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A slice of vegan no-bake cheesecake has cherry sauce on top.
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Vegan No-Bake Cheesecake

Tangy lemon meets creamy clouds on a crunchy crust...your new vegan dessert obsession! This vegan no-bake cheesecake is an easy-to-make dessert you'll want to serve at parties, dinners, or even random weeknights.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 50 minutes
Servings 9 slices
Calories 413kcal

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs Use gluten-free graham crackers for gluten-free or regular graham crackers
  • 3 tabeslpoons brown sugar
  • 7 tablespoons vegan butter melted

Vegan Whipped Cream

  • 17 oz container plant-based whipping cream (see notes)
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix (see notes)

Cheesecake Filling

  • 1 cup vegan cream cheese (an 8 oz container), softened
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions

  • Chill Whipped Cream Stuff: Chill the bowl, whisk or mixer attachment, and whipping cream so they’re very cold.

For the Pie Crust:

  • Mix crumbs, melted fat, and brown sugar. Press into base and up the sides of 9-inch springform pan. Press it firmly into the pan, using the back of a measuring cup to press it tightly, to prevent crumbling when you cut slices. Chill in the fridge or freezer. while you assemble filling.
    1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, 7 tablespoons vegan butter, 3 tabeslpoons brown sugar
    A measuring cup is being used to press graham cracker crust into a pan.

For the Whipped Cream:

  • Add the chilled whipping cream to the chilled bowl. Using a hand or stand mixer with the whisk or paddle attachment, whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (4 to 5 minutes). Add powdered sugar and vanilla pudding mix and whip to combine. Reserve 1 ½ cups of whipped cream in a lidded container and refrigerate it.
    17 oz container plant-based whipping cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix

For the Cream Cheese Filling:

  • Add room temperature vegan cream cheese to a bowl. Stir vigorously until smooth, without lumps. Add powdered sugar and lemon juice and stir to combine. Stir until just creamy. You don't want to overwhip vegan cream cheese.
    1 cup vegan cream cheese, ¼ cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the mixing bowl with the whipped cream, beating in between additions.
    A cream cheese mixture is being spooned into a mixing bowl with whipped cream.
  • Add the filling to the chilled pie crust. Smooth the top with an offset spatula.
    A cheesecake mixture is being spooned over graham cracker crust in a pan.
  • Cover the pan with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours, up to overnight.
  • To serve, use a knife to run around the edge of the pan, then unhook the rim and remove it. Add dollops of reserved whipped cream and fresh berries for serving.

Video

Notes

For Vegan Whipping Cream

I used Country Crock Plant Cream Heavy Whipping Cream. There are other plant-based whipping creams available, such as Rich's dairy-free whipping cream (sold in the freezer section).

About that Vanilla Pudding Mix

I used instant Jell-O Vanilla Pudding Mix and the ingredients show it is dairy-free. Check the ingredients because they sometimes change their formulations. Also, you can try different flavors. For example, they have a cheesecake-flavored pudding mix, which might be a very nice touch.
If you do not want to use pudding mix in your cheesecake, simply substitute 2 teaspoons of a vanilla extract. This cheesecake will still taste amazing and hold its shape fairy well, But the whipped cream dollops you add on top will not hold their shape. 

Make Ahead Tips

Make this cheesecake up to 2 days in advance. You can also freeze it for up to 2 to 3 months.

Toppings

Decorete your cheesecake with vegan whipped cream, strawberry puree, blueberry sauce, caramel sauce, etc. I used a Wilton #1 Star piping tip for the whipped cream. 

Nutrition

Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
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