This vegan baked cheesecake is creamy and rich and uses NO dairy-free cream cheese! It is easy to make and you even don't need a water bath. Also, the cheesecake can easily be made gluten-free, refined sugar-free and coconut free.
Why you'll love this cheesecake
ACCESSIBLE INGREDIENTS: This vegan baked cheesecake uses no vegan cream cheese, which can be temperamental and difficult to find. Instead, I used more common ingredients that are found in many countries.
TASTE/TEXTURE: Creamy, sweet, tart and indulgent vegan dessert.
DIFFICULTY: Easy to make, with the help of a blender! You DON'T need to bake the cheesecake in a water bath or deal with a tray of hot water.
If you prefer cheesecakes 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-style crust. Almond flour makes the crust richer and 'buttery'. The crust will work with gluten-free all-purpose flour.
Cashew nuts add richness to the filling whereas silken tofu makes it creamy and not too heavy. You don't need coconut cream for this baked vegan cheesecake!
Thick dairy-free yogurt adds a tartness to the filling that is typical of cheesecakes. I recommend using a thick yogurt, whether it's oat yogurt, soy yogurt or coconut yogurt!
Cornstarch (or corn flour in UK/Australia) makes the filling a little more smooth.
Maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and salt provide depth of flavor. Don't skimp on these ingredients otherwise, your cheesecake won't have much taste!
The full list of ingredient quantities and instructions are in the gray recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Tips for making the crust
The crust is easy to make as you just need to mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, food processor or stand mixer. The final mixture should be a cookie dough consistency.
Then transfer the crust mixture to your springform pan and press it against the bottom and sides. You may want to use a spoon or spatula to smooth the surface! Finally, we're par-baking the crust to make sure it's crunchy and not soggy for the final cheesecake.
Tips for making the cheesecake filling
The cheesecake filling is easy to make as you just add all the ingredients to a blender and blend. The filling mixture should be runny and similar in consistency to a thin pouring custard. Unfortunately, I don't recommend using a food processor as it will not blend the cashews well enough.
Finally, taste test the cheesecake mixture and add more sweetener, vanilla, lemon juice or salt to taste. Feel free to add some fresh lemon zest if you'd like a more zesty acidic flavor that's typical of cheesecakes.
Serving suggestions
This baked vegan cheesecake is best served with slightly acidic fruit such as raspberries or passionfruit (fresh or a compote) as it helps cut through the rich filling!
Some other delicious toppings for your vegan cheesecake are:
- dairy-free whipped cream (such as coconut whipped cream)
- chocolate ganache
- vegan caramel sauce
- pecan caramel topping, from my pumpkin cheesecake recipe
Customizing this vegan baked cheesecake
Whole or chopped fruit, such as blueberries or stewed apples would complement this cheesecake well!
I don't recommend adding strawberry puree to the filling as it makes the cheesecake an unpleasant brown color.
Yes! I have tried this and the cheesecake filling still has a similar consistency to the original. When the sugar comes in contact with the liquid ingredients in the filling, it liquifies and behaves similarly to maple syrup or other liquid sweeteners.
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Vegan Baked 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, or any light-colored sweetener, or ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar, to taste
- ⅓ cup (80g) 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) cornstarch / 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) cornstarch / 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 if you pinch it 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 of the cheesecake filling 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 or until 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 but 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 tin and chill it in the refrigerator 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 resembles fine crumbs. Add 40g sugar and 90g melted vegan butter and pulse until combined. Firmly press the mixture 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 compared 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.
Tina says
Can you grease your springform pan with coconut oil instead of lining with parchment paper or will the crust stick?
Anthea says
Yes, greasing the pan with coconut oil is fine too!
Sally says
What if I can’t find silken firm tofu? I can only find Silken Soft or firm?
Anthea says
Silken tofu can be used! Your cheesecake may just take a few minutes longer to bake and/or may be a little softer.
Danielle says
Wondering if it is possible to omit the yogurt as I couldn't find any at the store for some reason.
Anthea says
It is possible, though the cheesecake will be less tangy! Maybe just add more lemon juice and vanilla to taste 🙂
Amie says
Hi Anthea,
Thank you for sharing your passion, i am excited to try this recipe.
I am planning to sub the tofu for Burmese (chickpea) tofu- just wondering if you have any insight into doing this? (hoping its not a terrible move!)
Anthea says
Hi Amie! That should be fine as long as you're able to blend the tofu fine enough! Let me know how you go 🙂
Wanni says
Hi, could I substitute the syrup with cane sugar instead? Thanks!
Anthea says
Yes that's absolutely fine!
Alice says
In this case, do we need to add more liquids, as the sugar has a different consistency of maple syrup?
Anthea says
Hi Alice, I've tested the cheesecake with both and they work almost identitically without adjusting the ingredients. The only difference is when you make the cheesecake with sugar, it may take 5 minutes less time to bake (but this can be determined by the jiggle test.
RB says
I made this today.
Not sure how to do the passion fruit layer - could you elaborate on this please ?
Anthea says
Hey, there's no passion fruit in this recipe. I topped a similar cheesecake tart with passionfruit (see this recipe) where I simply topped the cheesecake with fresh passionfruit puree.
KAP says
It was my first time baking using alternative ingredients and my cheesecake turned out delicious! The recipe was easy to follow and the photos alongside the tips were super helpful.
Anthea says
Oh that's amazing! Thanks so much for your positive feedback!
Nomers says
How much pumpkin do you add when making it pumpkin flavored? And how much of the spices?
Anthea says
I haven't tried this one pumpkin flavoured but I'd recommend my other baked vegan pumpkin cheesecake recipe for that.
V says
Wow, just wow! I don't eat dairy as much anymore. I was terribly sad when I had to give up cheesecake....it is my favorite dessert besides pastries and dark chocolate. This vegan cheesecake was amazing! It isn't too sweet. The crust is to die for. I added some lemon zest and poppyseeds! Absolutely, delicious!
Anthea says
Aw I'm so so glad you enjoyed this and I love your addition of lemon zest and poppyseeds! Thanks so much for your feedback xx
Kids Baking Crew says
Excellent choice.
The recipe comes together well and the flavours before cooking were amazing. The recipe was prepared and cooked by a team of 7 & 10 year old kids, and it was very easy for them to follow and have success on their first try.
Opting for fresh passion fruit topping as frozen does not do well in the tropics.... we are in Vietnam
Anthea says
Aw I'm so glad you found this recipe family friendly! I love it when kids are involved (or prepare a whole dish from scratch). And love that you used passionfruit instead. Thanks for your comment!
joyce wilbanks says
I'm so excited to find your website. I'm overweight and have C.O.P.D. I think your recipes are just what I need to help me to eat healthier therefore making me feel better.
Shivani says
Such a simple and straightforward recipe with absolutely delicious results! The filling is creamy, luscious, tangy, and sets up so nicely. The flavour is unbelievably close to regular cheesecake! Made this for my mom who's been a long time fan of cheesecakes but recently had to give up gluten, dairy, eggs, and sugar due to a health condition and this recipe totally fit the bill. For anyone wondering how I made a gluten-free crust, I simply replaced the original crust with a gluten-free Graham cracker crust! Still worked brilliantly. I'll definitely be attempting this recipe again and might even play around with the flavours a lil bit to get a chocolate or peanut butter cheesecake 🙂
Anthea says
Sooo glad it worked with a graham cracker crust and it's the best news when your family enjoys it too! I love the idea of customising the recipe with chocolate or peanut butter. I need to do that too! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave your feedback - made my day 🙂
Sharon Duncan says
Are you able to freeze this cake, and have it thaw well before eating?
Anthea says
I haven't tried it but I suspect the tofu will separate in the fridge so wouldn't recommend it!
Jane Brayshaw says
My. Rice made this for a family Easter today and wow it was amazing - thank you Laura ♥️
Anthea says
Aw I'm so happy to hear that! Thanks for your feedback xo
maureen says
If I wanted to turn this into a sheet cake size how would I go about converting it?
Thanks!
Anthea says
Good question! If you're using a standard sheet pan (33x23cm or 13x9in), try doubling the crust and filling ingredients. However, I haven't tried it so can't vouch for results!
Rachel says
I made this for Valentine’s Day and it turned out absolutely perfect!!! This will be my go to cheesecake here on out. It was so simple to make and very delicious.
Anthea says
Aw that's soo nice to hear!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave your feedback 🙂
Anna says
I was inspired by this recipe and I've tried it. I changed the quantities of cashews, tofu by adding more, the same with the quantity of plant-based yogurt I choose a Greek Style Vanilla Soygurt. I made some forest fruits & chia jam for the decoration and served it with Soygurt Blueberry.
Generally, it was a great taste and consistency.
Thank you for this great recipe 🙂
Anthea says
That's great that all your recipe substitutions/adjustments woked and you enjoyed the cheesecake overall! Thanks so much for your feedback xo
Rico says
Hi there, I’m thinking to bake this cheesecake for Valentine’s Day this year. My friends say that I should definitely soak cashews at least overnight otherwise it gets grainy if I have only food processor(not brender). Do you think I should soak it?? Also can I use firm tofu instead? Just because it’s not easy to find silken tofu here.
Anthea says
Hi Rico! For the cashews, if you don't have a high-powered blender, soak the cashews. Also, the recipe needs firm silken tofu (or 'medium' tofu) which is halfway between extra silken and extra firm tofu. Do you have that where you are? I'm not sure if firm tofu will work as it doesn't often blend well, especially if you have a food processor!