Ultra-rich and creamy baked Vegan New York Cheesecake made with no cream cheese or tofu! It's sweet but not too sweet, tastes amazing, and can be served with your choice of topping. I love it with some berry compote!
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FEATURED COMMENT
"Not even joking, this cake is amazing! I am a huge cheesecake fan and this consistency is right on the money...Amazing. Great flavor, and fantastic texture...you can’t even tell it’s vegan, it just tastes like a homemade cheesecake. I’m in love."
- Al ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
It doesn't get better than this Vegan New York Style Cheesecake! It is just like a "real" baked cheesecake in texture. Dense, rich, super creamy, very satisfying, but completely dairy-free, and unlike most vegan cheesecake recipes you don't need any vegan cream cheese or tofu.
To get the perfect baked cheesecake texture I tested and retested with many different ingredients and methods and found that the unlikely combination of chickpeas and cashew nuts gave amazing results.
Please don't let that scare you off though. You would NEVER know! The cashews give the filling its creaminess and the chickpeas give the denseness, which means you don't need to use vegan cream cheese or tofu.
Prefer a no-bake cheesecake? Give my very popular Vegan Biscoff Cheesecake or Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake a try, or if you're really pushed for time I have a single-serve Emergency Strawberry Cheesecake Bowl recipe!
Mel x
Let's Make Vegan New York Cheesecake!
Can't wait to make it? Here's a quick summary of how it's done:
- Make the crust- For this, you need some cookies. Either digestive biscuits or graham crackers. Store-bought or homemade. I have recipes for both. To make the crust blend the cookies with some vegan butter or coconut oil in a food processor then press into a loose bottom pan and refrigerate.
- Make the filling - Blend all of the filling ingredients together. I recommend soaking the cashew nuts in boiling water before blending even if you have a high-powered blender.
- Bake the cheesecake - Pour the filling mixture over the crust then bake. No water bath is required.
- Refrigerate - After baking the cheesecake needs to be refrigerated for at least a few hours before serving.
Do not try to make this cheesecake in a cake pan without a removable bottom. You need to use either a spring-form cake pan or a loose-bottomed cake pan or you will never get it out in on piece.
Serving Suggestions
Here's the cheesecake in all its naked glory:
It is delicious on its own. That BISCUIT BASE is so good! A topping or sauce of some kind is highly recommended though. Not only does it make the cheesecake look beautiful, but it also adds flavor and contrast.
The topping can be as simple as a pile of fresh berries or some vegan caramelized bananas, or you can get creative with any of these:
I love a lemon curd and fresh raspberry combo, or a berry compote and fresh mixed berry combo like in the pictures.
Readers have had so much fun with this recipe over the years. One very popular riff, which I haven't yet tried myself but sounds amazing, is to use Oreo cookies for the base, with chunks of broken Oreo stirred through the batter and lots of chocolate syrup or sauce to drizzle.
Recipe FAQs
I have never tried freezing it so can't be sure how it will hold up. I think it should be ok though as long as it is wrapped very well.
To make this recipe gluten-free you'll need to find some gluten-free digestive biscuits or graham crackers. The filling is naturally gluten-free.
Recipe
Vegan New York Cheesecake
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
FOR THE BASE
- 23 (350 grams / 12 oz) digestive biscuits , or graham crackers
- 4 tablespoons melted vegan butter , or coconut oil
FOR THE FILLING
- 2 cups (300 grams) raw cashews ,soaked in boiling water for 15 mins then drained (measured before soaking)
- 1 cup (175 grams) canned chickpeas , drained & rinsed well
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
- ½ cup (120 ml) maple syrup , (real maple, not pancake syrup!)
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 x 14oz (400ml) can full fat coconut milk , it must be full fat not light (if your can is only 398 ml that's fine).
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 320F (160°C) and line a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan that is at least 3 inches deep. First grease it with vegan butter or a little oil so the paper sticks. Then draw around the bottom of the cake pan on parchment paper, cut it out and put that in the bottom of the pan. Line the sides of the pan with a long rectangular strip of baking parchment.
- Put the digestive biscuits (or graham crackers) into a food processor with the butter/coconut oil and blend until well combined and in clumpy, fine crumbs. Then press into the bottom of the cake pan. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
- Add all of the filling ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Pour over the crust then sit the pan on a baking tray.
- Bake for about 50 minutes or until set well around the edges with a tiny bit of a wobble in the middle. Time will vary depending on your oven and the pan you use.
- Allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 4 to 5 hours or overnight. Don't put it in the fridge while hot/warm.
NOTES
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Tatiana says
Well, this was not great. The cashew flavour is super strong. Also, there is no way all those digestive cookies require ONLY 3 Tbsp of margarine to make I crust. It was just powder. I added twice more than called for and still it was crumbly after baking. Not in a good way. In a “this is just powder” way. Super expensive recipe (300g cashews!!) and the taste did not deliver. Sorry. Won’t be making again.
Swen says
Hi Mel, would this cake have a very coconutty flavour? I know it's an essential ingredient in this recipe, and I'm keen to try it out regardless. So I'm hoping the vanilla, lemon zest and juice etc. would mask the coconut taste...
Melanie McDonald says
I can't taste coconut in this recipe at all. Hope that helps!
Swen says
Thank you for your quick reply, Mel - that's comforting to know!
Dee says
This recipe sounds wonderful. As I am allergic to coconut, do you have any ideas what I could use as a substitute ?
Melanie McDonald says
It's tricky with this one because the fat in the full fat coconut milk adds richness and firms the texture. Because it's baked it might firm up ok with some creamy milk like cashew instead but you would need to use less. If I was going to try it I'd blend everything without the milk and then add just enough milk to make a very thick but pourable batter.
It's a big old cheesecake to mess up though and I can't guarantee it will work so whether you want to risk it or not is another matter. Let me know how it turns out if you do try it!
Ines says
This cheesecake sounds awesome! I think that would be nice to make for Easter coming up. One question, though, why do you have to line the sides of the springform pan with parchment paper? Part of the reason to use a springform is because the pan sides come away easily from whatever cake you're making. Thank you!
Melanie McDonald says
To protect the sides of the cake and stop any chance of it sticking or being ruined when you release the sides. Although springform opens so you can remove a cake easily there's still a chance the batter could stick and then as you open it the cake could tear. Why risk it? Lining with parchment is a very small step that helps remove any risk and ensures perfect neat sides.
Janine says
The most delicious vegan cheesecake I ever tried! I was wondering if it would be possible to make this with an oat crust instead? However, I am a bit worried that the oat crust might not survive the long baking time?
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you enjoyed it! I've never tried it with an oat crust. I love cookie crusts too much! If you try it though bear in mind that an oat crust might not pack as tightly and solidly as a buttery cookie crust and then you could spring a leak from the bottom of your springform.
Sandra B says
I've made this recipe several times and my none vegan family and co-workers love it every time. I would like to try to add other flavors like chocolate or key lime in the future.
Melané says
Question : Melanie, as you know this is my all-time favourite. Make it regularly! But: have you (or someone else) made mini-cheese cakes? I wonder about baking times. Btw, I have frozen it and it is just as good after defrosting.
Carla says
Made this last night in preparation for my partners birthday. It was amazing and so easy- much less fuss than a non vegan baked cheesecake.
I used Oreos for the base, made the middle as normal and topped the cheesecake with a vegan chocolate ganache and some more Oreos for decoration. Will also serve with a few raspberries to get one of the five a day :D. Will definitely be making again!
Suzanne says
So many recipes call for store bought cream cheese and it is expensive here. Love that you make your own cream cheese.
Louisa says
I made this yesterday for my fiancées birthday and wow its just so good!!! I was a bit concerned with chickpeas, tahini and lemon juice thinking I was making hummus lol but it's utterly amazing!!! I've printed off the recipe and kept it to make again! It's going to be a firm favourite from now on! So thank you!!!
Melanie McDonald says
It's such a surprising bunch of ingredients, but mix them all together and magic happens! I'm really pleased you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for taking the time to leave a review. It's much appreciated!
ARLENE LAFRENTZ says
Can you freeze this cheesecake ?
Melanie McDonald says
I've never tried so don't know how it would hold up.
Christal says
This was so good! It had just the right texture and baked up really well. It lacked some of the richness of cheesecake, but I will definitely make it again. I added half a cup of an erythritol blend to the batter to make it sweeter. I also used my own recipe for the crust. Other than that, I did everything according to your recipe. Thank you!
Courtney says
My husband and I have loved this recipe for a long time. I've made many vegan and non-vegan cheesecakes, but this one tastes AMAZING and you feel good after eating it too. I always use your digestive recipe - that's one of our favorite cookie recipes ever. Thank you for your time spent creating and for sharing!!
Rueth says
I agree totally! Tried about 30 recipes but after trying this, I've stuck with it. It's truly amazing.
Betty says
Hi Mel, what can I substitute for the cashews? As we have a nut allergy.
Thank you betty
Melanie McDonald says
I would think hulled sunflower seeds would work ok but I haven't tried it so can't guarantee.
Megan says
Best vegan cheesecake I have ever made! So easy and yet so satisfying
Deborah says
I made this and it was amazing. Really impressed my guests. I would now like to make a smaller version. If I use half the ingredients would I need to bake it for half the time ??
Melanie McDonald says
It's impossible to say because it depends on the size of the pan and the depth of the cheesecake. The deeper it is the longer it will take to cook. You'll just have to wing it. Bake it at the same temperature and keep an eye on it. Take it out when it's set with a bit of a wobble in the centre.