Though this vegan no-bake cheesecake recipe doesn’t shy away from helpful dairy substitutes, it has its own unique combination of ingredients. The recipe was submitted by Keisha Dowdy as a Sweet entry in the BIG Snackable Recipe Contest (entries are now closed, but the winners will be announced on that post!).
The contest is a celebration of our new FREE Snackable eBook with delicious, original Sweet, Savory and Sippable Dairy-Free Recipes. Download and enjoy it now via PDF, iTunes, Kindle, Kobo or Google Play: www.godairyfree.org/snackable-ebook
To qualify for the contest, this vegan no-bake cheesecake recipe uses Coconut Milk Beverage and Coconut Milk Creamer from So Delicious Dairy Free.
This vegan no-bake cheesecake has an optional strawberry sauce, made simply with fresh fruit while the rest of the recipe is chilling.
Special Diet Notes: Vegan No-Bake Cheesecake
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, nut-free, peanut-free, vegan / plant-based (see my graham cracker note), and vegetarian.
For a soy-free vegan no-bake cheesecake, use an allergy-friendly cream cheese alternative in place of both the cream cheese alternative and the sour cream alternative. I find that Daiya brand, which is soy-free and nut-free, is notably softer than Tofutti, so it works nicely as a substitution for the combination of those two alternatives.
For a gluten-free vegan no-bake cheesecake, be sure to use gluten-free graham crackers. Note that dairy-free, gluten-free grahams are readily available, but it may be tricky to find ones without honey.
- 2 packages (20 sheets) graham crackers, ground or crushed into crumbs
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 11 tablespoons dairy-free buttery spread or sticks, melted
- 2 (8-ounce) packages dairy-free cream cheese alternative (Keisha tested with Tofutti), room temperature
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (soft, room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons dairy-free sour cream (Keisha tested with Tofutti)
- ¼ cup plain dairy-free creamer (Keisha tested with So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons dairy-free milk beverage (Keisha tested with So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Strawberry Sauce (optional, recipe follows)
- Coconut flakes (optional)
- 2 cups chopped strawberries
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup coconut water
- 1 tablespoon dairy-free milk beverage
- ½ cup agave nectar
- 2 tablespoons non-GMO cornstarch
- Pour the graham cracker crumbs into a medium bow and stir in the coconut sugar. Add the melted butter alternative and stir until well combined.
- Press the crumb mixture firmly into a 9-inch spring-form pan. Chill the crust in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.
- Using an electric mixer set at medium-high speed, beat the cream cheese alternative in a large bowl until smooth.
- One at a time, beat in the coconut oil, the dairy-free sour cream, the creamer, the sugar, and finally the milk beverage, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Then, beat in the lemon juice and vanilla until combined.
- Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1 hour.
- Unclasp sides of the string-form pan, and remove cheesecake. Place the cake on a serving platter and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving. Serve plain or drizzle with strawberry sauce and sprinkle with coconut flakes.
- Crush the strawberries in a zip-lock bag.
- Place the strawberries, sugar, coconut water, and milk beverage in a saucepan over high heat. Stir consistently with a wooden spoon while cooking for about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the agave nectar and cornstarch. Bring to a bubbling boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Strain the sauce and discard any remaining strawberry pieces.
- Pour in a container and refrigerate for 1 hour before using.
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