New York Style Baked Vegan Cheesecake

This Baked Vegan Cheesecake is made without nuts and tastes just like a classic New York Style cheesecake! It’s decadent, rich, and surprisingly easy to make. Dairy free and egg free.

You won’t believe how good this Baked Vegan Cheesecake is! So creamy and soft, it tastes just as good as a classic New York style cheesecake and is made without eggs, dairy, and nuts.

The best part? Vegan New York cheesecake is surprisingly easy to make. Whip the filling together, pour it over the graham cracker crust, and bake! Top each slice with homemade strawberry sauce and dig in.

Jump to:

• New York style cheesecake vs. regular cheesecake
• What is vegan cheesecake made of?
• How to make a baked vegan cheesecake
• Tips for success
• Storing
• Looking for more decadent vegan desserts?
• New York Style Baked Vegan Cheesecake

New York style cheesecake vs. regular cheesecake

The filling in a regular cheesecake is made with cream cheese as well as heavy cream and/or sour cream to help thin the batter. New York cheesecake filling, on the other hand, is made with mostly cream cheese. 

These differences mostly affect the texture of the cake. Regular cheesecake has a silky smooth texture and New York style is rich and decadent.

What is vegan cheesecake made of?

• Graham cracker crust - This simple crust is made with graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted vegan butter. Make sure to use vegan graham cracker crumbs made without honey. Nabisco graham wafer crackers are vegan as well as Kellogg’s original graham crackers.

• Cheesecake filling - Vegan cream cheese is, of course, the star of this recipe. Tofutti cream cheese will give you the best results here. Yes, you need a lot of cream cheese, but it’s important for that rich and decadent texture! Otherwise, the flavors in the filling are rounded out with the help of vegan yogurt, lemon juice, vanilla, and sugar.
• Strawberry sauce - This easy strawberry sauce blends fresh strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest together. Take it up a notch and swap the sauce for macerated strawberries.

How to make a baked vegan cheesecake

Baked cheesecake is a surprisingly easy dessert you can make one day and serve the next. These step-by-step instructions will teach you a few tips and tricks in order to end up with the best cheesecake:

1. Make the graham cracker crust: Mix the crust ingredients together in a bowl. Press them into an even layer on the bottom of a prepared springform pan. Bake the crust for a few minutes to help it firm up.
2. Make the filling: Place all of the filling ingredients into a large mixing bowl and beat together with an electric mixer.
3. Assemble and bake: Pour the filling on top of the cooled cookie crust. Spread it into an even layer, then bake.
4. Let it cool: Once the baking time is up, turn off the heat but don’t open the oven door or remove the cheesecake. Let it sit in there for 15 minutes. Afterward, let the cake cool at room temperature before transferring it to the fridge. It will still be jiggly in the middle but will firm up in the fridge after 6 hours (or overnight for the best results).
5. Make the strawberry sauce: Blend all of the strawberry sauce ingredients in a blender. This can easily be done 1 or 2 days ahead of time. Just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
6. Slice and serve: Slice the cooled and firm cheesecake with a sharp knife. Pour some strawberry sauce on top along with a dollop of coconut whipped cream. Serve and enjoy! For full ingredients and instructions see printable recipe card below.

Tips for success

• Water bath or no water bath? Baking the cheesecake in a water bath can help with even cooking and create a moist environment in the oven (which cheesecakes love), but it isn’t necessary for this recipe.
• Foil or no foil? Wrapping the springform pan in aluminum foil can prevent the cheesecake from leaking through. You can do this for extra protection but it shouldn’t be necessary.
• Letting it cool - The vegan baked cheesecake will still be jiggly when it comes out of the oven. To ensure it sets properly and firms up, let it chill in the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours or 24 hours for the best results.
• If you can’t find vegan graham cracker crumbs, you can use any other vegan cookie crumbs. Ginger cookies pair very well!
• The best vegan cream cheese - For the best results, make this vegan cheesecake recipe with Tofutti cream cheese. Daiya cream cheese does NOT work.
• If you don’t have a springform pan - Bake the cheesecake in a round 9-inch cake pan instead.

Storing

To store: The baked cheesecake or individual slices can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To freeze: Wrap it well in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.

Looking for more decadent vegan desserts?

• Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
• The Best Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake
• Easy Vegan Apple Pie
• Raw Vegan Brownies

Enjoy everyone! Happy Day! Please feel free to comment below and give this recipe a rating. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

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