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baked vegan cheesecake with berries
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4.94 from 60 votes

Vegan Baked Cheesecake (no vegan cream cheese)

This vegan baked cheesecake is creamy and rich and uses NO dairy-free cream cheese! It's 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.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Resting Time8 hours
Total Time9 hours 15 minutes
Cuisine: American, Gluten Free, Healthy, Refined Sugar Free, Vegan
Servings: 10
Author: Anthea

Ingredients

Crust (note 1 for alternatives)

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

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Do not omit the lemon, vanilla and salt as they help this recipe taste like a regular cheesecake.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serve | Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 27g | Potassium: 326mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23g | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 3mg
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