Growing up, my favorite thing in the world was Shabbat dinners. I remember waiting for Friday evening all week, waking up to a house full of delicious smells of my mother’s cooking, no school, just helping mom around the kitchen & setting the table. My mom’s go-to Shabbat dessert has always been cheesecake. Sometimes she’d top it off with whipped cream and strawberries, sometimes just whipped cream, and sometimes she’d leave it plain. Either way, we all loved it and would always have a slice after dinner for dessert as well as a slice with our coffee on Saturday the next morning.
I haven’t really seen that many vegan cheesecake options around, I do remember ordering one from Catch in NY, but I wasn’t all that impressed. So I decided to make my own! This recipe is kind of similar to one of my favorite recipes ever- the key lime pie tartlet recipe, but this time, it’s baked!
The result is this light, creamy, delicious cheesecake.
Remember, you can go wild with the toppings! I personally love raspberries because I think they compliment the cake beautifully & I think they are gorgeous. But you can change it up and add whatever your heart desires!
The Best Baked Vegan Cheesecake
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 4 1/2 tbsp vegan butter, melted Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked
- 1 can coconut cream (the top hard part of coconut milk)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (or more)
- 3 tbsp vegan cream cheese (I used tofutti)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (or more)
- 2 tsp lemon zest (or more)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 sprinkle of salt
Directions
- Pour boiling water over the cashews and let them soak for 20-40 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- In a large bowl, add the graham crackers and the melted butter and mix until well combined.
- Transfer to the mixture to a 6-inch spring cake pan, smoothing it out to an even layer with a spoon and press down so it is nice and tight. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden.
- In a blender, add the soaked cashews, coconut cream, maple syrup, cream cheese, coconut oil, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt.
- Blend until smooth, adjusting flavors according to taste (for sweetness add more maple syrup, for tartness add lemon juice, etc)
- Pour the filling over the slightly cooled pre-baked crust. Tap on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles and bake for 50-60 minutes. Or until the edges are slightly dry but the middle isn’t liquid, just slightly jiggly (see below).
- Let cool for 15 minutes and then place in the fridge to cool for about an hour uncovered.
- Cover and place back in the fridge to cool all the way for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Top with your favorite toppings, cut & enjoy!
- I prefer using full-fat coconut cream, but if all you have on hand is light coconut cream, just add some more coconut oil to the recipe!
- If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, make a different crust! my favorite raw crust is made out of almonds, dates, and coconut. Just blend them together with some coconut oil and a sprinkle of salt. No need to bake it.
- I topped my cake with aquafaba whipped cream, but you can leave it plain or choose any other topping you like.
Tips & Tricks:
Here’s what the cake should look like when it’s fully baked.
