Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake
Incredibly creamy vegan strawberry cheesecake that is no-bake and has no cashews. The cheesecake is packed with 4 cups of fresh strawberries for the best strawberry flavor!
Servings: 12
Ingredients
Crust
- ~2 cups (200g) plain sweet cookies, gluten-free if needed (note 1)
- ⅓ cup (75g) vegan butter, margarine or coconut oil, melted
Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake filling
- 16 oz (480g) vegan cream cheese, room temperature (2 x regular tubs)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar, (note 2)
- 3 tablespoons (45g) melted coconut oil or cacao butter, or 2 teaspoons agar powder (note 3)
- 3 tablespoons (45g) lemon juice and zest, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or to taste
- 3 cups (360g) fresh or frozen strawberries
- 1 cup (240g) thick scoopable canned coconut cream, (note 3)
- ¼ cup (30g) cornstarch / corn flour
- 1 teaspoon beetroot powder, or pink food coloring, to color if needed
Strawberry Topping
- 1 cup (120g) fresh strawberries, stems removed (you can even sub half with raspberries as they tend to be more vibrant)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch / corn flour
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Line an 8-inch (20 cm) springform or loose-bottom cake pan with parchment paper.
- Add the cookies to a food processor and pulse until it forms fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom of your cake pan. Set aside.
Make the cheesecake filling:
- Add the cream cheese, sugar, coconut oil, lemon juice/zest and vanilla extract to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Add the strawberries and a dash of water to a medium pot over high heat. Simmer and mash the strawberries until they are mostly broken down. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture has reduced to around ½ heaped cup (~180g). It should have the consistency of thick tomato pasta sauce.
- Add the coconut cream and cornstarch to the pot with the strawberry reduction. Whisk thoroughly. Bring it to a gentle boil for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Don't worry if the mixture separates!
- Add the strawberry mixture to your food processor with the cream cheese mixture. Process until the mixture is as smooth as possible. If desired, add beetroot powder to color. Taste test the mixture and add more lemon juice or vanilla if desired.
- Pour the cheesecake filling into your cake pan and smooth the top. Cover the pan and chill it in the fridge for 4 hours or until set.
Make the strawberry topping:
- Add the majority of the strawberries and all the cornstarch to a small saucepan over high heat. Mash the strawberries with a fork or stick blender. Stir until the strawberries have turned into a thick sauce. If desired, sweeten the sauce to taste. Allow the compote to cool completely.
- Just before serving, top the cheesecake with the strawberry compote and reserved fresh strawberries. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 5 days.
Notes
- Substitute with Oreos or chocolate cookies for an epic vegan oreo strawberry cheesecake.
- You may use a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup but your cheesecake may be slightly softer.
- If using agar powder, mix it with the coconut cream and corn flour/starch mixture and add it to the strawberry reduction. Agar needs to be cooked in order to work.
- I don't recommend buying light canned coconut cream or canned coconut milk as they contain less 'thick scoopable cream' compared to regular canned coconut cream. You'll need more cans to get the amount in the recipe.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serve | Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 32g | Sodium: 440mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 63IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 1mg
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