This creamy vegan-friendly cheesecake is so rich but light at the same time. You’ll be surprised to find just how easy it is to make a smooth and decadent cheesecake without the use of dairy. This healthy dessert is definitely a showstopping cake that is perfect for any occasion.
The best part about this cake is that there are no specialty ingredients that you have to hunt down at the store, everything you need is probably already in your kitchen. On top of all that, this recipe is also gluten-free. If you’re looking for another vegan recipe that’s also a comfort dish, you should try my Vegan Mac and Cheese!
Key Ingredients You Need
- Old-fashioned rolled oats — I do not recommend making the crust with quick oats or steel-cut oats. The quick oats will fall apart and not hold up the filling very well, and steel-cut oats will make the crust feel heavy and may not bake up the same way.
- Almonds — Be sure to use raw almonds and not salted and roasted almonds. Raw almonds will keep the crust from tasting too salty as the crust already has sea salt added to it.
- Cashews — Just like the almonds, you want to use raw cashews for the cake filling to avoid a salty filling.
- Coconut cream — While a can of coconut cream looks similar to a can of coconut milk, they are not the same. Make sure you grab the right one out of the pantry! Coconut cream has a higher fat content than coconut milk, making it thicker, which is ideal for cheesecake filling.
How to Make Vegan Cheesecake
Step 1: Prepare the cashews for the filling by boiling them in hot water for approximately 10 minutes or until soft enough where you can pierce through the cashew with a fork. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: To a blender, add in the rolled oats, raw almonds, sugar, salt, and then blend until it forms into a coarse texture. Next, add in the coconut oil and blend until the texture of the mixture is like wet sand.
Step 3: In a lined pan, add the crust mixture and press firmly down to make the crust. Make sure it’s even. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or mason jar to press down. Bake for 20 minutes, then let cool.
Step 4: Add the rest of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth to make the cake filling.
Step 5: Pour filling mixture over baked crust and tap the pan on the counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Be careful as the cake pan will be hot!
Step 6: Bake in the oven for 1 hour and let cool before serving.
Tips For This Recipe
- I use a regular cake pan, but you can also use a springform pan instead.
- As I’m using a regular cake pan, I make sure there’s an overhang to the parchment paper to make it easier to lift the cake out of the pan. If you use a springform pan, you can skip the overhang.
- To get clean, beautiful slices, I run my knife through some hot water between every cut.
- To tell when the cheesecake is ready, the edges should look slightly dry while the center is jiggly but not liquidy.
- Don’t skip the tapping of the pan as air bubbles in the filling can burst and cause cracking on top of the cheesecake.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have more than a slice or two leftover, be sure to wrap it up tightly with plastic wrap before storing it in the fridge. If you only have one or two slices, I recommend transferring them to an airtight container. You can keep the cake in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You can freeze this vegan cheesecake but not for too long. I recommend enjoying it within the month. Wrap the cheesecake in plastic wrap and then a layer of tinfoil before freezing.
There are so many ways you can customize this cheesecake! You can make a berry compote, vegan chocolate ganache, salted caramel sauce, or simply top with some coconut whipped cream.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this Vegan Cheesecake Recipe, then don’t forget to leave me a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Vegan Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- ¾ cup gluten-free rolled oats
- ¾ cup raw almonds
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup sugar
- 4 tbsp coconut oil melted
For the Filling:
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ⅔ cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Prep the cashews by boiling in hot water for approximately 10 minutes or until soft (where you can easily pierce with a fork). Drain and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In a blender or food processor add in oats, almonds, sugar, and salt and blend until it forms into a coarse texture. Next in the coconut oil and pulse until it’s evenly distributed into the mixture. Squeeze some of the mixture with your fingers, it should hold its shape similar to damp sand.
- Prepare baking pan (8”x8”) lining with parchment paper. Then add in the crust mixture to the bottom of the baking pan, pressing firmly and making sure it’s even. Bake for 20 minutes then let cool.
- Reduce oven heat to 325F.
- Add all filling ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Pour filling mixture over baked crust and give it a good tap to release any air bubbles. Bake in the oven for 1 hour (center will still be slightly jiggly when ready).
- Let cool before serving.
Video
Notes
- I use a regular cake pan, but you can also use a springform pan instead.
- As I’m using a regular cake pan, I make sure there’s an overhang to the parchment paper to make it easier to lift the cake out of the pan. If you use a springform pan, you can skip the overhang.
- To get clean, beautiful slices, I run my knife through some hot water between every cut.
- To tell when the cheesecake is ready, the edges should look slightly dry while the center is jiggly but not liquidy.
- Don’t skip the tapping of the pan as air bubbles in the filling can burst and cause cracking on top of the cheesecake.
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