Creamy vegan cheesecake free from dairy and eggs, complemented by a crumbly and slightly chewy coconut crust topped with passionfruit pulp! I made the tart vegan (of course), gluten free, refined sugar free and has alllll of the good stuff. Who needs dairy cheese when you can make a cheesecake using just a few simple ingredients?! And I’m calling it a cheesecake tart because it’s quite thin compared to conventional cheesecakes.
In Australia, did you know that passionfruit is in season in Winter and Summer? It’s times like these when I feel so lucky to live in Australia. I paired passionfruit with one of my favourite recipes on this blog, my baked vegan cheesecake! However, I made a few changes to the recipe so the crust is more crunchy, the filling is creamier and the filling doesn’t crack when you bake it!
This has to be one of my favourite creations recently. I ate a slice right after I took these photos and I just had a slice for lunch, haha!
Before I went vegan, I looooved the rich and creamy texture of baked cheesecakes! I found baked cheesecakes to be superior to chilled cheesecakes or those made with gelatin. I’m relieved and glad that I still can enjoy these treats now!
I love how the tangy passionfruit really lightens the milky creaminess of the cheesecake. I paired this tropical fruit with a coconut crust which will whisk you away to a isolated beach island!
I hope you love this recipe as much as I did! xo
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear about it! Comment below and rate it as it would really help us and other readers! If you post it on social media, tag @rainbownourishments and #rainbownourishments.
January 2019 – I have updated the recipe to make it taste more creamy and to minimise the taste of cashews!
Baked passionfruit vegan cheesecake with a coconut crust
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups desiccated coconut
- 1 1/4 cups blanched almond meal
- 1/4 cup any light-coloured sweetener, such as rice malt syrup or maple syrup
- 5 tbs light-tasting vegetable oil, such as sunflower or rapeseed
Cheesecake filling
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
- 1 1/4 cup firm silken tofu, (also known as 'traditional tofu')
- 1/3 cup any light-coloured sweetener, such as rice malt syrup or maple syrup, to taste
- 1/3 cup plant-based milk, such as almond, soy or coconut
- 1/4 cup plant-based yoghurt (optional)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean powder or extract
- Juice and zest of half a lemon
- Pinch any good-quality salt
To decorate
- 3/4 cup passionfruit pulp, plus sweetener if desired
- 1/2 cup canned coconut cream, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160C.
- In a large bowl or food processor, combine all of the base ingredients. Press into a lined tart tin along the bottom and sides (I used a tart tin 22cm wide and 2.5cm deep).
- Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the sides are slightly golden-brown.
- For the filling, add all ingredients to a blender and blend until there are no lumps.
- Pour cheesecake filling into the crust and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Let the cheesecake completely cool then take it out of the pan.
- If your passionfruit pulp is too sour for your liking, mix it with maple syrup. Spoon passionfruit pulp on the surface of the cheesecake. If desired, use a piping bag with a star nozzle to pipe stars on the tart.
- Enjoy immediately or keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Don't omit the lemon, vanilla and salt as these help it taste like a cheesecake.
Cubby Ohara-close
January 29, 2019 at 9:06 amHi Anthea xxx I made this cheesecake to your recipe yesterday. I’ve had a new, unused tart tin in my draw and I swear these two? Their a match made in heaven. It all worked out perfectly. The crust was not too thick and not too thin. It was perfect in every way. I too am a baked cheesecake lover from way back. I’ve made some really fantastic ones in my lifetime. The filling was absolutely perfect amount. It’s not a deep cheesecake, but well balanced with its base. I think the key is having the right tin to bake it in coz I had no problems. As we are in Passionfruit Paradise presently, this was a natural ‘go to’ recipe. Thankyou for it! And as any recipe, if you want to tweak it, by all means tweak away, but Anthea has done the hard yards for us and I thankyou for that xxxx
Anthea
February 7, 2019 at 2:36 pmHi Cubby, Oooh I’m *so* glad to hear that!! Yes I agree, I think the cheesecake is balanced well with the base and anyone else is welcome to tweak it to their tastes if they wish. The passionfruit are definitely amazing at the moment! Thanks for your lovely comment xoxo
Emma
October 21, 2018 at 9:25 pmLoved the texture of this vegan cheesecake and REALLY loved the crust. I did take on board feedback from Isa re having a thinner crust so made 1.5x the filling and 1x the crust – ratios were perfect. If I make this again I think I’d add passionfruit or a different flavouring (maybe mango, blueberries or even dark chocolate) to the filling itself as I found it a little bit plain and the taste of the cashews overpowering. Overall though very decadent and delicious, and a hit with my omni friends!
Anthea
November 13, 2018 at 6:50 pmGlad that you loved this cheesecake! Good idea to use those proportions for the filling and crust and to add fruit to the filling. Sometimes the lemon juice and vanilla helps mask the taste of the tofu and the cashews but it depends on your palette and the ingredients! Thanks for popping by!
Isa
October 3, 2018 at 7:49 pmI finally made this yesterday! It’s a good combo-an anzac-biscuity base with the zingy passionfruit topping. Man, I really love passionfruit! I feel like there could have been less base and more filling tho. Also, by today the filling was quite rubbery, rather than creamy. If I make this again I might consider using a muffin tin to make mini-tarts instead of one big cake and freezing the extras.
I was a bit confused by the measurements – 1/4 C + 3 T (for the maple syrup and plant milks) seemed an odd measure, given 1/4 C is like, 63 mL, and 3 T is 60 mL, why not just say 120 or 125mL? I wasn’t sure what the rationale was – were they meant to be added separately, or was it just the way you tweaked the recipe?
Thanks for sharing!
Anthea
October 3, 2018 at 8:17 pmGlad you enjoyed it Isa! Yes, in hindsight I should’ve used a taller tart tin. However, a thinner base does not always work as it needs to be thick enough to maintain shape and not crumble (one of the only downsides of making a crust made with wholefoods). Good idea to use a muffin tin to use mini tarts!
I tweaked the recipe to include more milk and syrup. However, I used a standard American tablespoon which is 15mL so 3 tablespoons is only be 45mL. That would mean that it’d be 63mL + 45mL of milk and syrup. It’s weird because I purchased those tablespoons in Australia!
I hope that helps!
Abygail @ Untainted Tastes
September 11, 2018 at 6:51 amThis looks beautiful! I absolutely love anything passion fruit 😛