Vegan Cheesecake
This Vegan New York Cheesecake recipe is a creamy, classic cheesecake recipe featuring a blueberry topping. Imagine a vegan cheesecake that’s rich and dense, and full of flavor. This cheesecake is prepared with a buttery graham cracker crust and a delightfully creamy cheesecake filling.
I’ve also shared our scrumptious Vegan Oreo Cheesecake. It’s ooh-la-la delicious! And I’ve also made this Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake recipe because everyone needs a chocolate version!
Every slice of this vegan New York cheesecake is drizzled with blueberry sauce. Isn’t it just heaven on a plate!
I used to love cheesecake in my pre-vegan days, but I don’t miss it today. Not at all! Are you worried that means I’ve given up that delicious dessert?
No worries! I just make my own, including this copycat Cheesecake Factory vegan cheesecake recipe.
Key Ingredients
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Graham Cracker Crust — The best base for any cheesecake is this Vegan Graham Cracker Crust
- Raw cashews — You won’t need to soak these cashews
- Full fat coconut milk — I look for cans of coconut with 12–15 grams of fat. Trader Joe’s or Sprouts Coconut Cream works here too
- Vegan cream cheese — I oftentimes use Tofutti’s because it’s easy to find and inexpensive. However, Daiya makes vegan cream cheese too
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch — We’re using cornstarch to help thicken this cheesecake
- All-purpose flour — To ensure a sturdy cheesecake, flour is added as a thickener too
- Vanilla
- Topping — I love having either Blueberry Sauce or Strawberry Purée on hand to drizzle over the top.
How to Make Vegan Cheesecake
This is a baked vegan cheesecake as compared to my Raw Vegan Cheesecake recipe, which is frozen. Either one is relatively easy to make. This one begins with the crust.
Step One: Graham Cracker Cheesecake Crust
Use the recipe to make the vegan graham cracker crust. Then press the crust into the bottom of a springform pan (or a pie pan if you don’t have a springform pan). Set this aside while you proceed with the filling.
Note: Use gluten-free graham crackers or cookies for the crust to make a gluten-free vegan cheesecake.
Step Two: Vegan Cheesecake Filling
The next step is to make the cheesecake filling. Use these steps:
- Pulse Cashews and Coconut Milk: Place the raw cashews and the coconut milk in a food processor and pulse in short bursts to break down the cashews. Continuing pulsing for up to a minute, until smooth and creamy.
- Add Cream Cheese: Add the vegan cream cheese and pulse again until smooth and creamy
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Pour in the sugar, corn starch, flour, and vanilla. Pulse for several seconds, up to a minute, until you have a nice, creamy mixture
- Pour: Pour the filling over the crust.
- Water Bath Step #1: Wrap the bottom of the pan in aluminum foil and place that in a roasting pan (to create a water bath)
- Water Bath Step #2: Place that larger pan in the oven and then pour water around the foil-wrapped cheesecake. (Watch the video to see instructions)
- Bake: Bake the vegan cheesecake for up to an hour until it’s done
- In-Oven Cooling: Turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for an hour as it cools.
Marly’s Tips
To make a gluten-free vegan cheesecake, do not add the flour to the filling. You can substitute a tablespoon of additional cornstarch or add 1 tablespoon of agar flakes.
You can top your vegan cheesecake with blueberry sauce, or make a strawberry purée to drizzle over the top.
Cheesecake Water Bath
I bake my vegan cheesecake in a water bath to prevent cracks in the filling. The water creates steam, therefore making the oven environment moister. It’s a super easy trick — watch our video to see how I do it.
If you feel intimidated by the idea of a water bath for your vegan cheesecake, you’re in good company. It concerned me the first time too. I love researching recipes and I found these great resources on making sure your cheesecake water bath doesn’t leak!
Reader Reviews
★★★★★
Allex
Made it a second time now for a birthday and the feedback was astonishing, to say the least… REALLY Fantastic recipe and so easy to do!
★★★★★
Sheila
I made this for friendsgiving and it was perfect. Thank you for this amazing recipe!!!
Frequently-Asked Questions
What is a vegan cheesecake recipe made of?
Vegan cheesecake is usually made with vegan cream cheese, and other ingredients such as tofu, full-fat coconut milk, cashews, a vegan graham cracker crust, and other tasty ingredients.
Can I use a chocolate topping on cheesecake?
If you’d rather have a chocolate topping to your vegan cheesecake, I recommend a simple chocolate ganache. Combine 1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips with a half cup of vegan cream, like a rich creamer. Melt the chocolate together with the cream and then stir until it’s all combined.
Best Vegan New York Cheesecake Recipe
A New York Cheesecake is an ultra-creamy, tall cheesecake. That’s why this recipe represents everything that’s so exciting about a vegan diet. It’s indulgent, delicious, and so satisfying!
We use tofu in this vegan cheesecake, which adds texture and creaminess. Some vegan cheesecakes call for a lot of cashews. I use cashews too, just not too many. I think this combination of ingredients creates the best Vegan New York Cheesecake that’s creamy and delicious.
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Vegan New York Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 Vegan Graham Cracker Crust
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 13.5 oz can full fat coconut milk* (read note below)
- 2 8 oz containers vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti’s)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 batch blueberry sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the vegan graham cracker crust. Press the crumb crust into a 9" springform pan. Distribute evenly across the bottom and up a little on the sides of the pan. Set aside.
For the Vegan Cheesecake Filling:
- Place the raw cashews and the coconut milk in a food processor. Feel free to use the same one you used for the crust. Pulse the food processor for several seconds to break down the cashews. Open the lid and stir down any ingredients that might have risen to the top of the bowl. Now pulse for several seconds, up to a minute, until smooth and creamy.
- Add the vegan cream cheese and pulse again until smooth and creamy.
- Next, add the sugar, corn starch, flour, and vanilla. Pulse for several seconds, up to a minute, until you have a nice, creamy mixture.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F while the filling settles for a few minutes.
- When the oven is ready, pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared crust.
- Wrap the bottom of the pan in aluminum foil, being sure to cover the bottom half of the pan. Place this in a roasting pan and pour hot water around the bottom of the pan. This is a water bath and it will prevent the cheesecake from cracking in the middle.
- Bake the cheesecake for 60 minutes and then turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for up to another hour (or until it's cooled). Remove from the oven and allow it to cool before placing it in the fridge. I recommend refrigerating the cheesecake for at least four hours (or even a full day) before slicing and serving.
For the Blueberry Topping:
- Prepare the Blueberry Sauce as the recipe indicates.
- Serve each slice with Blueberry Sauce.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Enjoy!
This post was originally published in 2018 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2020.
This cheesecake looks absolutely awesome! Thank you for sharing it. I’ve made some other “cheesecakes” but they’ve all been the frozen kind – tasty but not really like the traditional cheesecakes.
Cornstarch is used in the filling and blueberry topping – I’m wondering if I can use tapioca or arrowroot starch instead because I can’t have the corn. If so, would it be the same amount or more (some other recipes require more to get the same effect).
Just a helpful tip: you used the word ‘course’ several times but it should be ‘coarse’. Thanks again for your help.
oh nevermind just found it haha
I’m glad you found what you were looking for!
This looks so yummy Marly! What size pan did you use?
This cheesecake looks delicious. I’m looking forward to giving it a try.
Thanks Celeste! I hope you love it! ❤️
I made this for friendsgiving and it was perfect. Although I thought 1 cup of sugar was 120 grams. So I probably put less sugar than a cup ,but it was still good. I also used a whole can of coconut cream. Not refrigerating and taking only thee ‘cream’. I even added some soy milk to get to 15 oz as I didn’t see the notes at the bottom. Still turned out perfect. I added a pinch of salt as well.
Tonight I made two 6 inches instead of one 9 in. I baked the crust for 10 mins this time. I used a whole can of coconut cream, and baked it for 35 mins. My oven is off and I’m going to leave it in there for another 35 mins. Then refrigerate overnight. Hopefully 35 mins is the right time for a vegan cheesecake. I just googled how long other recipes bake. 6 in cheesecake for. Fingers crossed!
Thank you for this amazing recipe!!!
Hi Sheila! Glad you had a fun friendsgiving! ❤️ We oftentimes will play around with the amount of sugar used in a recipe, so it never hurts to go lower on sugar…you can always just add more blueberry topping! I love the idea of making 6 inch cheesecakes. You could even make them as a layer cake, or use one of them as a layer between two round chocolate cakes. Yum! Love your creativity with this! Also, I have used this recipe as a foundation for other cheesecakes too, such as my Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake. I made a Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake with it as well, but didn’t get the photos ready in time for this year. But you can see my point — this is a nice foundational vegan cheesecake recipe you can use to adapt as you see fit! Hugs!
Can this be frozen
Hi Ruth. I have frozen this recipe before. This is how I do it: 1) Make the cheesecake and turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven 2) Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least an hour 3) Cut into slices 4) Place slices on a tray and place that tray in the freezer 5) Once the slices are frozen, place them in a freezer bag or container. Hope that’s helpful!
Hi, wonderful recipe! Can i omitt the cashews? Thanks
Hi Noemi. Sure, you can omit the cashews. I have not tried it without cashews so I can’t say for sure it will set correctly. Let me know how it goes!
Will this cheesecake freeze?
Hi Liz, I have frozen individual slices, but have never tried freezing the whole cheesecake. The individual slices have frozen nicely and I sit the slice on the counter to thaw out before serving. Works great!
I wish you’d mentioned in the instructions not in the note at the bottom that you only used the solidified cream not the milk from the 15 oz can as I included the whole can which resulted in a soggy cheesecake!
Hi Sandra. Thanks for your comment. Coconut milk can be so tricky because it seems like each can be so variable with the liquid to fat ratio. I’m sorry you didn’t have a good experience and I appreciate your feedback. I’ve made this recipe multiple times and our family enjoys it (and variations of it…with different flavors). I will take another look at the recipe and see if there is another way to note this comment about the coconut milk.
Mine is like jello, I just took it out of the oven and I shook it a little and it was like wobbling but the middle was not wet. So I just put it in the fridge. Do I really have to put it in the fridge for 4 hours our can I just put it in for 1 hour and how long will it be good for
Other vegan recipes that use raw cashews usually say to soak them. Not here? Should I?
Hi Renee! Sometimes I soak cashews as well, but I found for this recipe it wasn’t necessary. I put them in the food processor and pulse with the other ingredients. We don’t have a fancy, hardcore food processor either. It does result in a “gritty” batter, but it bakes up just fine. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!