Vegan Cheesecake
Creamy vegan cheesecake with a graham cracker crust. Totally nut-free!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Bake Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 9-inch Cheesecake 1x
- Category: Cakes and Cupcakes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs*
1/3 cup melted vegan butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
For the Filling
24 ounces vegan cream cheese, softened*
1 10-12 ounce box extra firm silken tofu, drained
1 cup nondairy heavy cream
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional Strawberry Sauce
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 C) and line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. You can use spray oil to help the parchment paper stick!
- Crust: Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, melted vegan butter, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan. Place pan on center rack of preheated oven and bake for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 C).
- Filling: Add the softened vegan cream cheese, silken tofu, heavy cream and cornstarch into the bowl of a food processor. Blend until completely smooth. Add the granulated sugar, vanilla and salt to the mixture and blend again until fully incorporated. Pour the filling over the graham cracker crust and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Place unbaked cheesecake onto a baking sheet.
- Water Bath: Place a large baking dish on the lower rack of your oven. Pour boiling water into the dish and close the oven door.
- Bake: Place the baking sheet with the cheesecake on the center rack of your preheated oven and close the door quickly to not let out the steam. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake is golden. The cheesecake will appear jiggly and unbaked. This is correct! Turn off the oven and slightly crack the door open. Leave the cheesecake inside to cool for 1 hour.
- Chill: After an hour has elapsed, remove the cheesecake from the oven. Allow to cool at room temperature for another 15 minutes. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill for 8 hours. Overnight works best!
- Serve: Slice and serve with all of your favorite toppings!
- Optional Strawberry Sauce: Place the strawberries and sugar in a small saucepan and heat on the stove over medium low. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Chill in the refrigerator to firm up even more. You can whisk in some water to thin if necessary.
Notes
*Prepared cheesecake will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This is not a freezer-friendly recipe.
*When looking for vegan graham cracker crumbs, the main ingredient you will want to avoid is honey as dairy is seldom included. If you are struggling to find crumbs without honey, make your own by pulsing honey-free graham crackers in a food processor until crumbly. You can use gluten-free graham crackers if desired!
*It's important that you use a high-quality vegan cream cheese here - generic brands don't work well.
*Cream cheese must be soft to blend properly. Allow cream cheese to sit out for at least 2 hours.
*If your cheesecake gets brown and spotty, don't worry! This can either be covered with toppings are if it really bothers you, you can carefully scrape it off.
Find it online: https://censoredbaker.com/vegan-cheesecake/
