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. 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!
Hi! I’ve just made this cheesecake but I had to borrow someone else’s oven for it and didn’t realize that the oven didn’t turn off when the timer went off, so it cooked for an additional 20 minutes or so. The sides became lightly brown and center still soft, but it looked like the sides had sort of broken/exploded. Whole thing still intact but just those edges. I really hope I haven’t ruined this? 🙁
I bet it will still taste great! Just cool it as directed before serving. You could make the strawberry sauce for the topping to cover up the broken parts maybe?
I never leave reviews but this one was just too good not to. Followed the recipe exactly and it was PERFECT! Don’t let the jiggle make you nervous. Let it do it’s thing and trust the process. Honestly, all recipes I’ve made from Nora Cooks turn out perfectly. She’s a vegan genius!
Thank you, Katie, for your kind and great review! I’m glad the cheesecake was perfect for you! Thank you for using my recipes!
Hi Nora! Thank you so much for this amazing recipe. I’ve made it in the past and it’s honestly the best thing we’ve ever tasted. I’d like to make it tonight for Mother’s Day tomorrow and would love to get your opinion- I’m thinking of using two smaller springform pans (6”) to bring one and keep one at home. Do you think I should keep the baking time the same? Thank you so much for your feedback and incredible recipes ❤️
Thank you so much, I’m glad you love it! Sorry I’m a bit late answering this, but I bet that would work. I would think they might need a little less time in the oven though I’m not sure. Hope they turned out!
This is so delicious! I was concerned about it setting but it did perfectly! I used an 11” springform, made about 1.5x the amount of crust, used tapioca starch in place of cornstarch (2:1 ratio) and topped with a blueberry sauce. Cooked for directed time. Perfect for my husband’s birthday!! Thank you for my go-to cheesecake recipe!
Hi Allison. Cheesecake is so great for a birthday, and I’m thrilled to hear yours turned out great! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
It came out great. I was concerned it was going to have a overbearing coconut flavor (which isn’t my favorite), but after letting it set a full 24 hours the cheesecake was amazing. The strawberry topping was perfect! Thanks Nora!
I’m thrilled you loved the cheesecake, Jared! Thank you for sharing your terrific review!
For some reason, I have always been intimidated by cheesecake., but I made this for my family over the weekend and while they are not all vegan, they truly enjoyed the creaminess and taste of this cheesecake. The first slice was tricky to cut out, so I lost some points on presentation, but I got a 10/10 on taste from everyone.
Thank you for sharing you review! I”m glad the cheesecake was a hit!
Hi, thanks for this amazing recipe!
I want to try it out but I’m in Belgium and the only vegan cheese cream brand I found is Violife, do you know this one?
Do you think it will be a great alternative to Tofutti?
Thanks have a great day
Hi there! I love Violife, however that brand of cream cheese does not work for the cheesecake. It melts super quick (coconut oil based) and you will end up with a soupy cheesecake. Bummer, I hope you can find a different brand that would work here!
Canadians: I’ve tried this using the superstore PC brand cream chz (which is FANTASTIC, PS) and it just will not set. Will be trying with tofutti.
I made a lemon version of this recipe for Easter by adding in lemon zest to the filling and lemon curd (also your recipe) on top. It’s so delicious and easy. The middle was maybe a little softer than I like even after two days in the fridge and cooking longer than the 50 minutes but it was still very tasty and got rave reviews. I used Tofutti.
That sounds so delightful! Thank you!
Would cashew cream work in place of coconut cream?
It’s hard to know if it will work without testing it, but it might work.
Hi from Trinidad and Tobago!!! I made your vegan cheesecake. It was lovely! I hAve been non dairy fpr about 4 years and hvnt had cheesecake fr that time…not a big dessert fan anyway lol. Yours will be my go to recope fr my brother and I; he IS vegan. This was an easy recipe, I used 2 Go Veggie classic plain cream cheese alternative 8 ounces each, which is gluten and dairy free. I cut the recipe in half but I forgot to cut the baking time! Yikes! But all was well…the end tasted like normal cheesecake and the middle was light and pudding like. YUMMY! Thanks so much! Gonna look at your other recipes!
Hi Marsha! Welcome! Thank you for sharing your review! I’m glad the cheesecake turned out yummy for you! Enjoy your journey through my recipes, and let me know how they turn out for you! Happy cooking!
Hello! I’m attempting to make cheesecake bites in mini muffin tins. Do you have any advice for how long to bake it?
Hi Vincent. I have not tested this, however, for a mini muffin pan, I’d say about 20 – 25 minutes in the oven.
Does the coconut cream have to be unsweetened?
Yes, just a can of coconut cream, unsweetened. I’ve never actually seen unsweetened coconut cream.
Not the ones for making mixed drinks. There is a product that isn’t coconut cream as we think of it ( the fatty part of coconut milk) it’s a sweetened liquid Mike the constancy of coconut milk with a bunch of other ingredients. Don’t use that one.
Hello Nora, I’ve just made your vegan cheesecake recipe and followed all the instructions, however after cooking for 50 mins and then leaving it for a further 10mins it was watery rather than jiggly, so I cooked for a further 20mins, it still seemed rather watery but I put it in the fridge overnight and voila it all seems to have set perfectly!! Today I’m going to attempt the caramel topping, can you please advise when do I pour the sauce on top, is it once it’s fully cooled or whilst hot (before it sets) Can’t wait to try it.
Thank you very much for the recipe, enjoyed making it.
I’m so glad it worked even though it seemed watery! For the caramel, I would wait until it’s fairly cool, you don’t want it to soften the cheesecake. Then stick it back in the refrigerator for awhile before serving.
Do you have to bake it or can you chill it straight away? Baking a cheesecake seems so strange to me!!
Hi Leah. The cheesecake does have to bake! Happy cooking!
Wow. I’m not full vegan. WOW. Of the whole 9″ , a quarter of it was left over…between 4 adults. Thank you so much for this recipe that made a celebration soooo much extra special!
Hi Johanna. How fun to read the cheesecake was for a special celebration! I’m so glad everyone loved it! Thank you for sharing your review!
What if I don’t have lemon juice?
I guess you could leave it out if needed, it just helps with that slight cheesecake “tang”. I don’t know of a good substitute, so I would just leave it out if you don’t have it.
So far everything has gone and tasted well step by step. I do have a question, I just pulled my cheesecake out and it seems to be undercooked and or still quite liquidy not jiggly. When adding the coconut cream it had liquid in the can that went into the mixture. Could that be the culprit? I’ll update my comment and review once I let it cook a little longer and hope it firms up.
If it’s still very liquidity it may need a bit longer to bake. If the coconut cream was actually quite watery instead of creamy and thick that could also be the issue. I also wonder what brand of vegan cream cheese you used? There are a few that do not seem to work, as I go over in the post. Hope it turned out okay, let me know! 🙂
I made this cheesecake last weekend and did 1/2 the amount of filling in a pie plate and it worked out perfectly. The cheesecake was delicious! My whole family enjoyed it. I served it to guests who are not vegan and they said they would not have known it was vegan if we had not told them. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Thank you, Julie, for sharing your great review! I’m glad the cheesecake was a hit!
I’ve made this cheesecake in the past and it turned out. For some reason, my last 2 are not turning out. I used 2 different cream cheese (tofutti and follow your heart). It basically just cooks the outside and boils over. What am I doing wrong?!
How odd. I have made it recently with Tofutti brand and it works great. I haven’t tried Follow your Heart. Are you using a springform pan? If you are trying to use a regular pie dish it will be too much for it and boil over I’m afraid, so cut the recipe in half if that’s what you are doing. Hope that helps!
Attempted to make this tonight (it’s now 2:50 am). It was browned on the top and looked like it rose quite a bit, but it looked so watery after 50+10 minutes. I baked it for another 20 minutes, and came back to check it out – it looks like it deflated and there’s a big brown bubble on top now 🙁 I’ll try refrigerating it and seeing how it turns out in the morning, but my hopes aren’t high. And yes, I used Tofutti and coconut cream.
I wonder how it was after it chilled? People are always surprised that it’s quite soft and jiggly out of the oven, but after chilling it firms up.
It’s been 4 years since I’ve had cheesecake! Wonderful recipe! Easy to make. I could only find Kite Hill cream cheese but it worked out perfectly. Will definitely try to use Tofutti or Trader Joes next time as Kite Hill was pretty expensive for 4 containers. Will make again for sure! Thank you Nora!
Hi Nathalie! I’m so glad you loved the cheesecake! You went without cheesecake for awhile! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Does this have a coconut flavor from the coconut cream?
No, it really doesn’t taste like coconut at all.
This sounds amazing!
Can you make ahead of time and freeze?
Hi Kitty. It freezes very well actually! I know it makes quite a lot. It’s really good straight from the freezer, and should be fine for 2 months or so.
What to do if my oven does not reach 350 degrees? Only 250 degrees will suffice?
I’m not sure it will work at only 250 degrees F, that’s much lower. It would likely need to bake for much longer, perhaps even an extra hour. It’s hard for me to say if that will work or not.
Your Oven is probably set to Celsius not Fahrenheit So you would want to set yours to 175 Celsius to equal 350 Fahrenheit
Best vegan cheesecake by far, many thanks!!! I would LOVE a baked vegan cheesecake like this with pumpkin for fall if you’re ever looking for a new recipe to create!!!!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, and your great new recipe suggestion! Glad you loved the cheesecake!