Luscious Creamy Cheesecake {Vegan}

cheesecake

This luscious, very creamy cheesecake tastes so rich and decadent, and everyone always says, “Wait, I thought you were vegan” while they’re savoring every bite.

It’s so good, I made the recipe into cheesecake bars…that way there are more pieces. You’ll thank me after the first bite.

The recipe is pretty easy to put together, and honestly the hardest thing I had was taking great pictures to post.

No matter the weather forecast, as soon as I baked them- it was rain and clouds. That is not as important as the taste though, so I’m sharing the recipe anyway.

This is the best cheesecake I have ever, every had- and that’s comparing it to vegan and non-vegan cakes alike.

Great dessert after Seared Mushrooms in Garlic Butter with Scallions

 

Ok, this is very important. Ingredients are key in this recipe. After numerous, still very tasty trials and errors, I discovered which brands work best.

I guess I could research the science behind why some work and others don’t, but as nerdy as I am- this is something I’ll leave to others. ha Like I said, it’s very important.

Some cream cheese and sour creams will lead to a dense/heavy cheesecake, while others never allow it to set properly.

Also, I have only used JUST Egg in this recipe, but I did make another cheesecake with a mix of cashews (soaked and drained) and Silken firm tofu with great success.

cheesecake

So here are the brands that I find work the best, and the others that you should avoid in this cheesecake:

Cream Cheese

Sour Cream

  • Use: Tofutti, Kite Hill, or Follow Your Heart (Note:Sometimes Follow Your Heart works, but sometimes it doesn’t when using it in this recipe. I have no idea why that happens.)
  • Don’t use: I honestly haven’t tried any others, so you may be alright using your preferred brand
cheesecake

If your brand isn’t listed above, then I would try it. I love Violife and Daiya vegan products, but they just don’t work in this cheesecake recipe.

The cake only set up after baking for almost 2 hours, and you can imagine it wasn’t so creamy and light after that.

For More Dessert Ideas, Click Here

 

You might not have access to JUST Egg, or it may be really expensive in your area, so I’m going to share the recipe of my “regular” vegan cheesecake too.

I think the measurements should work for these cheesecake bars, but they may not be as thick. You could also add another container of cream cheese, but you’ll have play with that.

Use the same measurements and instructions for the crumb base and baking time, but the first time you should watch it 5-10 minutes before the end- to make sure it’s not browning too fast.

heaping 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
drained 1 cup silken firm tofu
1 cup plain vegan cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
grated lemon zest from one of the lemons
1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 – 3 large lemons)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Drain and rinse the cashews. Place in a high-powered blender with the tofu, cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract; blend on high speed until very silky smooth. Follow the rest of the instructions for the bars.

This cheesecake honestly tastes so good even on it’s own, but feel free to top it with any type of jam or pie filling you like. I’ve use cherry, blueberry, and blackberry. They all taste great, but a fresh fruit topping will be perfect this summer. Enjoy!

cheesecake

Oops, almost forgot. If possible, use Biscoff cookies for the crust. Trust me, it really is so scrumptious.

If you do use graham crackers though, and want to make sure it’s vegan, this is a good brand. They don’t contain honey.

P.S. If you love cream cheese, you’ll love this Pound Cake!

Luscious Creamy Vegan Cheesecake

Print Recipe
Serves: 9 Cooking Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • CRUST
  • 28 Biscoff cookies
  • 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted vegan butter, melted
  • or
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup pure cane sugar (I use 1/4 cup, but most recipes call for 1/3 cup)
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted vegan butter, melted
  • FILLING
  • 3 (8 ounce) tubs of vegan cream cheese (Tofutti and Kite Hill work best)
  • 1/3 cup vegan sour cream (Tofutti and Kite Hill work the best)
  • 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup JUST Egg
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon lemon extract, optional
  • lemon zest from 1 medium lemon, optional
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice, optional
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • TOPPING:
  • 2 cups favorite pie filling or fruit jam

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly spray an 10 inch X 2 inch baking dish, which is an 11 cup baking dish, with non-stick spray. You can also use an 13 inch X 9 inch baking dish, but your bars wont be as thick. You will also need to adjust the baking time to about 5 to 10 minutes less.

2

Make the Crust: Place cookies in a food processor and pulse to crumbs. Don't over-process, or it will turn into "butter." Add the melted butter and pulse until combined. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan; set aside. If using graham cracker crumbs:stir crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl, and then press into pan.

3

Make the Filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with beaters or the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream, sugar, and flour and beat until just smooth.

4

On low speed beat in egg, vanilla, almond, and lemon extracts, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt- just until mixed.

5

Pour the batter onto the crust and smooth to the edges. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the center jiggles a tiny bit when the pan is gently pushed. Turn off oven, close the door and allow the cheesecake to continue cooking an additional 16 minutes.

6

Remove the bars to a cooling rack for 45 minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hour, but preferably overnight. When cool, top with jam. Cut into squares, wiping the knife clean between slices. Store leftovers in fridge.

Notes

It's very important you read the post for what brand ingredients to use and not use. It will determine the taste, texture, and whether your cheesecake sets up or not.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Previous Post Next Post