Blueberry Bliss Vegan Cheesecake

I have an early Christmas gift for you … it’s vegan cheesecake. No joke. And guess what? You don’t need to seek out store-bought cream cheese alternative for this decadent delight. In fact, this dairy-less “cheesecake” recipe is made with basic ingredients that you can find in almost any small town.

You might be wondering where such a fantastic recipe came from? It was created by the dynamic vegan baking duo, Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero for their latest cookbook, Vegan Pie in the Sky. They were kind enough to share it with Go Dairy Free so that you could enter the New Year with a fabulous new “can I get the recipe” dessert.

If you are looking for a unique “pie” to dress up that holiday table, then this is it. Or perhaps you are planning in advance for a show-stopping final course to serve at that big New Year’s bash. Either way, pure creamy, blueberry bliss vegan cheesecake is just an hour (or so) away …

Special Diet Notes: Blueberry Bliss Vegan Cheesecake

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, peanut-free, vegan / plant-based, and vegetarian.

For a gluten-free blueberry bliss vegan cheesecake, swap in some gluten-free cookies in the crust. For vanilla, we like Enjoy Life Crunchy Sugar Cookies or Vanilla Honey Grahams (the latter are not strictly vegan, as they do contain honey) or Homefree Vanilla Cookies.

For a soy-free blueberry bliss vegan cheesecake, substitute in a very good quality full-fat coconut milk for the tofu. I find that one package of So Delicious Original Culinary Coconut Milk is a good swap. And of course, use a soy-free milk beverage for the soymilk in the recipe.

Blueberry Bliss Vegan Cheesecake with Vanilla Cookie Crust

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour 20 mins

Total time

1 hour 40 mins

 

Blueberry cheesecake with a syrupy blueberry topping. Total blueberry bliss! If you’re using frozen blueberries, then a 12-ounce bag oughta do ya.

Author: Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero

Serves: 12 servings

Ingredients

Vanilla Cookie Crust

• 1¼ cups finely ground vegan vanilla cookie crumbs or graham crackers (see post above for gluten-free suggestions)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ cup melted dairy-free buttery spread, melted coconut oil, or non-GMO canola oil
• 1 tablespoons plain soymilk beverage (or milk beverage of choice)

Blueberry Bliss Vegan Cheesecake Filling

• ½ cup whole unroasted cashews, soaked in water for 2 to 8 hours or until very soft
• 1 (12–14 ounce) package non-GMO silken tofu, drained (see post above for soy-free option)
• 1 cup blueberries
• ¾ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup mashed banana (about 1 medium-size banana)
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons non-GMO cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Blueberry Topping

• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1 tablespoon non-GMO cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

Vanilla Cookie Crust

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan.
2. In a mixing blow, combine the cookie or graham crumbs and sugar. Drizzle in the oil or melted buttery spread. Use a spoon to thoroughly blend the mixture and moisten the crumbs.
3. Drizzle in the soy milk and stir again to form a crumbly dough.
4. Press the crust dough very firmly into the bottom of the pan.
5. Bake for 10 minutes and move the pan to a cooling rack. Leave the oven on because you’ll be baking the cheesecake in a little bit.

Blueberry Bliss Vegan Cheesecake Filling

1. While the crust bakes, drain the cashews and pour them into a food processor or blender. Add the tofu, blueberries, sugar, banana, lemon juice, coconut oil, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt. Puree until very smooth; this could take up to 5 minutes depending on your blender.
2. Pour the filling into the pan with your baked crust.
3. Bake the cheesecake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the top is lightly puffed and the edges of cake are pulling away from the pan. Remove it from the oven and let cool on a rack.

Blueberry Topping

1. As the cheesecake cools, combine all the topping ingredients in a small saucepan. Stirring often, bring the mixture to a boil, so that the blueberries burst.
2. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 more minutes.
3. Remove the topping from the heat and pour it over the cheesecake.
4. Let the cake cool until it’s okay to handle, about 30 minutes, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge to set for about 2 hours.
5. Once completely set, release the springform and slice the cake with a sharp knife dipped in cold water.

Notes

This vegan cheesecake recipe is from the book Vegan Pie in the Sky by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2011.

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