Classic Vegan Cheesecake

This is the classic vegan cheesecake recipe of dinner party legend. It relies on the amazing flavors of your favorite vegan cream cheese enhanced with a touch of non-dairy yogurt, non-dairy milk and just the right amount of flour for optimum flavor and texture. It's worth buying a spring form pan for.

Learn how I made vegan cream cheese.

Classic Vegan Cheesecake Recipe

1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs (about 10 crackers)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup Vegan Butter or non-hydrogenated margarine, melted
1 Tablespoon brown rice syrup

¾ cup, + 1 Tablespoon sugar
¾ cup plain non-dairy yogurt
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt

24 oz Tofutti (or similar brand) vegan cream cheese (3, 8oz containers)

1) Break up the graham crackers

Break the graham crackers into small pieces and place them in a food processor or blender with the cinnamon. Pulse them until they are fine crumbs. Add the crumbs to a medium size mixing bowl.

2) Combine the Vegan Butter and brown rice syrup

In a small saucepan, whisk together the Vegan Butter and brown rice syrup on low heat until well combined.

3) Combine the ingredients to make the crust

Add the Vegan Butter mixture to the bowl containing the graham cracker crumbs and thoroughly hand mix with a fork until they are evenly saturated. 

4) Compress the cheesecake crust into the spring form pan

If possible, turn an empty medium mixing bowl upside-down and place the spring form on top of it. This will allow you to compress the crumbs with greater force, without risking the spring form "popping" and ejecting all of your crumbs. Believe me, it's happened to me more than once. Being able to compress the crumbs more will make a better crust. Compress the crumbs into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan using the flat bottom of a drinking glass.

Learn more about Vegan Spring Form Crusts.

5) Mix the flavor building ingredients

Preheat oven to 325F (163C). In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, non-dairy yogurt, all-purpose flour, non-dairy milk, lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt. Set aside.

6) Beat the vegan cream cheese and mix

In another medium mixing bowl, beat the imitation cream cheese until it's slightly fluffy.  Mix in the sugar and non-dairy yogurt mixture from step 1. Beat the batter until it's smooth.

7) Transfer the mixture to a spring form pan

Pour the mixture into the 9 inch spring form pan. Jostle the spring form back and forth and side to side to get excess air bubbles to escape. 

8) Bake your vegan cheesecake to perfection

Bake for 1 hour, 30 minutes. It is important not to open the oven or else the cheesecake will cave in. Let the cheesecake cool overnight.

9) Remove the cheesecake from the spring form pan

When the cheesecake has cooled, use a small knife to go around the edges carefully to free the remaining cheesecake from the spring form pan. Open up the spring form pan as far as you can and shake it slightly to get it to let go. Lift the spring form siding away. Place in the refrigerator. Top it with your favorite high-quality preserves, and enjoy! Store in a covered container at room temperature for about 1 week or in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. This recipe makes one 9 inch Classic Vegan Cheesecake.