Vegan Cheesecake Recipe - NO Cashews! (2024)

The easy vegan cheesecake recipe that even non vegans LOVE… with no cashews, and no tofu required.

Vegan Cheesecake Recipe - NO Cashews! (1)

Vegan cheesecake with no cashews

This vegan cheesecake is so out-of-this-world delicious that I have yet to bring it to any party where both vegans and non vegans haven’t raved about it!

Even people with no interest whatsoever in healthy or vegan eating go crazy for this cheesecake every time I serve it.

When creating the recipe, my goal had been to make something that tasted so similar to classic New York cheesecake that—if you didn’t already know it was egg free and vegan—you would absolutely never be able to tell.

You may also like:Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vegan Cheesecake Recipe - NO Cashews! (3)

I’ve had way more than my fair share of bad vegan cheesecakes in my life, so I know exactly what comes to mind when people picture vegan cheesecake: chalky texture, unpleasant artificial aftertaste, disappointingly non-cheesy flavor, or lack of any flavor at all.

As a huge cheesecake lover, I have exorbitantly high standards for the perfect baked cheesecake, and those high standards were front and center when I set out to make a vegan version that tasted just as good as the original.

This dairy free cheesecake is so rich and creamy, no one ever believes it isn’t full of heavy cream and sugar!

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Vegan Cheesecake Recipe - NO Cashews! (5)

The best vegan baked cheesecake

When I finally perfected my cheesecake recipe, it was time to test it out on a group of non vegans.

I brought it to a party and quietly set it down with all of the other desserts, without mentioning to anyone that it was vegan.

While I’d hoped people would like it, I’d never in a million years expected the entire cheesecake to be completely gone in under an hour!

That’s when I knew the recipe was definitely a keeper.

*For chocolate cheesecake, try this veganBrownie Cheesecake Recipe

Vegan Cheesecake Recipe - NO Cashews! (7)

Cheesecake ingredients

You have multiple options for the cream cheese, yogurt, and sweetener in this recipe, so choose ingredients that fit your own dietary and taste preferences.

The recipe works with store-bought vegan cream cheese, such as Trader Joes vegan, Tofutti, Miyokos (soy free), or Kite Hill (soy and cashew free).

Or if you’re feeling adventurous, you can make your own homemade cream cheese with cashews or macadamia nuts.

And have fun decorating your cheesecake, with sliced strawberries, bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips or coconut milk chocolate truffles.

I topped the vegan cheesecake in the photos with toasted coconut and homemade vegan cream cheese frosting (4 oz cream cheese, 2 oz vegan butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract).

Use a prepared crust, cookie crust or graham cracker crust; or follow the optional crust recipe below. The entire cheesecake, from the filling to the crust, is completely vegan.

Leftover cream cheese? Make Vegan Cinnamon Rolls

Vegan Cheesecake Recipe - NO Cashews! (9)

How to make vegan cheesecake

Gather all of your ingredients, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Fill any baking pan about halfway up with water, and place the pan of water on your oven’s lower rack.

Bring the cream cheese to room temperature, then beat cheese cake ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Be sure not to over beat, which could cause air bubbles to form that might later burst and cause cracking.

Smooth the filling on top of a prepared vegan crust, place on the oven’s middle rack, and bake 30 minutes. Do not open the oven door.

When time is up, keep the oven door closed but turn the heat off. Leave the cake in the closed oven for 5 additional minutes, then remove and let it cool 20 minutes or more before placing the still-underdone cheesecake in the refrigerator for a few hours to firm up.

These steps are important because letting the recipe cool gradually, instead of exposing it to harsh temperature changes, is another trick to prevent cracking.

The cheesecake will be considerably firmer in texture after 6-8 hours. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to four days, or it can also be sliced and frozen.

Above, watch the vegan cheesecake recipe video

Vegan Cheesecake Recipe - NO Cashews! (10)

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The easy vegan cheesecake recipe that even non vegans love, with no cashews required.

Vegan Cheesecake Recipe - NO Cashews! (12)

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Print Recipe

Prep Time 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 7 hours hours

Yield 8 – 12 slices

5 from 258 votes

Ingredients

  • 24 oz cream cheese, such as TJ vegan or Tofutti OR vegan cream cheese
  • 2 cups plain yogurt, such as coconutmilk, almond, soy, or cashew yogurt
  • 2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 tsp cornstarch (or here's a Keto Cheesecake Recipe)
  • 2/3 cup sugar or pure maple syrup, or xylitol for sugar free

Instructions

  • Optional Crust (or use your favorite crust): 1 1/2 cup raw nuts of choice, 1 cup pitted dates, 1/8 tsp salt. If dates are not soft, soak in boiling water until soft. Blend all ingredients in a food processor until fine crumbles form. Add water very slowly (1 tsp at a time) only if needed. Pour into a lined 9-inch springform pan, press down evenly, then set aside while you make the filling.

    Preheat oven to 350 F. Fill any baking pan about halfway with water and place it on the oven’s lower rack. Bring cream cheese to room temp. Beat all cheesecake ingredients with a blender or food processor just until smooth. (Do not overbeat, which would introduce air bubbles that might burst in the oven and cause cracking.) Smooth on top of the prepared crust. Place on the middle rack, above the rack that has the water pan. Bake 30 minutes, and do not open the oven door during this time. When the time is up, still do not open the oven even a crack, but turn off the heat. Leave in the closed oven for an additional 5 minutes. Then remove the cake—it will still look underdone—and let cool at least 20 minutes before placing the still-underdone cheesecake in the fridge. It’s important to let it cool before refrigerating, because you want it to cool gradually so it doesn’t crack. Chill at least 6 hours or overnight, during which time it firms up. Store leftovers covered in the fridge 3-4 days, or you can also freeze slices if desired.

    View Nutrition Facts

Notes

Also try these popular Vegan Brownies.

Have you made this recipe?

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Or this vanilla Vegan Cake

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Vegan Cheesecake Recipe - NO Cashews! (2024)

FAQs

What does vegan cheesecake contain? ›

These 7 ingredient beauties begin with a 2-ingredient crust! Dates and raw walnuts (or almonds) – that's all you need. Whirl and set aside. Next up, the 5-ingredient filling: Soaked cashews, coconut milk, coconut oil, lemon juice and agave nectar.

What to do with failed cheesecake? ›

CRACKS HAPPEN.

Remember, your cheesecake is still delicious, so instead of calling it a failed experiment, cover the crack with a delicious topping, like a sour cream coat.

What happens if you don't add egg to cheesecake? ›

Cheesecakes have either gelatin or beaten eggs in the recipe as setting/thickening agents, so you need one or the other for it to set up as a cake, or it will just be cheesecake soup. There are many “no bake” cheesecake recipes that don't use eggs but they use gelatin instead.

What is a vegan egg substitute for cheesecake? ›

Silken tofu

You might be surprised to hear that silken tofu makes an excellent substitute for eggs in savoury or sweet dishes, such as vegan cheesecake or chocolate mousse. However you use it, you'll need to whip it until smooth, otherwise you'll be left with noticeable chunks of tofu in your mixture.

What are three dominant ingredients in vegan cheese? ›

As vegan blog Wag Free Food notes, coconut oil, coconut milk, and coconut cream are popular ingredients to make vegan cheese. The high-fat content of coconut makes it easier to create a creamy, decadent, cheese-like product.

What is the main ingredient in vegan cheese? ›

Vegan cheese is usually made from soy, nuts, vegetable oils, and various other natural ingredients like peas or arrowroot. Vegan cheese is seen as a healthier alternative to cheese by some, and may reduce your risk of heart disease due to its lower content of fat.

Can you fix a cheesecake that didn't set? ›

You can fix a runny cheesecake mixture the same as the others – with a setting agent – or freezing to make an ice cream mixture. Sometimes the cheesecake can be too thin if a chocolate has melted the mixture for example – and this is also solved this way.

What happens if you over mix cheesecake batter? ›

Avoid Overmixing: Unlike other cakes, where beating air into the batter is key, overmixed cheesecake can rise, fall and then crack from that excess air. Keeping ingredients (cheese, eggs, liquids and flavorings) at room temperature can help.

Why is my cheesecake not fluffy? ›

Why is my cheesecake not fluffy? The airy texture comes from the folding of whipped egg whites through the batter. However, if the egg whites are not folded properly it can result in a dense cake. If you under-mix the egg whites into the batter you will have a cake with a dense bottom and light top.

Why does my cheesecake taste like scrambled eggs? ›

Baked cheesecakes need to contain some egg as the egg thickens the cheesecake mixture as it bakes, in a similar way to a baked custard, so it is possible that you are more sensitive to the egg flavours within the cheesecake or maybe did not add quite enough flavouring (such as vanilla).

What is the thickening agent in cheesecake? ›

Almost every cheesecake recipe calls either gelatin or beaten eggs, which are used as a setting or thickening agents. The cake will not set properly if there is no egg in the preparation, and you will just have a cream cheese pudding.

Why did my cheesecake turn out eggy? ›

And most recipes on the internet have the same problem: they WAY overbake the cake. That's what makes it taste eggy and dense and dry instead of rich and creamy and delectable. So the secret to perfect the Basque cheesecake is to perfect the baking time.

Why is butter not vegan? ›

Traditional butter is made with churned milk or cream, which usually comes from cows (but it can also come from other animals like goats), and that's why it's not vegan. Many people also use margarine, which is similar to butter in texture and color, but it's usually made with plant-based fat instead of animal fat.

What do vegans use instead of butter? ›

What are good vegan butter substitutes? In baking, you can use vegan butter, applesauce, dairy-free yogurt, coconut oil, coconut butter, olive oil, nut butter, mashed banana and mashed avocado. In cooking, you can use olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable stock, or avocado oil to replace butter.

What's vegan cream cheese made of? ›

Filtered Water, Coconut Oil, Tapioca Starch, Coconut Cream, Expeller Pressed: Canola and/or Safflower Oil, Vegan Natural Flavors, Pea Protein, Salt, Cane Sugar, Xanthan Gum, Potato Protein, Lactic Acid (Vegan), Vegan Enzyme, Lemon Juice Concentrate, Guar Gum, Locust Bean Gum.

What does cheesecake contain? ›

Cheesecake is a dessert made with a soft fresh cheese (typically cottage cheese, cream cheese, quark or ricotta), eggs, and sugar. It may have a crust or base made from crushed cookies (or digestive biscuits), graham crackers, pastry, or sometimes sponge cake.

What kind of vegan cheese does cheesecake Factory use? ›

Finding vegan options at The Cheesecake Factory is easier than ever—the chain has added Field Roast Chao cheese and Best Foods vegan mayo to its menu at locations nationwide. Now, you can enjoy an animal-free burger topped with dairy-free cheese and egg-free mayo at this popular restaurant.

What is the difference between vegan and non vegan cheese? ›

Therefore, vegan cheese is made from vegetable proteins and has zero animal-derived ingredients. Typical ingredients include soy, nuts such as cashews and macadamias, and vegetable oils such as coconut oil. Like traditional cheese, vegan cheese comes in a variety of flavours.

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