This recipe makes the BEST Vegan Cheesecake. It has been taste-tested and approved for even the cheekiest cheesecake snobs!
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This vegan cheesecake tastes so delicious, you wouldn't even know it's vegan! It has that perfect, thick, creamy texture and a golden crust that cheesecakes have, leaving you satisfied, bite after bite. Even being vegan, this dessert's cheesecake-packed flavor is not compromised whatsoever.
Not only does this vegan cheesecake taste fantastic, but it's also a breeze to make. The crust is made of a few simple ingredients, and the center comes together by adding everything to your food processor or high-speed blender.
It's the best vegan cheesecake flavor-wise, and it's also easy to make and quick to clean up. Because this cake is so simple to make, you can easily enjoy it again and again! (We won't tell, don't worry!)
This BEST Vegan Cheesecake recipe is...
- Creamy & delicious
- 100% vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-less
- Topped with sweet strawberries
- Nut-free
If you're here planning your holiday menu, don't miss our new Vegan Christmas and Vegan Thanksgiving cookbooks. They're packed with all my favorite holiday-worthy recipes for a plant-based feast.
How to Make The BEST Vegan Cheesecake
- Prepare the graham cracker crumb crust.
- Press crust into a spring-form pan, then place the pan in the freezer.
- Blend together cheesecake ingredients until creamy and smooth.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the graham cracker crust and bake.
- Allow the vegan cheesecake to cool, cover, and refrigerate to set.
- Slice cheesecake and serve with strawberries and dairy-free whipped cream.
Full instructions for how to make the BEST Vegan Cheesecake are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Tips & Tricks for The BEST Vegan Cheesecake
Spring-Form Pan
Do not attempt to make this cake in any other kind of pan besides a spring-form pan.
A spring-form pan is designed to get the dessert out as quickly as possible. There is a latch that releases the outside of the pan and lets it lift easily so you can enjoy your treat without the stress of trying to get it out. This means no sticking to the side, and your dessert is left looking beautiful!
Vegan-Friendly Ingredients
Kinnikinnick makes an excellent graham cracker that is both vegan and gluten-free. Try Chobani non-dairy coconut-based vanilla yogurt or So Delicious Dairy-Free Coconut Milk Alternative for a dairy-free yogurt.
Delicious Vegan Toppings
- 5-Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Mousse
- Sliced strawberries
- Fresh blueberries
- Sliced peaches
- Fresh raspberries
The BEST Vegan Cheesecake FAQs
Where did cheesecake originate from?
Though many people think cheesecake originated in New York, it actually came from ancient Greece. In the late medieval times, cheesecake transformed from a pastry with cheese to a pastry with a shell.
Then, near the mid-1900s, the cheesecake was Americanized and phased out the cheese for cream cheese, bringing it to the heavenly dessert we know today.
What do I do if my cheesecake cracks?
If you follow the instructions in this recipe, you should be pretty safe from cheesecake cracks. But in the unfortunate event that your cheesecake does crack, don't worry—it's purely aesthetic. The cake will still taste great, and the cracks can be hidden with delicious toppings.
Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ sleeves graham crackers vegan friendly brand, chocolate or original—should make about 1 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs
- ⅓ cup vegan butter melted
- ¼ cup organic sugar
Cheesecake Filling
- 36 oz vegan cream cheese, storebought or homemade such as Tofutti whipped cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 10 oz dairy-free vanilla yogurt
- ⅓ cup coconut milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp flour
Topping
- strawberries
- dairy-free whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
Crust
- Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a food processor or high speed blender, blend the graham crackers until they are fine crumbs.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted vegan butter. Stir until well combined.
- Gently press the graham cracker crust into the bottom of the spring-form pan. Smooth the crust with the back of a spoon to even it out.
- Place the pan with the crust in the freezer to chill while you prepare the filling.
Cheesecake
- In a food processor or high speed blender, whisk the vegan cream cheese until it becomes smooth and fluffy.
- Add the dairy-free yogurt, coconut milk, lemon juice, vanilla, sugar, cornstarch, and flour. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Remove the crust from the freezer, and pour the vegan cheesecake filling into the crust.
- Bake the cheesecake at 400°F for 15 minutes.
- Turn the oven heat down to 325°F, and bake for an additional 45 minutes. Do not open the oven door!
- Turn off the oven, and allow the cheesecake sit in the oven for about 20 minutes. Then remove the cheesecake and place it on a wire rack to cool, for about an hour. Finally, cover the cheesecake with waxed paper and foil, and refrigerate it overnight. This allows the cheesecake to set. (This process of SLOWLY cooling the cheesecake is what prevents the top from cracking!)
- When ready to serve, release the outer ring from the springform pan, and slice the cheesecake. Serve cheesecake topped with strawberries and dairy-free whipped cream.
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