Super easy, ultra-rich, decadently creamy, and smooth Vegan New York Cheesecake with no cream cheese or tofu! Enjoy as it is or get a little fancy with your choice of topping. It is vegan dessert perfection and you absolutely need it in your life...
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. Especially when all the other recipes I’d seen used expensive blocks of silken tofu or tubs of cream cheese. I’m making this next time there’s an event. Can’t wait to blow their socks off. Thank you thank you you absolute legend." - Al ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ See more reader reviews here.
Vegan Cheesecake has got to be one of my all-time favorite desserts. I love anything rich, creamy, and decadent and it doesn't get much more rich and decadent than this Vegan New York Style Cheesecake.
In this post:
My Vegan New York Cheesecake is just like a "real" baked cheesecake in texture. Dense, rich, super creamy, very satisfying, but completely dairy-free!
To get the perfect vegan baked cheesecake texture I experimented with many different ingredients and methods. I settled for a combination of cashew nuts and chickpeas. Yes, the humble but awesome chickpea is the secret ingredient here.
Please do not let that scare you off. You would NEVER know.
The cashews give the filling its creaminess and the chickpeas give the denseness, without needing any vegan cream cheese or tofu!
How To Make Vegan New York Cheesecake
This vegan cheesecake recipe is surprisingly easy to make.
- Make the crust- For this, you need some digestive biscuits/cookies. You can use store-bought digestives or homemade Vegan Digestive Biscuits Vegan graham crackers are similar and also work well. To make the crust all you need to do is blend the cookies with some vegan butter or coconut oil in a food processor. Then press it into a springform pan or a loose-bottomed pan, then refrigerate.
- Make the filling - It's as simple as blending all the cheesecake filling ingredients together. I recommend soaking the cashew nuts in boiling water before blending.
- 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.
Success Tip - Do not try to make this cheesecake in a cake pan without a removable bottom or you will never get it out. You need a spring-form cake pan or a loose-bottomed cake pan for this recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Whilst this Vegan New York Cheesecake is absolutely delicious on its own, I love to top it with a little something extra. Some ideas include:
Storage
Vegan cheesecake leftovers will keep really well in the fridge for up to a week. Just be sure to cover it so it doesn't dry out.
More Cheesecake Recipes
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's wrapped really well.
To make this recipe gluten-free you'll need to find yourself some gluten-free digestive biscuits or graham crackers. The filling is naturally gluten-free.
Recipe
Vegan New York Cheesecake
Author: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 4-5 hours or overnight. Don't put it in the fridge while hot/warm.
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