Creamy & Easy Vegan Baked Cheesecake

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I am so excited today! I've been trying for years to create a simple recipe to make a vegan baked cheesecake that has the texture and most importantly the taste of a traditional cheesecake and I finally did it!

This cheesecake is super creamy, has a delicate flavor, and is super simple to make! To make sure your cheesecake turns out beautifully, read this blogpost carefully! There’s a few very important steps that need to happen for it to be successful.

How to Make a Vegan Cheesecake?

To make this easy vegan cheesecake you need 9 ingredients: coconut yogurt, almond cream-cheese, vegan cookies, sugar, vegan butter (or margarine), corn starch, salt, lemon zest and vanilla powder. All of them are easily available, maybe the only one that can be harder to find is the almond cream-cheese. I use the one from Simply because it's super creamy and tastes good.

That being said there are also plenty of soy cream-cheese that are delicious! The only thing you need to watch out for is to use a thick, creamy one. NEVER use a cream-cheese with a soft or watery consistency. Look at the picture below, in the upper right hand corner you see the cream-cheese, this is the consistency we want it to have.

What Can I Use Instead of Vegan Cream Cheese?

For this recipe, it's crucial to use vegan cream-cheese. That's because the filling of the cheesecake is made of 80% cream-cheese and replacing it entirely is simply not possible.

Step 1: Strain The Coconut Yogurt

For the cheesecake to have the right consistency we need to strain the coconut yogurt. That's because regular coconut yogurt contains a lot of liquid and we need it to be thick and creamy.

To strain the yogurt you have to place a strainer over a bowl lined with a cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel, making sure there is enough space in the bottom of the bowl to contain the dripping liquid. Then you add the yogurt and let it strain. After 1 hour you're ready to go with the next step.

Step 2: Make The Crust

The crust for this cheesecake is made of only 2 ingredients: vegan cookies and margarine. To make it, put the cookies and margarine in a food processor and grind finely. Then press the cookie-mixture onto the bottom of a Ø 18 cm (7 inches) cake pan lined with baking paper and refrigerate.

Step 3: Make The Filling

To make the filling all you have to do is adding all the ingredients to a food-processor and blend until smooth and creamy. It couldn't be any easier, right?!

This is how your filling should look like once blended:

Step 4: Add The Filling To The Crust

Now you add the cream on top of the crust and spread it out evenly.

Step 5: Bake The Cheesecake in a Water Bath

For the vegan cheesecake to bake evenly and to prevent any cracking it's important to bake it in a water bath.

Once the cheesecake is ready to be baked, wrap the pan in foil so that none of the water will leak in. Then place the cheesecake pan into a large baking dish (see picture below) and set on the middle shelf of your oven. Fill the baking dish with boiling water until it comes halfway up the springform and bake for 1 hour at 170 °C (340 °F).

Can I Bake The Cheesecake Without a Water Bath?

Yes you can, but your cheesecake will turn out slightly different. The sides of the cheesecake will bake faster and might become over-baked. This will result in your cheesecake being slightly dryer and darker. Furthermore, without a steamy environment, the cheesecake will develop a crust, which is more prone to cracking.

That said, there are two things you can do to keep the sides from over-baking and the top from cracking:

• Wrap your springform with a cake strip (If you don't have one, google "cake strip", there are tons of tutorials on how to make one). The cake strip will make sure that the sides of the cheesecake bake slowly and evenly.
• Place a baking pan filled with boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven. This will make sure that the cheesecake bakes in a humid oven environment and will prevent the top from cracking (it doesn't work always but it does 80% of the times).

Step 6: Allow the Cheesecake to Rest

The resting time is crucial for this recipe. Once the cheesecake is baked, switch off the oven and allow it to rest for 1 hour with the door closed. This will help the cheesecake to set.

Afterwards, let the cheesecake stand in oven, with door ajar, for approximately 30 minutes. Then remove it from oven and let it cool completely. Once cool, cover it and place it in the fridge overnight.

The day after you can remove the springform, cut the cheesecake into the desired portions and serve it.

How Can I Store The Cheesecake?

You can either store the vegan cheesecake in the fridge or freezer (depending on how long you want to store it for).

Fridge: Place the cheesecake in an airtight container or cover it with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to for 3-4 days.

Freezer: Wrap the cake in cling film, either whole or by the slice, and place in an airtight container. This will prevent it from absorbing flavors from other food in the freezer. You can store the cake in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow to thaw completely before serving.

More Delicious Desserts

• Italian Custart Tart (Torta della Nonna)
• Super Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Extra Fudgy Vegan Butter Beans Brownies

Have You Tried This Recipe?

If you try this recipe for no bake chocolate cheesecake, let me know! You can leave a comment, rate the recipe, and don’t forget to tag a photo #carlocao or #vegaliciously on Instagram!

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