doesn’t work well in this recipe as it behaves very differently to other vegan cream cheeses when baked (it does work really well in no bake recipes and puddings, though). I’d strongly recommend using Kite Hill instead- it’s what I recommend for this and gives it much more stable results. Hope that fixes it.