This ultra-rich, decadently creamy and smooth Vegan New York Cheesecake is surprisingly easy to make. Enjoy as it is or get a little fancy with your choice of topping. It is vegan dessert perfection and you absolutely need it in your life.....
Vegan Cheesecake has got to be one of my all-time favourite desserts. I love anything rich, creamy and decadent and it doesn't get much more rich and decadent than this Vegan New York Style Cheesecake.
Jump to:
I have made and eaten a lot of vegan cheesecake (all in the name of research of course ;O) and whilst they are mostly very lovely, they aren't like "real" baked New York Cheesecake.
My Vegan New York Cheesecake is just like a "real" baked cheesecake in texture. Dense, rich, super creamy and very satisfying. It's as amazing as my vegan chocolate cheesecake.
To get the perfect vegan baked cheesecake texture I experimented with many different ingredients and methods. I settled for a combination of cashew nuts and chickpeas. Yes, the humble but quite awesome chickpea is the secret ingredient here.
Please do not let that scare you off. You would NEVER know.
You might remember that they made a surprise appearance in my Healthy Raspberry Chocolate Fudge Tart, and that's what gave me the idea of adding them here.
The cashews give the filling it's creaminess and the chickpeas give the denseness, in a similar way that heavy cream cheese and eggs would in a non-vegan baked cheesecake. It's so similar in texture it's scary.
How to make vegan New York Cheesecake
This Vegan New York Cheesecake is surprisingly easy to make.
- Step 1 - First you need to make the crust and let is set in the fridge. For this I use my Vegan Digestive Biscuits recipe but you could also use vegan graham crackers, or to make life easier you can use store bought digestive biscuits or graham crackers (some are accidentally vegan). All you have to do is blend them with some vegan butter or coconut oil in a food processor.
- Step 2 - Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan (or similar). My go to bakeware is always USA Pan. Their spring form pan is great.
- Step 3 - While the crust is setting up in the fridge, blend the filling ingredients together until smooth. I recommend soaking the cashew nuts in boiling water before blending in the instructions, but if you have a high powered blender like a Blendtec or a Vitamix then you can get away without doing this.
- Step 4 - Once the filling is blended and smooth, pour it on to the base and bake.
- Step 5 - Allow to cool then refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
For such a decadent dessert it's all pretty easy really!
Serving suggestions
Whilst this Vegan New York Cheesecake is absolutely delicious on it's own, I love to top it with a little something extra.
The healthiest option is fresh fruit. Juicy berries in particular are very nice. Then there's my Five Minute Vegan Caramel Sauce, my Blueberry Lavender Sauce or my Vanilla Roasted Strawberries ♡
Or my Vegan Lemon Curd or Pumpkin Caramel Sauce...♡♡
I think the Pumpkin Caramel Sauce is my favourite cheesecake topping so far. It is a very indulgent combo and is extremely rich but that's how I like my desserts!
For a festive spin on this cheesecake you could top it with a layer of my sweet, boozy Mincemeat.
Success tips
- Blend absolutely thoroughly. The filling needs to be smooth as silk.
- Be sure to use a springform pan so you can get the cheesecake out easily once it's ready.
- Follow the recipe closely for best results.
- Don't overbake. It should have a wobble in the middle and it will set up properly as it cools.
- Don't cut/serve until it has been refrigerated.
Storage
Vegan cheesecake leftovers will keep really well in the fridge for up to a week. Just be sure to cover it so it doesn't dry out.
So to summarize, this Vegan New York Cheesecake is:
- Rich
- Creamy
- Tangy
- Easy to make
- Perfectly sweet
- And just like the real thing!
- I can't wait for you to try it!
Hungry for more?
📖 Recipe
Vegan New York Cheesecake
Author:
Ingredients
FOR THE BASE
- 350g / about 23 biscuits/cookies digestive biscuits (can sub graham crackers) - if you use my digestive biscuit recipe you will need almost the whole batch (minus about 3). For a gluten-free version use gluten-free cookies
- OR vegan graham crackers
- 4 tablespoons melted vegan butter , or coconut oil
FOR THE FILLING
- 300g / 2 cups raw cashews ,soaked in boiling water for 15 mins then drained (measured before soaking)
- 175g / 1 cup canned chickpeas , drained & rinsed well
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder , or 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder , or cornstarch (cornflour in the UK)
- 120mls / ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 can / 400 ml can full fat coconut milk (must be full fat, not light & if your can is 398 mls that's fine.
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 320F
- Prepare the tin. Use the bottom of a deep 9 inch spring form pan . It must be at least 3 inches deep (see recipe notes if you have another size pan). to draw a circle on some parchment paper. Cut out the circle and use it to line the bottom of your pan. Line the sides of the pan with a long rectangular strip of baking parchment. Use a little mildly flavoured oil on the pan first to make the paper stick
- Put digestive biscuits (or graham crackers) into a food processor with the butter/coconut oil and blend until well combined and in fine crumbs.
- Press into the bottom of the tin. Make sure it is even and pressed down firmly then refrigerate while you make the filling.
- Add all the filling ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Remove base from the fridge and pour the filling in carefully.
- Bake for around 50 minutes but this will vary depending on your oven and the pan you use. It should be set well around the edges and have a little tiny bit of a wobble in the middle when done.
- Remove and allow to cool then refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours or overnight.
NOTES
- Blend absolutely thoroughly. The filling needs to be smooth as silk.
- Be sure to use a springform pan so you can get the cheesecake out easily once it's ready.
- Follow the recipe closely for best results.
- Don't overbake. It should have a wobble in the middle and it will set up properly as it cools.
- Don't cut/serve until it has been refrigerated
Storage - Store in the fridge for freshness, but unlike a lot of vegan cheesecakes it won't melt into a puddle if left at room temperature for a while before serving. Leftovers will keep really well in the fridge for up to a week. Just be sure to cover it so it doesn't dry out.
The pan - If you do not have a deep 9 inch spring form tin then an 8 or a 10 inch will be ok. The cooking time just might need to be adjusted very slightly. Using an 8 inch tin will make it take a little longer as it will be a bit deeper. Probably only 5 or 10 minutes longer though. If you use a 10 inch it will probably be ready a few minutes earlier as it wont be quite as deep. Follow my guide in the instructions for knowing when it is ready. A deep spring form tin is ideal for this recipe. If you do not have one then a tin with a removable bottom will also work. Do not try to make it in a cake pan with no removable bottom as you will never get it out. If you do not have a deep pan then you might need to use a bigger than 9 inch pan in order to fit everything in.
Oil-free? If you follow an oil-free diet then you can omit the crust and just cook the cheesecake filling. You can do this in the same way as above but you will need to make absolutely sure that your springform tin is leak proof as it won't have the biscuit layer covering the seams. The last thing you want is for the cheesecake to leak out before it sets up in the oven. Practise with the tin by filling it with water to see if any drips out. If it doesn't you are good to go. If it does then don't use that tin!
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
Ruth says
Excited to make this! Will this freeze well? If so, how long do you think? Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
I have never tried freezing it. I would imagine it would be ok but can't say for sure. If you try it let me know how it goes!
Daniela says
I wanted to thank you for sharing this great recipe! I modified it a little and made it into a grain free carob cheesecake and it was fantastic! Even or omni friends liked it! Thank you thank you! Next attempt will be pumpkin cheesecake! Happy holidays and have a great new year!
A Virtual Vegan says
It sounds great. So glad you all enjoyed it! The adaptation possibilities are endless with this recipe. Pumpkin would be so good!
Celine says
Looking forward to making this gorgeous cheesecake. Can you please elaborate on the nutritional sheet. 524 cal for one serving! I am assuming this cake could easily have 8-12 serving. Thank you
A Virtual Vegan says
The nutritional info is calculated on the cheesecake serving 10 people. For future reference the number of servings on my recipes is at the beginning of the recipe with the cook time etc. My serving sizes are never super tiny (I have a big appetite!) so you could easily stretch this to 12 people if you needed to.
Cara says
This recipe tuned out great! My cheesecake-loving son gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up. I did not have a spring form pan, but there was just about the perfect amount of filling for two nine-inch store bought graham cracker pie crusts. I reduced the cooking time to 35 minutes (although don't quote me on that, my oven is kind of dodgy) and added a homemade cherry sauce. Divine!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! I'm so glad you all enjoyed it. I can imagine how good cherry sauce was with it!
Joanna says
I have a can of chickpeas. What do you mean by cooked? Also, will it be ok if I made the cheesecake 5 days in advance? Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
Cooked as in not dried chickpeas. Canned chickpeas are cooked before they go in the can so are fine. I would worry that the base might get a little soggy if you make it 5 days in advance. That's quite a long time. I'd say up to 2 days before would be better.
Mindlyly says
Impressive.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you!
Violaine says
Thank you, your recipe sounds very promising. I have a question concerning the full fat coconut milk to make sure I pick the right one. How much fat do you have in your coconut milk? I found one with 22 g fat for 100 ml (3,4 oz). Is it enough?
A Virtual Vegan says
I just checked a can in my cupboard and it is 14g of fat per 79ml, so roughly the same as yours. It will be fine!
Isabelle Adams says
Do you think if i added oreos to this to make it an oreo cheesecake, it would still turn out okay?
A Virtual Vegan says
Yes. I have a couple of readers who make it like that. With oreos crushed up for the base instead of digestives and chunks of oreos through the batter and whole ones stuck in the top. They say it's great!
Mary Light says
I am in the midst of making it for a student gathering tomorrow. So far just in tasting it it is surprisingly tasty!
I had Mexican Vanilla at hand (which is not always my go-to...) and did fresh lemon and also orange zest. I had a ten inch springform and added a cup of unsweetened coconut shredded to the " gluten free graham animal cracker cookies " I had on hand, as it seemed to need more to fill it out as to that size bag of animal cookies. I used to be a chef/caterer and made a lot of cheesecakes in my time, and this one is shaping up nicely! About to go in the oven. Have a Peach Cranberry Maple freuit sauce to serve with it as an optional topping, or a cold "coconut whipped" organic whipped topping.
A Virtual Vegan says
I hope it goes down well tomorrow. Your sauce sounds amazing. The perfect accompaniment!
Michael says
Great post, fab recipe, chickpeas, who'da thunk it, *clap clap clap* :D
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! Chickpeas are my secret weapon in lots of recipes!
Emily says
Love your cheesecake! I only changed the maple syrup to a cup of sugar. Lotus biscoff cookies make for a delicious crust.
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you like it! I love those biscoff cookies. That's a great idea to use them in the crust.
Maggie says
So for the chickpeas is it supposed to be 1cup of cooked chickpeas for the recipe or cook a cup that will expand to about 3cups?
A Virtual Vegan says
It's 1 cup of cooked chickpeas.
Lia says
Hi. Is there anything that can sub for cashews?
A Virtual Vegan says
I have never tried it with anything other than cashews. Macadamias would almost certainly work, possibly sunflower seeds although I'm not sure how they would affect the flavour, almonds if they were soaked and blended really well. Young coconut meat too might work. Let me know how it goes if you do decide to try anything else. I'd love to know how it turns out!
Anisia Stephenson says
Hi, my husband is allergic to coconut. What other milk substitute would you recommend to keep it creamy?
A Virtual Vegan says
The coconut also helps with the setting because of the fat in it. I wouldn't like to suggest a sub as without testing it I wouldn't be sure it would work. Silken tofu might work instead or using another plant milk and increasing the arrowroot, or adding some agar agar. But I don't know quantities etc as i haven't tried it. Sorry!
Anaïs Maes says
Hi Anaisa!
Have you tried it with something else than coconut milk :)?
Lav says
That's a lot of vinegar for one cheesecake. Does it taste especially vinegar-y?
A Virtual Vegan says
Not at all vinegar-y and it's not really all that much. Only 3 tablespoons and it's a big cheesecake. Regular cheesecakes have the tang from the cream-cheese. This one needs the vinegar to give it that slight cream-cheesy tang. It's had nothing but positive feedback. Everyone that makes it loves it!