Learn how to make the best vegan cheesecake ever! No, really! This cheesecake is light, creamy and smooth with no dairy or nuts. Plus, it’s easy to make and you don’t need a high powered blender!
With over 150 5-star ratings, this has become one of my most popular recipes. Since creating this recipe, I have also made a Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake and Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake that I think you’ll love!
Meet the vegan cheesecake of your dreams. Seriously, I was blown away by how delicious this turned out! No one would guess this cheesecake is vegan. It’s smooth, rich and creamy but also light in texture.
It took me SEVERAL attempts to get this recipe exactly like I wanted, and I finally achieved success! It reminds me of New York style cheesecake, and no one ever guesses it’s vegan.
What makes this vegan cheesecake the best?
- The texture and flavor is incredible – Truly. This is the cheesecake that tastes like the original, but better. Often when I buy a slice of cheesecake, it’s disappointing, but not this one!
- Nut free – A win if you have nut allergies! Many recipes call for nuts, but this vegan cheesecake is nut free.
- Easy to make – Putting this cheesecake together could not be easier. The hardest part is waiting for it to chill before you can dig in!
- No high powered blender needed – That’s right, unlike cashew based cheesecake recipes, you only need an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer). No fancy blender needed.
What’s in vegan cheesecake?
- Graham crackers – For the crust. To keep it vegan, use honey free graham crackers. You can also use Oreo cookies.
- Melted vegan butter or coconut oil – Also for the crust.
- Sugar – For the crust and the cheesecake filling.
- Vegan Cream Cheese – This is the key ingredient! I ONLY recommend using Tofutti cream cheese, as it provides consistent results. Other brands may work, but definitely not Violife or Trader Joe’s. Luckily Tofutti brand tends to be the least expensive and easiest to find.
- Coconut Cream– For the cheesecake filling. You need canned coconut cream, or you can use canned full fat coconut milk and only use the thick white part (you will need a few cans to get enough cream).
- Cornstarch – This helps thicken the cheesecake and makes it set up properly. Do not omit. Arrowroot or tapioca starch might work, but I haven’t tried it.
- Vanilla Extract – For flavor.
- Lemon Juice – Fresh is best, this adds to the tangy flavor.
How to make vegan cheesecake
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by wrapping the bottom and sides with aluminum foil. Make the crust with vegan graham crackers, melted butter or coconut oil and sugar. Simply mix them together in a bowl.
Press the crust mixture into the pan, firmly and evenly, coming up the sides just a little. Most graham crackers have honey, but Nabisco graham crackers do not. Chocolatey Chip Teddy Grahams also work. If you can’t find those, you can use vegan gingersnap cookies, Oreos or another similar vegan cookie/biscuit.
Make the cheesecake filling. First, beat the vegan cream cheese until smooth. Then, add the rest of the filling ingredients (coconut cream, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and lemon juice), and beat until very smooth.
Pour the smooth filling over the crust and spread it evenly.
Yes, I know it’s a LOT of vegan cream cheese, but this makes a large cheesecake! You will have 12 good sized slices. It’s perfect for holiday get togethers or birthday parties. If you’d like, you can cut the cheesecake filling ingredients in half, and bake it in a regular 9 inch pie pan instead.
Bake for 50 minutes, turn off the heat and let sit in the oven without opening the door for another 10 minutes. It will look jiggly and undercooked in the middle, but don’t worry. It will firm up perfectly after cooling.
Chill in the fridge for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. It will be soft if you try to serve it too soon. The texture is the most firm and perfect after about 24 hours, so plan ahead if you can.
Frequently Asked Questions
Run a large, sharp knife under hot water, wipe dry with a clean towel, and then slice. Repeat with each slice for very clean cut pieces of cheesecake.
No, cheesecake is not usually vegan because it’s made with dairy and often eggs. My recipe is 100% vegan and dairy free, of course!
This recipe cannot be made without vegan cream cheese, and homemade versions do not usually work. I do have a version without cream cheese here: Baked Cashew Cheesecake.
You can, yes! Simply cut all the ingredients in half, use a 9 inch pie pan and bake for 40 minutes instead of 50.
Yes, it can be frozen. Let it chill for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator before wrapping well and moving to the freezer. Or simply freeze slices to easy grab and go desserts.
It will keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
Gluten free vegan cheesecake
Substitute gluten free graham crackers or Oreos to make the cheesecake both gluten free and vegan.
Optional cheesecake toppings
Serve plain, with fresh berries or one of these:
- Vegan Caramel Sauce
- Vegan Lemon Curd
- Vegan Salted Caramel
- Vegan Chocolate Ganache
- Strawberry Sauce (recipe included below)
- Vegan Whipped Cream
More vegan cheesecake recipes
- Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake
- Vegan Oreo Cheesecake
- No Bake Mini Cheesecakes
- No Bake Layered Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake
- Oreo Mug Cheesecake
The Best Vegan Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 1/2 cups vegan graham cracker crumbs*
- 5 tablespoons melted vegan butter or coconut oil
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
For the filling
- 32 ounces (4 8-ounce packages) Tofutti vegan cream cheese See notes, do NOT use Trader Joe's!
- (1) 13.5 ounce can coconut cream
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, from about 2 small lemons
Optional fresh strawberry sauce
- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, from 1 small lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap a 9 inch springform pan with 1-2 layers of aluminum foil, covering the bottom and the sides. Cut a circle of parchment paper for the bottom of the pan, and spray lightly with oil.
For the crust
- In a medium bowl, add the cookie crumbs, melted vegan butter and sugar. Stir well to combine, then press down into the bottom of the prepared pan. Press down firmly and evenly, going up the sides a little. Set aside.
For the filling
- In the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, or using a handheld mixer, beat the vegan cream cheese until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Now add the rest of the filling ingredients and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Once it’s completely smooth, pour into prepared pan over the crust and spread evenly.
To bake
- Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. Do not open the oven door during this time. Turn off the heat, and let it sit in the oven for 10 more minutes. The cheesecake will be slightly jiggly, and not look very done in the middle. That is correct, it will firm up when it cools.
- Remove from the oven, and let it cool for about 15 minutes at room temperature before moving to the refrigerator to cool for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before slicing and serving. When ready to serve, slice and serve with any optional toppings.
Optional fresh strawberry sauce
- In a food processor, add 1 1/4 cups of the sliced strawberries (reserving 1/4 cup), sugar and lemon zest. Process until smooth. Toss with the sliced strawberries in a small bowl and chill for at least an hour before serving.
- Storing: Leftover cheesecake will keep for up to 7 days in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen.
Video
Notes
- Graham Crackers – Most graham crackers have honey, but Nabisco brand is vegan if you can find it or order it online. If not, you can also use vegan gingersnap cookies, Oreos or another similar cookie. Just simply add them to a blender/food processor and then measure 1 1/2 cups crumbs.
- Cream Cheese – I prefer Tofutti brand vegan cream cheese here, it’s the only brand I’ve had consistent results with. Trader Joe’s brand no longer works either, as they changed the formula. I would not recommend Daiya brand as it doesn’t turn out well for some reason. Violife also does NOT work here, so don’t try it! Some people have reported success with Kite Hill brand.
- If you can not find canned coconut cream, you can use 1 can of full fat coconut milk, just don’t use the light coconut milk. Plant based yogurt also works pretty well for a coconut free option.
- If you don’t have a springform pan, or want a smaller cheesecake, you can cut the cheesecake filling ingredients in half and use a regular 9-inch pie pan instead. It will still need about 40 minutes to bake.
- Additional toppings/flavors: Vegan Caramel Sauce, Vegan Chocolate Ganache or Vegan Whipped Cream.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally posted October 2018 and has been republished with new photos and simplified recipe process. I’m always working on improving my recipes and website. Thank you!
Hello Nora,
Happy holidays! I’m considering making your cheesecake recipe. My son and DIL like Kite Hill brand cream cheese. Have you or anyone in these comments tried this brand and if so, how did it come out?
Thanks!
Hi there! Will the 1x batch fill a 8″ cheesecake pan?
Is it a deep dish springform type pan? Even if it’s deep, 8 inches might be too small. I might cut the whole thing in half for a smaller cheesecake.
Its a springform pan yes and about 3″ tall! I’ll try it out
Hello – I work at TJ’s and know we have recently changed the recipe of our vegan cream cheese.
Maybe it was just bad luck, but the cheesecake came out extremely soupy and fell apart as soon as we cut into it. The flavor of the filling and crust was heavenly but I just wanted to let you know that maybe the new vegan cream cheese at Trader Joes is not good for this recipe!
What a bummer, it used to work perfectly in cheesecake recipes. 🙂 Still love Trader Joe’s though! Tofutti is the one brand that consistently works well, and seems to be the most readily available brand.
I used TJs vegan cream cheese before seeing this comment. I can confirm that it didn’t work. Same experience. The cake was very soupy. I actually cooked it for nearly 30 more minutes to try to get it to firm up, which helped somewhat… but it still didn’t fully set, even after 12+ hours in the fridge. I’m bummed it didn’t work b/c otherwise it seemed like a great recipe.
Hello! I just made this for the first time. Unfortunately, it turned out looking horrible 🙁 I used the “So Delicious”brand of cream cheese because it’s all I could find. I’m thinking that similar to Violife, this brand of cream cheese just simply doesn’t work for this recipe. Hoping to find some Tofutti and try again.
Update: we just tried the cheesecake for desert tonight and it tastes amazing! Just looks really funky on top. Not sure if it’s because of the brand or if I cooked it wrong. But thank you for this recipe, definitely will be using it again!
Thanks for the recipe but you don’t have the temp listed for the oven anywhere
It’s in Instruction #1 in the recipe card. 🙂 350 degrees F.
What am I able to use as a substitute for granulated sugar and not compromise the recipe?
I’m honestly not sure. Maybe coconut sugar but the cheesecake will be brown. Liquid sweeteners won’t work well here.
Can this be made in a 9×13 pan ?
I’ve never tried it, but I think it would work. I’m not sure how thick the bars will be. Or quite how long they will take. My guess is they will need about 45 minutes in the oven. If you try it, let me know how they turn out!
Hi Nora,
I have made your cheesecake before and it was unbelievably delicious.
I used the tofutti brand vegan cream cheese last time, but unfortunately I am unable to get it this time. Have you heard of anyone using the brand “Sheese” cream cheese product? If so, I am wondering how it turned out.
Thanks for sharing your scrumptious cheesecake recipe. Will be passing this one on to all my friends.
Thank you
Nancy Clarke
Thanks Nancy! I haven’t heard of anyone sharing if the Sheese brand works here or not. I wish I could find it near me and I’d test it out! Maybe someone has tried it and will comment here. If you do, let us know how it turns out. Thank you so much!
Well I know you said coconut milk but can I substitute it for any other plant milk?
Sorry, it won’t work, the cheesecake will be runny and not set properly.
Hi, this looks good! Have you tried it with sheese cream cheese?
I’ve never actually heard of that brand, so no I have not, sorry!
hi there!! planning to make this for a friend for christmas and i’m so excited!! just a couple of questions- i believe saw you replied to a comment and said that the only ingredient in the coconut cream should be coconut. what brand do you use? do you know if the thai kitchen brand works? the ingredients are coconut, water, and guar gum. and secondly, when you freeze this, about how long does it usually take to thaw? thanks in advance, happy holidays 🙂
Hi there, I hope you and your friend enjoy it! Thai Kitchen works yes. Guar gum is okay, but there are some products that have additional ingredients like sugar. Once frozen, it doesn’t take long to thaw really, maybe an hour or overnight in the fridge. I also enjoy it straight from the freezer.
Hi Nora,
I saw that you said for ‘mini muffin’ versions you would bake for 20-25 minutes… what are we looking for when we check them?
My plan is to make individual cheesecakes using 5cm (H) x 10cm (Dia.) springform tins or 3cm (H) x 12.4cm (Dia.) mini baking tins.
Roughly how long would I bake these for, and how will I know when they’ve been in the oven long enough?
I worry that the instructions say to not open the oven door, is there something that we’d be looking for through the glass?
Thanks
Mini cheesecakes are going to take less time to cook and less time to chill. Your pan sounds more like regular muffin size or larger? So they might need about 30-40 minutes. The cheesecakes will look cooked, except for maybe the middle, but they won’t be totally firm until they chill. Because I haven’t tested every pan size, it’s hard for me to say exactly how long it will take, but with mini sizes, there is a little bit of give. You probably don’t need to worry about not opening the oven door as much for smaller cheesecakes. Hope that helps!
Making this for vegan GF niece for Xm. Can I freeze this for 4-5 days?
That’s a fun idea! I love it! It freezes very well. It’s really good straight from the freezer, and should be fine for 2 months or so. You’ll be fine for 4-5 days!
I’ve tried several times to make vegan cheesecake from several different recipes and this one turned out perfect! My family loved it! It won’t be the last time I make, delicious!
Hi Angela! I am so glad the cheesecake turned out perfect, and that you and your family loved it! I appreciate you taking time to share your wonderful review and comments! I have other cheesecake recipes you may want to try out as well. Happy cooking!
Hi Nora
Our daughter is Vegan and I make your 2 layer Pumpkin Cheesecake every Thanksgiving. It’s so delicious.
I want to make your Best Vegan Cheesecake and top with your Lemon Curd. Do you think it would work together? Do you have any suggestions?
I think that would be fabulous together! Thanks so much!
Hello! I asked a question about mixing ahead earlier, but I can’t find it. Is it possible to mix now, bake later? Thanks!
I’ve never tried it, but you probably could prepare the cheesecake filling a day ahead of time.
Thank yo for sharing this recipe. I just made it for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit. I was nervous because it was so jiggly when it came out of the oven. I put it in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then served it. It is the best cheesecake we’ve ever had. My guests had no idea it was vegan until i told them. I followed your recipe exactly and am so glad I did. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. If anyone is on the fence about this recipe, don’t be- make it and you’ll never regret it!!!
Hi Kristen. I’m thrilled the cheesecake turned out wonderful for you! Welcome to my recipes! I have lots of them, and I hope you enjoy your journey through them! Thank you for taking time to share your wonderful review and comments. Let me know if you have any questions as you explore my recipes. Happy cooking!
Hey!! This recipe looks amazing, but we don’t have vegan cream cheese other than Violife in my country! Do you think silken tofu would work as well? Thank you so much in advance! 🙂
Sorry, I don’t think this particular recipe will work with silken tofu or anything other than vegan cream cheese. It’s a bit picky! I have made no bake cheesecakes using Violife and it does work there. You can use this recipe: Oreo Cheesecake, and omit the oreos if you like to make a more plain cheesecake. Hope that helps!
Has anyone added cocoa powder to make this a chocolate cheesecake? I am going to try that for thanksgiving this year. Any results on how much cocoa to put in would be helpful.
I have a Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake recipe, so you are in luck! Check it out!
Mine is in the oven as we speak! I have made it about 4 times and i LOVE it. So do all my non-vegan freinds! I do want to say because it is so thick I cook it for 70 min. Then I shut the oven off and leave it in there for at least 30 min or till oven is pretty cool. I also add 1 extra tblsp. of cornstarch. I only make it a few times a year as a specialty as I would eat it all myself!!!
Thank you or sharing your great review, comments, and ideas! I’m thrilled you love the cheesecake! I hope you have a lovely holiday! Happy cooking!
If I want to make mini cheesecake bites in muffin tins, any suggestions on how long to bake them?
Hi Kim. It kind of depends on how mini you are talking! I have not tested this, however, I would say that if baked in a muffin pan, bake about 20-25 minutes in the oven. I hope this helps!
I am looking forward to making this. I shopped for all the ingredients today. I could only find whipped tofutti cream cheese in 12 oz containers. Do you think this work and if so, how much should I use??
That should work; I would use the exact same amount, 32 ounces total.
Read the notes! I used Daiya plant-based cream cheese and it was disastrous! I could’ve saved myself a few hours and a lot of frustration if I’d just read the notes. ??♀️
Is there a substitute for the corn starch?
I haven’t tried a substitute, so I’m not sure. Others have reported using tapioca starch, however, I have not tried it. I’m afraid tapioca starch may cause the texture to be a little odd.
Has anyone had success freezing this? I want to make it ahead of time for holiday dinners. Thanks in advance!
I have frozen it several times since it’s so big. 🙂 It freezes very well. Enjoy!