This baked vegan cheesecake is creamy and rich with NO dairy-free cream cheese! It's easy to make and you don't need a water bath. You can also make the cheesecake gluten-free, refined sugar-free and coconut free.
Why you'll love this cheesecake
ACCESSIBLE INGREDIENTS: This baked cheesecake uses no vegan cream cheese which can be difficult to find. Instead, I used more common ingredients that are found in most countries.
TASTE/TEXTURE: Creamy, sweet, tart and indulgent, thanks to a few simple ingredients.
DIFFICULTY: Easy to make with a blender! You DON'T need to bake it in a water bath or deal with a tray of hot water!
If you prefer a cheesecake WITH cream cheese, see my no-bake vegan strawberry cheesecake, baked vegan pumpkin cheesecake or baked vegan gingerbread cheesecake.
Ingredients you'll need
Ingredient notes
Flour, vegan butter and sugar for a crunchy cookie crust. Almond flour makes the crust more 'buttery' of the crust. To make this gluten-free, you can use gluten-free all-purpose flour instead of regular flour.
Cashew nuts add richness whereas silken tofu adds creaminess to the baked vegan cheesecake. You don't need coconut cream for this dessert!
Thick dairy-free yogurt adds tartness to the filling. I recommend using a thick dairy-free yogurt, whether its oat yogurt, soy yogurt or coconut yogurt!
Cornstarch (or corn flour in UK/Australia) makes the filling a little smoother.
Maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and salt provide depth of flavor. Don't skimp on these ingredients otherwise, your cheesecake will taste only of nuts and soy!
A complete list of ingredients, quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Making the crust
To make the crust, combine all ingredients in a large bowl, food processor or stand mixer. The final mixture should be a cookie dough consistency.
Transfer the mixture to your springform pan and press it against the bottom and sides to form a crust. Par-bake the crust so it is crunchy rather than soggy in the final cheesecake.
How to make the cheesecake filling
The filling is super easy to make! Just add all filling ingredients to a blender and blend. Your mixture should be a little runny. I don't recommend using a food processor as it will not blend the cashews finely enough.
Make sure you taste test the mixture and add more sweetener, vanilla, lemon juice or salt to taste.
Serving suggestions
This baked vegan cheesecake is best served with slightly acidic fruit such as raspberries or passionfruit (fresh or a compote). It helps cut through the rich filling!
You can also top the cake with:
- dairy-free whipped cream or coconut whipped cream
- chocolate ganache
- vegan caramel sauce
Customizing this baked vegan cheesecake
I don't recommend adding strawberry puree to the filling as it makes the cheesecake an unpleasant brown color.
However, you may add whole or chopped fruit to the filling, such as blueberries!
Yes! The cheesecake consistency will be the same.
More vegan cheesecake recipes
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Baked Vegan Cheesecake (no vegan cream cheese)
Ingredients
Crust (note 1 for alternatives)
- 1 ½ cups (240g) all-purpose plain flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50g) almond flour / blanched almond meal, or substitute with more flour
- ¼ cup (40g) granulated sugar, or coconut sugar
- ¾ cup (180g) vegan butter, or solid refined coconut oil, room temperature
Cheesecake filling
- 2 cups (260g) raw cashews, (note 2)
- 1 cup (250g) firm silken tofu, also known as 'traditional tofu' (note 3)
- ½ cup (170g) maple syrup, granulated sugar or any light-colored sweetener, to taste
- ½ cup (90g) dairy-free yogurt
- ¼ cup (60g) dairy-free milk
- 1 tablespoon (20g) lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar, or to taste (note 4)
- 1 tablespoon (7g) corn starch / corn flour, optional but creates a smoother cheesecake
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
To decorate
- 1 ½ cups (225g) frozen or fresh blueberries and raspberries
- 3 tablespoons (64g) any light-coloured sweetener, such as rice malt syrup or maple syrup, optional and to taste
- 1 tablespoon (7g) corn starch / corn flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line the bottom and sides of a springform or loose-bottom cake pan with parchment paper. I used a tall 8-inch (20 cm) cake pan.
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 a little dry, add a dash of water and mix until it comes together. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom and sides of your cake pan so it's about ⅓ inch (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 test the mixture and adjust the level of sweetener, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt, if desired. 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 aluminum foil. 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 with the oven door ajar for at least 1 hour.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven. Let it come to room temperature, cover the cake pan and chill in the fridge overnight.
The next day, prepare the berry topping:
- Add the berries and the topping ingredients to a small saucepan. If you're using fresh berries, reserve a handful for later. Mix the saucepan ingredients until combined. Place the saucepan over medium heat and mix for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool.
- Remove the cheesecake from the cake pan. Top the cheesecake with the berry compote and reserved fresh berries. Cut and serve!
- Store the cheesecake in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- For a graham cracker crust, blitz 300g graham crackers in a food processor until it reaches fine crumbs. Add 40g sugar and 90g melted vegan butter and pulse until combined. Press the mixture firmly against the bottom and sides of your cake pan and bake for 10 minutes. If the crust collapses during baking, press it back while it's warm.
- If you have a high-powered blender, you don't need to soak the cashews beforehand. If you don't have a high-powered blender, soak the cashews overnight and drain them before blending!
- Traditional tofu is halfway between extra silken tofu and extra firm tofu. It often comes in a tub and wobbles a little when you shake it. When you blend it, it will completely break down into a creamy mixture as opposed to firm tofu which will stay in small chunks.
- Do not omit the lemon, vanilla and salt as they help this recipe taste like a regular cheesecake.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in July 2019 and updated a few times to provide an improved recipe and helpful process images.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
I'm thinking of making this recipe as individual cheesecakes in a cupcake tray. Do you have a suggestion for how long I should bake them for?
Hi Rach, try baking them for around 20 minutes. The edges of each cheesecake should be set, whilst the middles should be a little jiggly. I hope that helps!
Hi,
Love your recipes for my dairy allergy child. They are so good. My child is also allergic to cashews so For this cheesecake can I substitute almonds for the cashews? Will it change the cheesecake a lot? I know the texture is very different but almonds and hazelnuts are the only nuts she can have. 🙁
Hi Lubna, I'm so happy that you've enjoyed my recipes so far! With this cheesecake, I think almonds will still work and the cheesecake will set (the final texture might just be a little different). I've made other cheesecakes with almonds and I soaked the almonds for a little longer as they're firmer than cashews. Also, if you use almonds with no skin, the filling will be smoother! I hope that helps!
Just made it. Nailed it from first try, taste heavenly. Thank you so much for the recipe. One suggestion for you guys , you don't need to apply oil in the baking dish before you put the crust. It has sooo much butter in it. I tried without baking paper/hate the edges it creates /and I was afraid to add additional oil. It turned out perfect, nothing was stuck, came out without any issue.
Can this be frozen? I made this for my son’s birthday - he said it was his best ever birthday cake! We all enjoyed it, however it is very rich and can only manage small portions (we’re such lightweights!)
Hi Heather! So glad you all enjoyed this cheesecake :). I honestly haven't tried freezing it so I'm not 100% sure. However, based on other similar recipes, I think it should be fine!
Yum! Tried this one and I love it! Definitely recommended. Perfect combination for my hemp coffee.
That's wonderful! Thanks so much for your feedback Joy!
Wow! I've been vegan for 8 years and tried many vegan cheesecakes. THIS one is incredible! The taste and texture is restaurant-quality. I used ¼ cup date sugar and ¼ cup cane sugar instead of maple syrup, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Soooo good! Printing this and adding it to the recipe book right now. Thanks so much 🙂
Aw thanks so much for your feedback and what a compliment! I'm so happy you enjoyed the cheesecake and that date and cane sugar worked too 🙂
First, let me say, I'm an experienced baker. I organized all of my ingredients, in order, and confirmed I had the correct amounts before starting... so the crust. I followed the directions , put everything in my food processor, and ended up with a liquid mess. I kept adding flour, trying to firm it up. After adding another cup of flour, I tried to bake it. It was disgusting, tasted like flour and the consistency was all wrong.
I threw it out and made a standard Graham cracker crust.
The filling though! Unbaked it was delicious! I didn't quite trust that the cornstarch would be enough to firm it up, (after the crust fiasco) so I added some unflavored gelatin. Its in the oven now, and I expect it to be fabulous. I will make the fruit topping as well.
I have to wonder about that crust. I went back and double checked- I followed it exactly, so I don't know why it didn't work... I would love some input on this...
So 5 stars for the filling and 1 for the crust...
Hi Lee, thanks for your feedback! That's so interesting about your crust - I haven't heard of readers having that issue with this crust before so I'm curious too! Can I ask if you weighed your ingredients or used cups? And, did you use all-purpose flour or an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend? Some brands of gluten-free blends are less absorbent so may need less liquid. Also, if your butter or oil was too soft rather than solid, it would have made the crust too wet. However, I'm glad you liked the flavour of the cheesecake filling!
For the first time I made a vegan baked cheesecake. I have made vegan cheesecakes befor,but in the fridge or freezer. This recipe is easy to follow and the result is really delicious. I will certainly use this recipe more times. Thanks for sharing Anthea!
Wilma from @justnutsandplants
Aw I'm so happy you enjoyed this cheesecake, especially as your first time! Your cheesecake on Instagram was beautiful! Thanks so much for your lovely comment Wilma x