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!
Can I use coconut milk instead of cream?
Yes, you can just use mostly the creamy white part, if it’s separated in the can.
If I added more lemon zest and some lemon extract to this recipe do you think it would still be successful? I am trying to make a lemon vegan cheesecake 🙂
Absolutely! That sounds incredible, I’ve been meaning to make a lemon cheesecake for ages and just haven’t yet.
The flavor was amazing! Mine also turned out creamy in the middle, even after letting it set overnight. It browned on the top. I used Tofutti. Can I ask what the point of the tin foil and wax paper is? I couldn’t help but think the tin foil interfered with it cooking it properly. I was going to try it without next time. Otherwise, superb!
The parchment is to help it not stick on the bottom of the pan, and I wrap the tin foil around the bottom of the pan because when I tried it without, my oven smoked a ton from the crust. I think because there is a slight area that is open with a springform pan, some of the oil leaks out, a tiny bit but enough to make your oven smoke. Maybe try baking it an extra 10-15 minutes next time; oven temperatures can vary and it may take longer to get it fully cooked in the middle. Thanks!
ok, I’ll try that next time, thanks!
Amazing!
I ended up using the 9 in pie pan but didn’t read carefully enough, so I didn’t use half of the ingredients as you suggested. I had to watch the oven pretty carefully once I realized what I did, and I cooked it for longer, but turned out absolutely delicious.
I’m the only vegan in my family, but everyone loved it. Finally found vegan cheesecake I love! Thank you!
You’re so welcome!!
Flavor is great. I calibrated both the oven and the scale, set exact times, used Trader Joe’s vegan cream cheese. The middle is… soupy. I mean, it will cut, but it definitely It definitely won’t hold its shape. It was a test run for a party on Saturday. Advice on adjustments?
Have you let it cool for several hours? Because it will seem very soft until it’s been cooled a long time. Overnight is actually best! If you have let it cool for many hours and it’s still soft, you probably needed to bake it for a bit longer. Oven temperatures can vary, so that could be the problem. I’ve used TJ’s cream cheese several times and it works well.
Hi! Do you think that homemade cultured cashew cream cheese will work in this recipe or thestore bought has some important additives?
Place I live we doesn’t have vegan cream cheese in stres, as well as I can’t it soy.
I can say I hope it will work, and probably, but I can’t be sure as I’ve never made my own cultured vegan cream cheese to try it.
My daughter made this for Mother’s Day 2020. Absolutely delicious, perfect taste and texture.
Next time, she plans to double the crust.
Yummy
I’m so happy to hear that! Glad it was good!
I’m going to make this this weekend for Mother’s Day and am planning to use your vegan chocolate ganache recipe for topping. At what temperature/consistency would you suggest the ganache be when putting it on top of the cheesecake?
I would let it cool a bit, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator until it’s fairly thick, but still pourable. That sounds wonderful and I hope you enjoy it!
Hello! I only had 3 tubs of my tofutti cream cheese and I still added the regular amount of everything else. I am using a 9inch pan. My batter came out watery..what should I do? Will it harden in the fridge?
Oh shoot! It will probably harden somewhat but it might not, I haven’t tried it. Next time know you could just cut all the ingredients in half and make it in a regular 9 inch pie pan.
Yes, thank you!!
Beginner question: this cake i can also use vegan ricotta ? Thank you ! 🙂
I don’t think that would work for this, unfortunately. Sorry!
Oh my god this is the best thing I’ve ever tasted. This is just like real cheesecake. I used kite hill plain cream cheese bc I couldn’t find tofutti and topped it with a mixed berry compote. I’m writing this after letting it sit in the fridge to set for 8hrs. I saw the comment above I’m not sure if it will hold up For another day but assume it does if I don’t say anything. Truly amazing I gave it to my boyfriend and his Roomate who are not vegan and the could not tell the difference I 100% recommend once again Nora’s recipes are a hit
Thanks so much!
Hi Nora-
I wanted to correct myself on a comment I made earlier. I used the Violife Cream cheese (My favorite cream cheese) to make this and it looked and tasted great before I cooked it. After cooking and refrigerating overnight, it didn’t look or taste as good as it did when using Tofutti. Could you please remove my previous comment about Violife working? I don’t want to mislead your readers, Thank you and my apologies for the confusion here.
I made the update. Thanks!
Lili, that was very considerate of you to ask for the update to your previous comment. Thank you.
Hi I accidentally bought unsweetened coconut cream. Will this work the same? Should I add more sugar?
Coconut cream is always unsweetened actually, at least the one I use, so that’s perfect!
Is there an alternative to coconut cream I could try?
I can’t have anything coconut.
Would plant based cream work?
I haven’t tried it with anything else, it might not firm up as much. But perhaps cashew cream would work. I’m not aware of another plant based cream, buy maybe.
Hi Nora! Can’t wait to try this one!!
Do you know if anyone has tried this with Violife cream cheese? We don’t have Trader Joe’s near us.
That is one brand I haven’t tested, so I’m not sure! It probably will though. Enjoy!
I agree!! I love it!! I made it with the Tufutti brand and it turned out excellent, except for that slight after taste of the cream cheese itself. I’m going to make it with the other cream cheese next weekend.
The Violife cream cheese is my new favorite! In my opinion it does not leave an odd aftertaste like some of the other brand do.
Hello, How long will this cheesecake last in the fridge?
Thank you!
It should last 4-5 days in the refrigerator, longer in the freezer.
Did it work with the violife?
What if I dont have vegan cream cheese? What else can I substitute… Thanks and more power!
Gosh I’m sorry, there is no real substitute for this particular recipe. But you could check out my No Bake Raspberry Cheesecake, as it is made with cashews and other things, not vegan cream cheese. Hope that helps!
This turned out very well, though I baked it longer as my springform was 8″ not 9″. Both non-vegans and vegans alike all enjoyed it! 🙂
I’m so glad to hear that!
I have to say that I was skeptical about this recipe at first because I haven’t had much luck with vegan desserts, but this was great and easy! I will definitely make it again. I really admire all the trial and error that goes into developing a recipe like this. Thanks!
You’re welcome! I’m glad you liked it!
Will arrowroot work just as well as cornstarch?
I haven’t tested it so it’s hard to say. Probably but I’m not sure, sorry!
Any tips to make this healthier? Would stevia extract or Maple screw up the consistency?
Maple syrup would not work, stevia might but it’s going to seriously affect the taste. If you know you like the taste, you probably would like it.
I used monk fruit sweetener and it was delightful!
Does this cheesecake melt when not in the fridge? Could I keep it out for 2-3 hours after it’s been set overnight?
It will soften eventually but I think it should be fine for 2-3 hours. It may get very soft though towards the end, it would be better to refrigerate it sooner.
Is it the Trader Joe’s Vegan cream cheese that’s in a green & blue tub?
Yes!
I made this cheesecake a few weeks ago wth the Trader Joes vegan cream cheese and “enjoy life” allergy friendly vanilla honey grams and it was fantastic. Tried again with daiya vegan cream cheese (couldn’t find the Trader Joe’s this time) and “Lucy’s” gluten free ginger snaps and it was a disaster. I don’t know what went wrong other then maybe some sort of chemical reaction. The cheesecake bubbled over in the oven and appears to have charmelised. What happened??
You know, the daiya cream cheese does not seem to work well in vegan cheesecake recipes, nor do I care for the flavor unfortunately. I get much more consistent results with Trader Joe’s brand, tofutti or even Kite Hill brand. I avoid daiya cream cheese these days.
Most excellent flavor!! Another awesome recipe!! I even went back for seconds!
Fantastic! Glad you liked it.
Finally a recipe without cashews and dates holy shit.
This was delicious and easy to make. I’m eating it right now. I used both tofutii and miyoko’s cream cheese, omitted the lemon (because miyoko’s cheese is super tangy already), and doubled the recipe for the crust because my pan is large. Tastes just like a normal cheesecake & has the same texture I remember. Thank you so much. This will be my go-to from now on.
I’m so glad it was great for you! Thanks for the comment.
Of course! 🙂 Just a quick question: if I were to make this into cupcake size liners, would it still be the same baking time? Thanks!
I haven’t tried it but the baking time would be much less. Probably 20-25 minutes.
Thank you. 🙂