This incredible vegan cheesecake is a must try for cheesecake lovers. A perfectly, simple vegan vanilla cheesecake is full of flavor, creamy texture, and a great base for any toppings.
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Is cheesecake a cake or a pie? That is the question that we so often think about, but does it really matter? Your first bite of this incredible vegan cheesecake will have you wondering why you never attempted this before.
There are very few ingredients and the process to whip it together is simple; however, it does take time and patience.
The one thing that you don’t want to do is rush this process or skip any steps. We spent a lot of time on creating this recipe to something that we thought would be easy and accessible for most people to make while still creating the perfect flavor, texture, and taste.
Cheesecake dates back to 5th century BC Ancient Greece, so it’s nothing new. Recipes have been past down for centuries now and everyone has their own subtle difference.
When making a vegan version, the issue arises with the base of many cream cheeses being so oil heavy that it’s hard to get the same texture. We highly encourage you to follow all the steps in this recipe for perfection
INCREDIBLE VEGAN CHEESECAKE INGREDIENTS:
Below are notes about the ingredients before we get into the full recipe located lower in this post on how to make this dairy free cheesecake:
- vegan graham crackers – finding vegan graham crackers can be a challenge; however, Nabisco original are vegan friendly, or if you have time you can make our homemade vegan graham cracker recipe
- vegan sugar – Cane sugar is what we are using. If you want to learn more about why your sugar may not be vegan, you can learn more by clicking on the link.
- salt – to help the flavors pop and really bring out the flavors
- nutmeg – this is just a subtle addition to the crust; however, it’s really great and we highly recommend
- vegan butter – We are using vegan butter for richness and to help combine our ingredients for the crust. It’s easy to use and delicious
- vegan cream cheese – Our favorite vegan cream cheese is Wayfare and after testing many times, it’s our favorite to make vegan cheesecake with also
- vegan sour cream – sour cream is traditionally added to many cheesecakes for tang and texture and we are adding it here today
- cornstarch – this is helping bind our ingredients together while keeping the recipe smooth and not flavored by any other ingredient like flax
- vanilla – cheesecake and vanilla goes hand in hand but in order to get a superior flavor, vanilla powder is our favorite way to get the vanilla. Vanilla bean is more accessible and that’s why we list that in the ingredients first.
- oat flour – again to help with binding and smoothness, we really like the addition of oat flour in our version of vegan cheesecake; however, it’s completely optional.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS:
- vegan graham crackers – sub for hard cookies like vanilla wafers or digestive biscuits
- vegan sugar – brown sugar could be used in the crust and you could do half cane and half brown for the actual cheesecake. We have not tried, but things like coconut sugar and date sugar should also work
- vegan cream cheese – While Wayfare is out favorite, we would next recommend Tofutti and then Violife. We love the flavor of the Violife, however, it’s heavily oil based and because of that can affect the texture of the cheesecake if not followed precisely. The Wayfare is bean based and the Tofutti tofu based which really seem to help the texture and binding process.
- vegan sour cream – you can sub the sour cream with non-dairy vanilla yogurt or coconut cream (thick part of canned coconut milk)
- cornstarch – sub with tapioca starch if needed
- vanilla – while we recommend vanilla powder or vanilla bean first, vanilla extract can also be used
- oat flour – we prefer oat for the texture and taste, however, you can use All Purpose Flour, almond flour or tapioca starch). We recommend that you measure out 32g for any substitution since weight can vary for these other ones.
- lemon juice – this ingredient is optional because we only recommend adding if you aren’t using sour cream. If using the sour cream it already has the tang; however, if you use yogurt or coconut milk, add the lemon juice.
How do I make the best vegan cheesecake recipe?
- Follow the instructions pretty please. Baking is a science, especially when making a dairy free/vegan cheesecake. Every step has a purpose to ensure the perfect vegan cheesecake.
- Spoon the dry ingredients (like flour) into the measuring cups for accurate measuring, then use a butter knife to evenly level the flour. This ensures the right amount of flour has been added.
- We highly recommend sifting the ingredients into the bowl. This loosens the ingredients and make sure there are no clumps leading to the perfect vegan cheesecake.
- Make sure to line with parchment paper and grease your pans. No one likes a cheesecake that can’t come out of the pan. It’s one of the most frustrating things and doing these two things will help.
- Do not, do not, do not be tempted to open the oven during the hour that it is in the oven but the oven is turned off.
- When the cheesecake is removed from the oven, place on a cooling rack to allow the cakes to cool evenly to room temperature. Do not be tempted to rush this process or throw it in the fridge early.
- Let the cheesecake cool as instructed. DO NOT RUSH. Let it cool completely.
How do I make this vegan cheesecake faster?
Everyone wants the best vegan cheesecake but doesn’t want to take the whole day to make and let it cool. Unfortunately, after much testing, we have found that this is currently the best way for us to recommend making.
If you want a faster cheesecake, we recommend making one of our no bake cheesecake recipes below:
What is Andrew’s favorite vegan cheesecake version?
In the video (shown below), we mention that there’s a favorite Andrew version. This is the exact version and brands that we found to create an epic vegan cheesecake.
- Use Wayfare cream cheese for the base of the cheesecake batter. It’s our favorite!
- In the batter, to do 1 cup vegan cane sugar and ½ cup brown sugar. The molasses in the brown sugar make the cheesecake richer and adds a deeper flavor.
- Instead of sour cream, use Yoplait Oui Non-Dairy Vanilla Yogurt – it’s smooth, no weird artificial taste, and adds even more vanilla flavor to the cheesecake. Since using this, we do add the lemon juice.
- We love using vanilla powder – it uses a superior flavor and is worth ever penny. It does add specks to your cheesecake though.
- Add 2 pinches of salt (¼ teaspoon) instead of ⅛ teaspoon to bring out the flavors even more.
- Add in the oat flour. It provides for better binding, more smoothness and a better thickness.
Frequently Asked Questions:
It’s almost impossible to find both vegan and gluten free graham crackers, so we’d recommend making our homemade vegan graham cracker recipe and subbing out a 1:1 flour blend. Or find a hard gluten free vegan cookie to use and sub for that.
For vegan butter, use a soy free vegan butter like Flora or Earth Balance soy free.
For the cream cheese – see our vegan cream cheese review to find one that is safe for your allergens.
For the sour cream – see our vegan sour cream review to find one that is safe for your allergens.
Vegan cheesecake should be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Vegan cheese, when stored properly, will last for 7 days in the fridge.
Yes! We recommend covering a baking sheet with wax paper and then placed slices individually on the paper. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freezer the slices. This allows you to pull out individual pieces as your need. Then more to an air tight freezer container for up to 3 months.
What other vegan dessert ideas could I make?
If you love this vegan dessert, you will love some of our other ideas! Want even more inspiration? Check out all our vegan dessert ideas.
- Vegan Lemon Meringue Pie
- The Best Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Vegan Caramel Apple Pie
- No Bake Vegan Chocolate Fudge
- Traditional Vegan Apple Pie
- Vegan Blueberry Pie
- Vegan Pecan Pie
- Easy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Vegan Brownies
- No Bake Vegan Smores Bars with Dark Chocolate Mousse
- Vegan Chocolate Cookies and Cream Milkshake
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🥳 Get the Full Recipe
Incredible Vegan Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 7 oz (198g) vegan graham crackers (or hard cookies like vanilla wafers or digestive biscuits)
- 2 tablespoon vegan cane sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
- 5 tablespoon unsalted vegan butter, melted
For the Cheesecake Batter
- 32 oz vegan cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups vegan cane sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegan sour cream (*see post for substitutions)
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 1 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder, or 2 teaspoon extract)
- ¼ cup oat flour, Recommended but Optional (*see post for substitutions)
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice* (omit if using sour cream but add if using a substitution)
- 1 quart boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Grease a 10-inch (25 cm) springform pan with nonstick spray. Line the inside edges of the pan with parchment paper.
For the Crust
- In a food processor, combine the graham crackers, sugar, salt, and nutmeg (if using). Pulse together until fine crumbs. And melted vegan butter. Pulse to combine until the texture is similar too wet sand.
- Pour into prepared pan and press the graham cracker crumbs into the prepared pan, using a measuring cup or the bottom of a glass to compact in an even layer.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.
For the Batter
- In a large bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, combine the vegan cream cheese, sugar and the salt. Blend until well-combined and fluffy, about 3 – 5 minutes. No lumps should remain.
- Add the vegan sour cream, sift in the cornstarch and beat to incorporate for about 1 minute or until cornstarch is dissolved.
- Sift in your flour (if using), scrape out and add your vanilla bean and mix again to combine.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture into cooled crust and wrap the outside of the springform pan tightly with foil. Place the pan in a large baking dish (or roasting dish).
- Place the dish in the oven and fill the dish with 1 inch (2 cm) of boiling water. Close oven door and let bake for 60-80 mins*.
- Without opening the oven door, turn off the heat and let the cheesecake rest for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven and let it rest for 2-3 hours until it gets to room temperature. Then cover and place in refrigerator overnight (minimum 6 hours).
Notes
Video
Nutrition
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I’m allergic to coconut. I know a lot of vegan cream cheeses and sour creams have coconut cream or coconut oil. Would you happen to know if any suggestions?
Tofutti does not contain coconut. Here’s our cream cheese taste test: https://makeitdairyfree.com/vegan-cream-cheese-taste-test/
Always double check, but when we wrote this post it did not
Trader Joe’s has a coconut free cream cheese that is very good. But it is often bought out where I live, so I would call ahead.
hi! so i loveeeeee this recipe and have made my own strawberry cheesecake version. it was so yummy. now i’m trying to do a gf option and would love your opinion. i think that would only really affect the base/crust. do you think almonds & rolled oats would be a good substitute?
Gluten free cookies would work great crumbled in place of the crackers, but as far as your suggestion, Yes pulsed fine I’d do 1/2 cup oats and 1/2 cup almonds and then the rest of the crust ingredients listed!
GUYS! This vegan cheesecake KICKED ASS! It took me roughly 12 hours because I don’t bake and I re-read everything a bunch of times while performing each step very slowly and meticulously. It was….. painful. I’ll be honest, hahaha. But WOW did it come out great. I could only find the violife cream cheese, and when I checked at the 50 minute mark it was super wiggly, just like you guys said it probably would be. So I quickly closed the oven door and left it in for the final 30 minutes (80 total). When my timer went off, I went to open the oven again and stopped myself JUST IN TIME. I literally thanked God for having me NOT open it, lmao. Barely remembered you guys saying “KEEP THAT MOTHA+!$#^~? DOOR SHUT!”, but in a polite way. So I just turned the oven off and left it in the last hour. Took it out, set it on counter for the full 3 hours till room temperature, and fridged it overnight. I was surprised to find it was no longer jiggly in the morning! I made it for a family party and we all loved it. I can only imagine you guys have spent 100+ hours to experiment it all out. … Mind numbing lol. Thanks for putting together such an indepth recipe and guide saving the rest of us tons of money time and frustration. I originally found it on Youtube, so I’m going to copy and paste this on there too. Blessings to you guys! 🙏🍀
OMG thank you for such a kind comment, so glad you trusted the process and it worked well for you!
Hi!
Excited to try this!
I have a quick question. Have you tried making this with a filling? I like a chocolate chip cheesecake and was wondering if mixing chocolate chips in would possibly work for it. What do you think?
Thank you so much for all of your recipes! All of the ones I’ve tried have been amazing!
Best,
Harrison
Hi Harrison, you can mix in chocolate chips!
Would it be possible to sweeten this with maple syrup or honey (I know the honey wouldn’t be vegan)?
We wouldn’t recommend that much liquid in this recipe. We haven’t tested it to know how to adjust the other ratios
Just an update, I used half coconut sugar and half maple syrup. Followed all other instructions according to Andrew’s favorites. I was worried when I took it out of the oven after the hour of resting that it wouldn’t set up. But I left it overnight in the fridge as recommended and it set up better than I could have imagined. This was my first time making a vegan cheesecake after scouring the internet and reading recipe after recipe (I chose this one after watching the corresponding video on YouTube) and I must say it was 100% fantastic. The texture was perfect. The taste was spot on. The color was slightly darker from using the coconut sugar. Served it for my parents and other family who are not dairy free, with a blueberry sauce and everyone loved it. I am incredibly impressed. Thank you, this will be my go-to cheesecake recipe.
So happy to hear this Tara!
Hi,
I’ve just made this cheesecake and have left it in the oven longer than suggested because it doesn’t seem to be solidifying at all. I’ve used a coconut based vegan cheese provided by my daughter. The mixture tasted really lovely. I’m still hoping… have turned off oven now
Let us know how it was
I’m a new baker and I have a cousin asking me for a vegan cheesecake and I’m having the hardest time finding vegan cheesecake block. I can only find vegan Violfe Original Cream Cheese but spread would this work too? I live in california, San Bernardino and could only find that. help please.
technically it works, but we find that the Violife melts very easy and has a harder time setting up. Do you have a Trader Joes near you? They have one