Salted Caramel Vegan Cheesecake (Heartfelt Table) is made with a quality vegan cream cheese, visit the health store to find the best brand. The cheesecake is then topped with a homemade caramel made with brown sugar, vegan butter (no palm oil), coconut cream, vanilla and salt.
Like most vegan cheesecakes, this is based on soaked cashew nuts. High in protein and calcium, they are naturally buttery in taste, so ideal to replace animal products. You can alternatively use macadamia nuts but keep them well away from pets, as they are very toxic to furry friends.
Avoid high-caffeine cheesecakes (chocolate, coffee) for pregnancy/nursing. If you live with companion animals, see toxic foods to keep away from pets. Many cheesecake ingredients like coffee, pecans and other nuts, nutmeg and xylitol (just use a little natural sugar or sweetener) are unsafe – not just chocolate.
Date Caramel Cheesecake (Le Petit Eats) has a light silky texture, and is topped with date caramel sauce. It is free from vegan cheese, so uses lemon juice for the tangy flavour.
Cheesecake is one of the world’s most popular desserts. First created on the Greek island of Samos in 2000BC, today we mostly know it for NYC cheesecake, a baked vanilla creamy layer on a biscuit base, often topped with fruit coulis. This was not invented until the late 1800s when a local man accidentally created cream cheese, while trying to soften a French cheese. Vegan Lemon Cheesecake (Rainbow Nourishments) uses 10 everyday ingredients.
Making your own cheesecake is good, because most ones sold tend to use dairy from factory farms, refined sugar biscuit bases (which often have butter and palm oil) and the fruit toppings and plastic packaging do not a zero waste wholesome dessert make. But we will finish the post with links to some cheesecake mix brands, if you want to cheat!
Guiness Chocolate Cheesecake (Addicted to Dates) uses the Irish (now vegan) black stout, to give oomph and flavour, though you could use an artisan black stout (we like Toast Ale Coffee Porter that is partly brewed with leftover bread, to replace some of the yeast, and gives all profits to a food waste charity).
Other popular types of cheesecake worldwide are pumpkin, lemon and chocolate. More a dessert than a cake, most versions are baked, but you can also make raw cheesecakes (normally frozen). And if the crust-thing has you flummoxed, there are recipes below for simple cheesecake jars, which are easier to make (and likely have less calories!)
This No-Bake Caramel Apple Cheesecake (Addicted to Dates) is made with layers of ginger cookie crust, creamy apple vegan cheesecake, sticky caramel and cooked apples. Lovely for a winter dessert. Mr Organic Multi-Grain Biscuits are free from palm oil, made with chia and flax seeds – also in orange cocoa and cocoa flavours.
Making a Palm-Oil-Free Cheesecake Base
Most vegan cheesecakes tend to one of three types of bases. You can buy ready-made biscuits and crumble them up. You can use a Graham cracker base. Or you can make your own, usually a healthy blend of ground oats, often naturally sweetened with dates.
Vegan Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Pie Crust (Bojon Gourmet) can freeze for a month or two. When ready, just bake as the recipe, but increase baking time by 5 minutes or so. It uses Graham crackers as an ingredient (homemade or storebought). As most graham crackers contain palm oil, the simplest option is to just use crumbled biscuits (cookies).
This is not zero waste but a simple option, and enables you to easily swap flavours (say buying ginger or chocolate biscuits). Mr Organic Multi-Grain Biscuits are made with chia and flax seeds. Also in orange cocoa and cocoa flavours. Or Italy’s Seggiano offers organic wholegrain biscuits, which are minimally sweetened, made with sunflower oil and stone-pressed organic kamut. Or make your own vegan digestives (or gluten-free). Digestives use baking soda they were invented to give to people with poor digestion).
How to Make a Vegan Cheesecake Filling
The most popular options are cashews and silken tofu. In most cases, the cashews are soaked overnight (or simmered that is quicker or if you forget) then blended into a neutral thick cream to which you add flavours. Or silken tofu (the softer version that looks like custard) is the other main option. Another quick cheat option is to use vegan cream cheese, but you would need a lot, and it may be too sickly if that’s all you use. Vegan Chocolate Orange Cheesecake (Addicted to Dates) is a no-bake dessert made with fresh oranges, dark chocolate and vegan cream cheese.
Then it’s time to flavour the filling, a simple case of blending in whatever you are going to use, from fruits to chocolate. Then you just pour the filling into the base and usually set or freeze, and top with whatever you want, from fresh fruits to chocolate curls.
Vegan Baked Cheesecake Recipes
Cranberry Baked Vegan Cheesecake (Lazy Cat Kitchen) is made with North American berries (Scandinavians could sub with lingonberries) with pecans and cinnamons sitting in an oat cookie crust. Infused with ginger, orange, vanilla.
Ginger & Orange Vegan Cheesecake (Rainbow Plant Life). Avoid excess ginger for pregnancy/early miscarriage, due to risk of contracting the uterus.
White Choc Cheesecake with Rhubarb & Ginger (Lazy Cat Kitchen) uses everyone’s favourite fruit, for a unique dessert. Don’t compost rhubarb leaves as they contain a toxin that can harm garden friends. Just bin and the leaves will naturally biodegrade. Check medication before eating.
More Vegan Cheesecake Recipes
No-Bake Mocha Cheesecake (Addicted to Dates) is a heavenly dessert, with a raw brownie base and layers of creamy vanilla, espresso and mocha cheesecake. Contains walnuts. The filling is made with cashews, coconut cream, silken tofu and vegan cream cheese, flavoured with lemon and vanilla. When done, you can torch the meringue or put it under the grill for a few seconds, but be careful, as the meringue is easily burned (or just don’t, if worried!)
No-Bake Mint Chocolate Cheesecake (Crowded Kitchen) combine a chocolate crust and a creamy mint filling. This light dessert is easily made in a food processor, serve in glass jars.
Purple Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bars (Crowded Kitchen) are gluten-free. The crushed cinnamon cookie base is combined with pecans, cashew butter, vanilla, maple syrup and sea salt, then topped with a blend of potatoes and soaked cashews.
Strawberry Cheesecake Vegan Ice Cream (Crowded Kitchen) is a tangy vanilla base, with a strawberry swirl and a buttery graham cracker topping.
Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake (Addicted to Dates) is a no-bake dessert that is very easy to make. The homemade blueberry sauce gives an intense flavour and bright colour.
Vegan Cheesecake To Your Door
Posh Puddin’ is a mother-daughter team that makes lovely vegan cheesecakes in glass jars, with no palm oil. These artisan treats use a pea and coconut alternative, made in the heart of London with quality organic ingredients, including locally-sourced fresh fruits. From the crumbly oat biscuit base to the vegan white chocolate, no expense is spared for plant-based indulgence. Use a letterbox guard for homes with pets (due to chocolate etc).
A portion of sales go to help those without food or shelter (they also donate vegan cheesecakes to give people in need a treat!) Best serve chilled, they keep in the fridge where they will stay fresh for up to 7 days. Choose from:
- Strawberry Shortbread
- Salted Caramel with Sticky Apple
- Creme Caramel
- White Chocolate Raspberry
- Tiramisu
