Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Nut Free & Date Free)

This Vegan Cheesecake recipe does not contain any NUTS, DATES, or any strange ingredients that we often find in vegan dessert recipes.

Hey ho, let’s go! Now, sometime last year, I tinkered about with creating a Baked Vegan Cheesecake recipe that would rival any of its non-vegan, dairy based counterparts.

It took me around 4 attempts, and after tweaking the recipe with each attempt, I was rewarded with a killer Vegan Baked Cheesecake that I must say, is the closest to a regular dairy based baked cheesecake recipe as I could get. Me being me, I completely forgot to actually put the recipe up, simply because I’m a lazy piece of ass, but 365 days of procrastination later, here I am to share my recipe with you sexy sexy people!

Ingredients:

For Oreo Crust:

• 15 Oreo Cookies (with cream)
• 3 tablespoons Melted Vegan Butter

For Regular Crust:

• 5 oz Digestive Biscuits or Vegan Graham Cookies (150 grams)
• 3 tablespoons Melted Vegan Butter

For Cheesecake Mixture:

• 1 tub Vegan Cream Cheese (8oz/225 grams)
• 6oz Silken Tofu, drained (190 grams)
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons Sugar
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons Aquafaba
• 3/4 teaspoon Arrowroot Powder
• 1/4 cup Plain Flour
• 1/4 cup Vegan Cream
• 1 1/4 teaspoons Lactic Acid Powder
• Seeds of 1 Vanilla Pod
• 3/4 cup crushed Oreo Cookies (optional)

For Chocolate Ganache:

• 4 oz Vegan Dark Chocolate (120 grams)
• 1/4 cup Vegan Cream
• 1/8 teaspoon Instant Espresso Powder
• 1 teaspoon Agave Nectar or Maple Syrup

To Decorate:

• Oreo Cookie Crumbs
• Vegan Whipped Cream
• Fruit

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius/375 Fahrenheit. In a food processor, process Oreos or Digestive Biscuits until they reach a fine crumb. Add melted Vegan Butter and process until you achieve a slightly damp, sand-like consistency. Press the mixture into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 6 inch cake ring or springform pan. Bake for 5 minutes, and then remove from oven and allow to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 160 degrees celsius/320 Fahrenheit.
2. In a food processor, combine all ingredients for the cheesecake filling except crushed Oreos, and process till smooth. If using Oreos, fold them in once the mixture is smooth and combined.
3. Pour batter into your cake ring and bake for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, there should only be the slightest jiggle in the middle of the cake. Turn oven off and allow cake to cool to room temperature in the oven.
4. If using Chocolate Ganache, combine all ingredients in a bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until chocolate is smooth, melted, and combined with the cream to form a silky ganache.
5. Pour Ganache onto the top of the cake (still in the cake ring/springform) and refrigerate the cake overnight.
6. Once chilled overnight, remove cake ring/springform and decorate the top of your cake with either Crushed Oreo Cookies, Fruit, Vegan Whipped Cream or whatever you fancy.