Baked vegan cheesecake with a creamy filling and juicy berries. The recipe includes options for gluten free, refined sugar free and coconut free!
Even though I used to specialise in raw desserts in my cake business, I definitely prefer baked vegan cheesecakes! They are creamier, richer and less likely to taste like coconut. I’ve been on a mission for a few years to perfect a wholesome baked vegan cheesecake and I’ve finally nailed it.
Compared to other baked vegan cheesecake recipes, my recipe uses NO vegan cream cheese. Vegan cream cheese can be difficult to source depending which country you’re in. And vegan cream cheese doesn’t always have the most wholesome ingredients so I opted to make this baked cheesecake without it.
Ingredients for the filling for the vegan baked cheesecake
I wanted to mimic the creamy and melt-in-your filling of classic cheesecakes. In order to do this, I used the following ingredients:
- Cashews to provide the fat and mouth feel similar to conventional cheesecakes. But don’t worry – you can barely taste them.
- Silken tofu to provide a smooth creaminess that you simply can’t get from the highest powered blender. I love using silken tofu in desserts, and I love it even more when people can’t taste soy in it, such as in my decadent chocolate mousse tart
- Plant-based yoghurt such as coconut, almond or soy. I didn’t put yoghurt in my first vegan baked cheesecake recipe. However, my friend Audrey at Unconventional Baker used coconut yoghurt in her baked vegan cheesecake recipe so I gave her recipe ago and was super pleased with the results! So I went back to my original recipe and made a few tweaks.
- Plant-based milk because you need some liquids in there somewhere!
- Corn flour/starch (not pictured and optional) to thicken the cheesecake filling.
To minimise the cheesecake from tasting like a nutty soy fest, I added a load of natural flavourings such as:
- Maple syrup because the fruity sweetness is needed to make the cheesecake taste good. I’ve tried other sweeteners but maple syrup’s flavour profile really stands out the most.
- Vanilla extract (or vanilla bean powder) because they always remind me of dessert, ice cream and cake!
- Lemon juice to provide some acidity to balance out the creaminess of the other ingredients
- Salt, an overlooked but essential ingredient to provide depth to the cheesecake!
Making the crust for the vegan baked cheesecake
The crust is a simple mix of :
- Flours/flour of your choice. To make this gluten free, I used a gluten free flour blend and almond meal. If you don’t need a gluten free cheesecake, just use plain flour.
- Refined coconut oil or vegan butter to allow the flour to stick together.
- Coconut sugar for a little sweeteness.
The easiest way to make the crust is to add all the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until combined.
Then transfer the mixture directly into your cake tin and press it against the bottom and sides to form a crust. Parbake the crust in your preheated oven for just 15 minutes.
How to serve
The cheesecake is best served with fruit such as raspberries or passion fruit as their tartness cuts through the richness of the cheesecake! I also love how the seeds in the raspberries contrasts with the smooth creaminess of the cake.
Looking for other vegan cheesecake recipes?
If you like cheesecake but are after something slightly different, here are some of my other recipes:
- Baked passion fruit vegan cheesecake tart: Similar to this recipe but shorter in height and with passionfruit
- Blueberry, blackberry and ginger cheesecake (raw / unbaked)
- Rainbow vegan cheesecake (raw / unbaked)
Or check out my other classic vegan dessert recipes:
I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Baked Vegan Cheesecake with Berries
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups (240g) plain flour or gluten-free flour blend
- 1/2 cup (50g) blanched almond meal , or substitute with more flour
- 1/4 cup (40g) coconut or cane sugar
- 3/4 cup (180g) vegan butter or solid refined coconut oil
Cheesecake filling
- 2 cups (260g) raw cashews*
- 1 cup (250g) firm silken tofu, also known as 'traditional tofu'
- 1/2 cup (200mL) any light-coloured sweetener, such as rice malt syrup or maple syrup, to taste
- 1/2 cup (90mL) plant-based yoghurt, such as coconut, soy or almond
- 1/4 cup (60mL) plant-based milk, such as almond, soy or coconut
- 1 tbsp (7g) corn flour or corn starch, optional but creates a smoother cheesecake
- 2 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar**
- 2 tsp vanilla bean powder or extract
- Pinch of any good-quality salt
To decorate
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) frozen/fresh blueberries and raspberries
- 1/4 cup (100mL) any light-coloured sweetener, such as rice malt syrup or maple syrup, optional and to taste
- 1 tbsp (7g) corn flour or corn starch
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line the bottom and sides of a spring-form or loose-bottom cake tin. I used a tall 20 cm (8-inch) cake tin.
To make the crust:
- In a large bowl or food processor, mix all the crust ingredients until well combined. It should stick together when pinched between two fingers. If the mixture is still a bit dry, add a dash of water and mix until the ingredients come together. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom and sides of the lined cake tin so it's about 8 mm thick.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes or until slightly golden and it's dry to the touch. Set aside.
To make the filling:
- Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until there are no lumps. Taste and adjust the level of sweetness and sourness, if needed. Pour the cheesecake filling into the crust.
- Tap the cheesecake firmly on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles.
Baking the cheesecake:
- Bake the cheesecake for 45-50 minutes, just before the filling sets. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the cheesecake with a metal tray. The cheesecake is ready when the filling is no longer liquid and the filling still 'jiggles' in the middle. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for at least 1 hour.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven. Let it come to room temperature, cover it and set it aside in the fridge overnight to chill.
The next day, prepare the berry topping:
- Add all or most of the berries and rest of the ingredients to a small saucepan and mix until combined. Place the saucepan over medium heat and mix for 5 minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.
- Remove the cheesecake from its tin. Spoon and spread the berry topping on top and top with additional berries if desired. Cut and serve!
- The cheesecake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
This post was originally published in July 2019 but updated in October 2020.
Please leave a comment below if you made this recipe, have any questions or thoughts! Your comment will help other readers and Rainbow Nourishments.
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Hi,
Amazing recipe! What can I use to replace yogurt?
Hey! Thank you :). You can use coconut cream instead!
Looks so good! Can’t wait to try it
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
Hi,
I am making your cheesecake.
A few questions :
– 1/3 cup (60mL) plant-based yoghurt, such as coconut, soy or almond > is it 1/3 cup or 60ml ? because 60ml its 1/4 cup… ?
– 1/4-1/2 cup (100mL-200mL) any light-coloured sweetener, such as rice malt syrup or maple syrup > is it 1/4-1/2 cup (= 62,5-125ml) or 100-200ml ?
– For the raspberry, 1/4 cup (100mL) any light-coloured sweetener, such as rice malt syrup or maple syrup > is it 1/4 cup (=62,5ml) or 100 ml ?
Thank you,
Mélanie.
Hi Mélanie, all those measurements are standard American measurements and can vary according to the brand of the ingredients and country (as EU, USA and AUS countries have different measuring cups). To overcome this, I’d recommend you use only gram and mL OR cup measurements. I hope that helps!
This was sooooo yummy thank you!! I used raspberries in the baking and kiwi fruit on top. Made it for my partner’s birthday and he loved it!
So glad to hear Eva! Thanks for your lovely comment 🙂
looks yummy. You’re a fantastic cook
This is absolutely delicious!! I can’t wait to show this recipe to all of my coworkers! Thank you SO much. Will definitely be making again.
So very glad you enjoyed it Theresa and thanks for leaving such a kind message 🙂
Hi, I am getting ready to make this for thanksgiving and I’m so excited! I just have a question, what kind of yogurt do you suggest using?
How exciting! I’m based in Australia so have different yoghurts from you. However, I’ve used thin and thick plant-based yoghurts for this and it worked beautifully xo
Hello from Germany, I made your cake like described and the crust is hard as stone, I don’t know what I did wrong. Can you ad baking powder to it?
Karin
Hi Karin, oh no! That’s definitely not meant to happen. This can happen if you bake the crust beforehand, or bake it for too long (so I made sure the recipe didn’t do either). Did you use exactly the same ingredients?
Hi,
I’m just in the process of making the cake cause it sounds very delicious, but really having troubles with measures.
Which cup size did you use for reference here?
When it’s noted 1/4 cup twice but then once 100mL and once 65mL next to it, makes it quite confusing.
Thank you for your feedback, really looking forward to trying it out.
Hi Natasha. I used the same cup measures for the whole recipe. The liquid sweetener weighs differently to the vegetable oil as they have a different capacity (sweetener weighs heavier per cup than oil), even if they are both liquids. It’s like a cup of feathers will weigh differently from a cup of sand.
When you make the recipe, I’d recommend that you use either cups or grams/mLs rather than changing between both of them. I hope that helps.
The cheesecake looks great but i can’t eat soy. Any chance you would consider making a baked version without it?
Thanks.
Yes I can definitely try!
Hi. Hoping you could help clear up a tofu question. The silken tofu we have here is in a plastic tub and is very soft when you take it out, creamy textured and falls apart when handled. Firm tofu is quite hard and you can handle it easily, break it or cut it. When you say ‘firm silken tofu’ what exactly do you mean please?
Sure! So, if tofu has a spectrum, silken tofu is on one end and extra firm tofu is on the other end. Firm silken tofu is one step up from silken tofu and just slightly firmer. It usually comes in a tub. This page calls it ‘medium tofu.’
Hi there,
Can this cheeesecake be stored in the freezer for a while if we’re not eating it straight away?
Hi there! Can we substitute the tofu? Merci!
Hi! You could probably substitute the tofu with more cashews but it will be more grainy 🙂
Thank you!!! 🙂
Hi there. I would like to try your vegan cheesecake, but my daughter has a peanut, nuts and soy allergies. Do you have any tips for alternatives. Am always good at making up something but baking is not my strong point. I was thing yams but not sure how these react when baked. If any ideas pls let me know.
Hi! I have tried substituting sunflower seeds instead of cashews in my raw vegan cheesecake recipes and they work perfectly! I’m not sure how they’d behave in a baked vegan cheesecake recipe. I think yams would work well, along with yoghurt and sweet potato 🙂
Hi!
The recipe looks great. Although, the only thing preventing me from making this is the yogurt. Are there any replacements?
Xoxo
Thank you! Thick canned coconut cream (the stuff at the top of the can) will work but the filling will be less ‘tangy’. This could be made up by a little lemon juice – I hope that helps!
Hi,
Would love to try this recipe but I am now intolerant to cashews. Would your recipe still work if I substituted the cashews for Macadamias? Although Macadamias once blitzed have a much more runny consistency than cashews some perhaps would not hold together?
Hi! I haven’t tried macadamias for this recipe, but I would say they would work! You might just need to add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to make sure it solidifies. I have substituted sunflower seeds for cashews in similar recipes, and they worked perfectly xo
Thank you. Will give it a try.
This looks amazing! Love all your creations!
Aw, thanks Ashley! xo
Great recipe Anthea – been missing a baked plant based cheesecake, I’m a little tired of the endless frozen ones! 😉
Thanks so much Sara! I’m a little tired of the frozen cheesecakes too! Haha!
Does it hold together well after baking as I see there is no addition of any binding ingredients. Also what is 1/2 cup of tofu in metrics?
Yes, it holds together well after baking, even if you slice it and store it. Tofu is often used as a binding ingredient in vegan baking and, in this case, the heat of the oven evaporates all of the water, making the filling more solid. 1/2 cup firm silken tofu is approx 125g.