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!
followed this recipe to a T but when i cut a slice it was completely gooey on the inside. not sure what went wrong!
This probably means it wasn’t set quite yet or underbaked. You can leave it in the fridge for a few hours longer and hopefully that will help!
It looks so delicious, I’ll try it too.
Hi! I want to make this recipe with your Vegan Caramel Sauce as the topping. I also want to add pecans on top. When would be the best time to pour it over top? When it comes out of the oven? Would I pour it when its hot? Thanks!!
Caramel would be so delicious on the cheesecake! Pour the caramel on top when it’s cooled down and when the cheesecake has firmed up or after it’s set in the fridge. Really hot caramel may ruin the cake’s texture.
I can’t have coconut, is there a good alternative to the coconut cream?
Sorry, this recipe won’t work without coconut cream or coconut milk.
Try sour cream!
Have you or (anyone) tried it with the vegan sour cream instead and is it the same amount as coconut cream? Looking for an alternative to the coconut cream as well.
This cheesecake ended up coming out okay and was good for a vegan version, however, it was incredibly hard to cook. I appreciate that there are oven differences but mine was completely watery still after 50 min. I think it’s important to open the oven and CHECK the cheesecake after the 50 min before starting the cooling process. I ended up restarting the oven and cooked it for an extra 30 min checking it every 5 min. It remained VERY jiggly and soft however by this point, the outside was burning. It did end up firming up after refrigeration, but it was just so hard to determine when this was ready to come out of the oven. I also added extra lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract so make it a bit more flavorful. Will not be baking this again.
The recipe notes you can cut the recipe in half and put it into a 9in pan but then you note the recipe makes one large cheesecake so are the instructions for a 9in pan or 12in? If we are cutting the recipe in half wouldn’t it be in a smaller pan from the original recipe ?
The cheesecake is baked in a 9-inch springform pan, which is taller than a 9-inch pie pan. That’s why I suggested cutting the recipe in half – the batter would overflow in a pie pan!
Have anyone used Violife Cream cheese for this recipe? Please respond because I want to make this for my husband. He loves Cheese cakes.
Thanks,
Hi Mary. Do not use Violife for this cheesecake. I prefer Tofutti brand vegan cream cheese for this recipe. Hope this helps!
Can this be made without the crust?
I haven’t tried it without the crust but I’m sure it will work! Make sure to let it set and firm up for at least 4 hours or else the slices will be too soft.
Made it yesterday, tried it today, it is awesome, this is my very first vegan cheesecake, is a bit softer that the regular but we love it! I did use almond flour for the crust, everything else was the same, did use the brand you recommended for the vegan cream cheese.
Wanted to share picture but couldn’t figure it out
It is wonderful to hear you loved the cheesecake, Hilda! Thank you for your wonderful feedback!
Can i omit the lemon juice ?
The lemon really helps balance the other flavors and gives the cake a nice brightness, but you can leave it out if you need to.
Hi Nora, this cheesecake has a great taste and the crust is perfect (I made it with myokos butter. I wrapped the pan in foil as you suggested and baked it 50 mins with an extra 10 minutes in the turned off oven. The center of the cake was somewhat jiggly and had one crack across the top. I then refrigerated it for 24 hrs.
When I cut it, I found that the outside edges were set perfectly. But the center of the cake was just creamy and spread all over the plate. I’m not sure if it needs more baking time in my oven or if the fact that I used Kite Hill cream cheese for it instead of the Tofutti that you recommended made the difference. I would like to know your thoughts on this. Because the taste was so like cheesecake I will make this again.
Hi Connie! A couple of things – I haven’t tried using Kite Hill cream cheese, so I do wonder if that’s why it didn’t set properly. Also, it may have needed a few extra minutes in your oven. Oven temperatures can vary, so that is possible, but I think it’s much more likely about the brand of cream cheese you used. If you can try Tofutti brand, that is probably the very best outcome. It works really well and you will have a firm cheesecake even in the very middle, after baking and then chilling. Hope that helps!
Thanks for your reply Nora. I’m going to try Tofutti and will let you know how it turns out.
I normally don’t write reviews…..but I had to!! I made this for my daughter who has severe allergies to eggs, dairy,nuts & seeds. This cheesecake is absolutely WONDERFUL! I followed the recipe and tried getting a little “fancy” (later realized I forgot the lemon juice…it still tasted great) My fanciness included adding real vanilla bean and trying to cut down on sugar. I used half Swerve and half sugar. For the crust I used vanilla wafers and ginger snaps. I baked it for 60 minutes then left it in the oven for 15 minutes. The top was browned…..I was able to peel it off. It was also very jiggly. With fingers crossed and 24 hrs in refrigerator. It sliced beautifully! Taste was great! My son who doesn’t like tofu thought it was real cheesecake. My daughter loved it.. Thank you very much for sharing your recipe!!
Hi Dee. You are welcome! I’m so glad you had a wonderful experience with the cheesecake recipe, and that it turned out great for your daughter! Thank you for taking time to share your review and feedback!
Hiya!! Tried making this last night for a cast where several people can’t wait gluten/dairy and the top part of my cheesecake/outter rim turned out pretty well but I found that towards the center, and the crust/bottom was quite soggy? I followed the instructions to a tee outside of using vegan butter in the crust instead of melted coconut oil and let it set overnight so I’m not sure what happened..?
Should I just try and bake it a little longer next time? I also noticed the recipe doesn’t mention any parbaking of the crust which I’ve done for non vegan crusts should I try that next time..?
Still tastes great at least ❤
Hi there! It sounds like perhaps you used a different crust or made some substitutions to make it gluten free? That could have made the crust soggy. I never pre-bake the crust and it’s always fine. I also think vegan butter actually works better for the crust. Hope that helps a bit and everyone enjoys the cheesecake!
I have made this recipe twice and it is absolutely delicious. The first time I made it I was really concerned about how jiggly it was, because it was really really jiggly but I left it in the fridge for 24hours and it firmed up perfectly. It’s so great that my husband who is not vegan said that it’s the best cheesecake he’s ever had and has requested it for his birthday cake – very high praise. Thanks for this recipe!
You’re so welcome, Roberta! I’m so glad you and your husband loved the cheesecake!
Can I freeze this for a later time?
Yes, it freezes well. Just let it cool completely first in the refrigerator, then wrap well and freeze.
We made this cheesecake as my husband’s birthday cake. We usually will practice a new recipe beforehand to test it out before serving it to our guests but we didn’t have time. Luckily, this recipe truly made the BEST Vegan Cheesecake!! Before placing the cheesecake in the oven, the batter didn’t quite taste like cheesecake and we cooked it a few minutes longer than the instructions. Though it was all still jiggly, it solidified PERFECTLY when we served it the next day. The non-Vegans LOVED this cheesecake (we made the strawberry topping, too) and it was definitely a hit with the whole crowd!!! Can’t recommend this recipe enough! Thanks for creating this recipe!!!
I’m so glad the cheesecake was a perfect hit for your husband’s birthday! Happy birthday to him! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful review and feedback! I appreciate you using my recipes! Happy cooking!
If you only have access to daiya cream cheese, or violife (like myself, in Canada), this recipe still works if you just don’t bake it, and put it in the freezer overnight! just gotta figure out how to keep the crust together, I would just make it an upside down cheese cake personally! great recipe 🙂
I love this recipe but I have a question. When adding the coconut cream, is it the entire can or just the thick top part? I have read in other recipes that only the thick top is required but in the recipe you don’t specify that. Can you clarify on use of the coconut cream?
You’ll use the entire can of coconut cream (both the thick white part and the liquid).
Trader Joe’s new version of cream cheese exploded in my oven, as others have said. bummer. Looking at the ingredients, TJs is mostly coconut oil whereas Tofutti is mostly soy and soy protein. I’m not a food tech but I suspect this is the issue. It appears that a dry crust formed in the last 10 minutes of baking. There was a tremendous amount of steam that needed a way out. Hence, exploding cheesecake out the sides of the pan.
I’m still hopeful that it will be salvageable. I’ll wait for it to cool thoroughly and then delicately remove the top layer.
Otherwise, Imagonna buy me some tofutti.
I am not vegan but I made this for bookclub where I have a friend that is vegan. Everyone loved it, including me! It was so creamy and tasty. I will totally make this again!
Traders Joes changed their cream cheese last summer, I’ve made this recipe for 2 years and never had a problem until they changed recipes. Any suggestions? It now explodes in the oven
That is such a bummer that they changed the recipe. I haven’t used Trader Joe’s cream cheese in quite a while. Use tofutti brand for best results. It never fails me!
This was delicious! It turned out perfectly and you couldn’t taste the difference between vegan and regular cheesecake! I was blown away. So, so good.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
I used Vevan brand cream cheese, and it came out very oily (I literally used paper towel to soak a layer of oil off the top). The taste is still on point, though! I don’t think it would hold together out of the pan, but I’m planning to eat all of it by myself out of the pan anyway ?
So I have a lot of rupee bananas and I saw on another blog that they used banana for their cheesecake but my husband and Ibhave found your recipes to be our favorite. W that being said, would it be okay to add bañas to this recipe?
It’s suppose to say ripe bananas
Can arrowroot be used in place of corn starch?
Hi Macie. I have never used arrowroot for the recipe. I don’t think this will work in place of corn starch. I did receive a comment where someone tried using arrowroot and the cheesecake did not set. Corn start is the best option for this recipe1. Hope this helps!
Can I bake this cheesecake at 300 degrees & in a water bath?
I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure. It would need much longer in the oven though at such a low temperature.