Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free) - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

Last updated - ; Published - By Rhian Williams 66 Comments

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This Vegan Baked Cheesecake (New York Cheesecake) is seriously rich and creamy and has a crunchy, "buttery" crust. It's perfectly sweet, a little tangy and just as good as the real thing! It's easy to make with simple ingredients and is gluten-free and refined sugar free too. A great make-ahead dessert for any occasion!

Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free) - Rhian's Recipes (1)

I've made no-bake vegan cheesecakes before (like this Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake and this Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake, but this is the first time I've made a Vegan Baked Cheesecake. It took a lot of testing and trial and error, but I finally got the taste and texture I wanted!

What is New York Cheesecake?

There are many different types of baked cheesecake, including Japanese baked cheesecake and burnt Basque cheesecake, but this one is a New York-style baked cheesecake.

New York-style cheesecake consists of a buttery crust topped with a dense, rich, smooth and creamy cheesecake filling.

Can you make baked cheesecake without eggs?


Eggs are a crucial ingredient in traditional baked cheesecakes, so it might sound impossible to make one without eggs! However, it is possible to make an egg-free cheesecake: the firming agent in this cheesecake is cornflour (cornstarch), which means the cheesecake filling holds together without having to use eggs.

Do you need to cook baked cheesecake in a water bath?


Baked cheesecake is often cooked in a water bath, which means putting the cheesecake in a baking tray filled with hot water, so the steam cooks the cheesecake too. I tried making this with both methods and the results didn't vary much either way, so I went for the non-water bath method as it's easier.

Do you need to leave baked cheesecake in the oven with the door open to cool down?

Usually baked cheesecake is left in the oven with the door open slightly so that it cools down slowly, which means the surface of the cheesecake doesn't crack, which can happen if there is a sudden drop in temperature.

However, I didn't think that was necessary for this vegan baked cheesecake as the ingredients are different from the traditional version, which means it already does crack on the surface while baking.

What type of tofu should you use for vegan baked cheesecake?


You must use soft, silken tofu for this cheesecake recipe, NOT firm tofu!

The cheesecake filling

I experimented with lots of different ways to make the cheesecake filling, and I discovered that the best combination was cashew nuts and tofu. Cashew nuts add richness whilst tofu creates a light, creamy texture, and they're both good sources of protein too.

And don't worry, it doesn't taste of tofu, which took me several attempts to get right! The taste of soy is masked by the cashew nuts and lemon juice.

The crust

Inspired by my Vegan Shortbread Cookies, I used a combination of ground almonds (almond meal or almond flour) and brown rice flour for the crust. The ground almonds create a crumbly texture, whilst the brown rice flour creates a crispy, crunchy texture.

Why brown rice flour?

You can usewhite rice flour or gluten-free flour, but I found the texture was much better with brown rice flour. If you can't find brown rice flour in your local supermarket, you'll be able to find it in local health stores or online.

How to make the crust

Scroll down to thebottom of the post for the full recipe.

Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free) - Rhian's Recipes (2)

Tip:Line the bottom and sides of the tin with greasedbaking paperto make it easier to remove the cheesecake afterwards.

  • Use your fingers to push the dough all the way to the edges, then use the bottom of a glass (make sure to use one with a flat bottom!) to press down on it until the surface is completely even.
Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free) - Rhian's Recipes (3)
  • Bake in the oven for 10 minutes - you'll be baking this again so you don't want to over-bake at this stage!
Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free) - Rhian's Recipes (4)

How to make the cheesecake filling

  • Place the cashew nuts, tofu, maple syrup, lemon juice, cornflour (cornstarch) and vanilla in a food processor or blender.

Tip: Make sure the cashew nuts are soaked to make them easier to blend. Soak them overnight in cold water or in boiling water for at least 15 minutes.

Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free) - Rhian's Recipes (5)
  • Whizz until completely smooth.

Tip: You will have to mix it around a few times to make it easier to blend up.

Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free) - Rhian's Recipes (6)
  • Pour the cheesecake filling over the baked crust until it’s completely evenly covered and make sure the surface is smooth.

Tip: Gently tap the baking tin on the counter a few times to get rid of air bubbles.

Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free) - Rhian's Recipes (7)
  • Bake in the oven for 1 hour, until the surface is golden brown. It will be a bit jiggly when you take it out, but will firm up as it cools.
Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free) - Rhian's Recipes (8)
  • Make sure to leave the cheesecake to cool completely before removing it from the baking tin and slicing, putting it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Tips for making this recipe

  • Make sure to bake the crust and the filling at different oven temperatures - you'll need to bake the filling at a lower temperature to ensure it cooks evenly without burning.
  • I'd recommend using a springform baking tin with a clasp, which makes it much easier to remove the cheesecake from the baking tin.
  • Make sure to line the bottom and sides of the baking tin with baking paper to make the cheesecake easier to remove from the baking tin.
  • You'll want to remove the cheesecake from the oven when it's turned a golden brown colour, but make sure to watch that it doesn't burn.
  • The cheesecake will still be soft enough to jiggle a bit in the middle when you remove it from the oven - it will firm up as it cools down.
  • The cheesecake will sink a bit as it cools down - this is normal, so don't worry about this.
  • Make sure to leave the cheesecake to cool completely before removing it from the baking tin and slicing, putting it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free) - Rhian's Recipes (9)

How long does this keep for?

This cheesecake tastes best eaten on the day or the day after it’s made, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.

Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free) - Rhian's Recipes (10)

Substitutions you can make

  • You can replace thecoconut oilwithcoconut butter.
  • You can use any type of liquid sweetener: maple syrup, agave syrup, brown rice syrup etc.
  • The ground almonds (almond meal) can be replaced with ground walnuts or ground sunflower seeds.
  • You can replace the brown rice flour with plain flour if you’re not gluten-free.
  • You can replace the cornflour (cornstarch) with arrowroot.
  • You can replace the tofu with a thick plant-based yogurt, but the texture is better with tofu.

Substitutions to be careful of

  • You can usewhite rice flour or gluten-free flour but the texture is much better with brown rice flour.
  • You must use silken tofu, NOT firm tofu.

Topping ideas

This cheesecake is delicious by itself, but you can add some toppings if you like:

  • Fresh fruit.
  • Coconut whipped cream.
  • Sliced baked apples.
  • Vegan lemon curd.
  • Vegan caramel sauce.
  • Fruit compote or sauce - you could use the blueberry sauce from my vegan blueberry cheesecake recipe.
Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free) - Rhian's Recipes (11)

More vegan dessert recipes

  • Chocolate Lava Cake
  • Apple Crumble Bars
  • Coconut Macaroons
  • Lemon Bars
  • Strawberry Trifle
  • Sugar Cookies
  • Strawberry Shortcake
  • Yule Log
  • Blueberry Crumble Bars
  • Lemon Pudding
  • Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
  • Baked Pumpkin Cheesecake
  • Coffee Cake
  • Lemon Cheesecake Crumble Bars
  • Churros
  • Apple Snack Cake

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog,I’d really love to hear anyfeedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes onInstagram! Thank you.

Watch how to make this recipe

Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free) - Rhian's Recipes (12)

Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free)

This Vegan Baked Cheesecake (New York Cheesecake) is seriously rich and creamy and has a crunchy, "buttery" crust. It's perfectly sweet, a little tangy and just as good as the real thing! It's easy to make with simple ingredients and is gluten-free and refined sugar free too.

4.43 from 69 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: gluten-free baked cheesecake, vegan baked cheesecake, vegan new york cheesecake

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 slices

Calories: 309kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

For the crust:

For the filling:

  • 150 g (1 cups) raw cashew nuts soaked in cold water overnight or in hot water for 15 minutes
  • 300 g (10.5 oz) silken tofu *** (NOT firm tofu)
  • 14 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other similar sweetener)
  • 8 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 teaspoons cornflour (cornstarch) (or sub arrowroot)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For the crust:

  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).

  • Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave.

  • Add the maple syrup, ground almonds, brown rice flour and salt and mix well – add a splash of any plant-based milk if it’s looking too dry to combine.

  • Transfer the dough to a round springform baking tin (I used a18cm / 7 inch springform baking tin) - line the bottom and sides of the tin with greasedbaking paperto make it easier to remove the cheesecake afterwards.

  • Use your fingers to push the dough all the way to the edges, then use the bottom of a glass (make sure to use one with a flat bottom!) to press down on it until the surface is completely even.

  • Bake in oven for 10 minutes - you'll be baking this again so you don't want to over-bake at this stage!

For the filling:

  • Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit).

  • Drain the soaked cashew nuts.

  • Place the cashew nuts, tofu, maple syrup, lemon juice, cornflour (cornstarch) and vanilla in a food processor or blender.

  • Whizz until completely smooth - you will have to mix it around a few times to make it easier to blend up.

  • Pour the cheesecake filling over the baked crust until it’s completely evenly covered and make sure the surface is smooth.

  • Gently tap the baking tin on the counter a few times to get rid of air bubbles.

  • Bake in the oven for 1 hour, until surface is golden brown - it will be a bit jiggly when you take it out, but will firm up as it cools.

  • Make sure to leave the cheesecake to cool completely before removing it from the baking tin and slicing, putting it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

  • Tastes best eaten on the day or the day after it’s made, but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.

Video

Notes

*You can alternatively usealmond flour.

**You can use white rice flour, but the texture is much better with brown rice flour.

***You can replace the tofu with a thick plant-based yogurt, but the texture is better with tofu.

Top tips:

  • Make sure to bake the crust and the filling at different oven temperatures - you'll need to bake the filling at a lower temperature to ensure it cooks evenly without burning.
  • I'd recommend using a springform baking tin with a clasp, which makes it much easier to remove the cheesecake from the baking tin.
  • You'll want to remove the cheesecake from the oven when it's turned a golden brown colour, but make sure to watch that it doesn't burn.
  • The cheesecake will sink a bit as it cools down - this is normal, so don't worry about this.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 309Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 3g15%

Sodium 9mg0%

Potassium 317mg9%

Carbohydrates 42g14%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 28g31%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin C 6mg7%

Calcium 75mg8%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.

Vegan Baked Cheesecake (Gluten-Free) - Rhian's Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Is Jell O No Bake cheesecake gluten-free? ›

Is JELLO no bake cheesecake gluten free? Jello no bake cheesecake is gluten free, so long as you skip its graham cracker crust. That mixture does contain wheat. However, the cheesecake filling is not made with ingredients that contain gluten.

Is Philadelphia no bake cheesecake filling gluten-free? ›

No, Philadelphia no-bake cheesecake filling is not certified gluten-free. The label lists several ingredients that may contain gluten. Can people with Celiac's disease eat cheesecake? People with Celiac's disease can eat cheesecake that is made with a gluten-free graham cracker crust.

What can you use instead of flour in cheesecake? ›

For this one I added 2 Tbsp of cornstarch. This resulted in a cheesecake that was just as thick as the one with less eggs and didn't effect the taste like the flour one. It did result in a more cake like texture as well.

What is gluten-free cheesecake made of? ›

In most traditional cheesecake recipes, cheesecake filling doesn't contain gluten. Many recipes contain cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. None of these ingredients have gluten in them, making a classic cheesecake recipe gluten-free.

Why didn't my no-bake cheesecake set overnight? ›

The primary reason a no-bake cheesecake is too runny or doesn't set up properly is generally the temperature of the ingredients. If your cream cheese is too warm, the mixture will be too soft and will never set up properly.

Is Cool Whip gluten-free? ›

YES, Cool Whip is gluten-free!

Although it does not carry a gluten-free certification on the label, Cool Whip doesn't contain any sources of gluten. In addition, Kraft Heinz states that cross-contamination with gluten has not occurred during the manufacturing of Cool Whip products.

Why is cheesecake not gluten-free? ›

Your average cheesecake has a graham cracker crust, and those crackers contain wheat. This means a typical store bought cheesecake is not gluten-free. Do not lose hope though! It's very easy to make your own cheesecake at home either with gluten-free graham crackers or finely ground nuts as the crust instead.

Is Duncan Hines peach pie filling gluten-free? ›

This product is not certified gluten-free. Our product labels list common allergens, such as wheat, for those allergic to wheat gluten.

What happens if you don't put flour in cheesecake? ›

A little bit of cornstarch or flour in the cheesecake batter is insurance against cracking and makes the cake easier to cut into clean slices, though it does change the texture of the cheesecake a bit.

What not to do when making cheesecake? ›

16 Mistakes You're Making With Homemade Cheesecake
  1. Working with cold ingredients. Hobo_018/Getty Images. ...
  2. Using whipped cream cheese. ...
  3. Using low-fat cream cheese. ...
  4. Undermixing your cheesecake. ...
  5. Not diversifying your cheeses. ...
  6. Not being careful with your eggs. ...
  7. Only making plain cheesecake. ...
  8. Baking in anything but a springform pan.
May 29, 2023

Why put cornstarch in cheesecake? ›

Flour or cornstarch is sometimes included in cheesecake recipes to preventing cracks. If you find that you always have problems with cracking and your cheesecake recipe does not call for any flour or cornstarch, it's ok to experiment and add some cornstarch (one to two tablespoons) to the batter when you add the sugar.

Is graham cracker gluten-free? ›

Are Graham Crackers Gluten-Free? No, most regular graham crackers are made with graham flour, wheat flour, or whole wheat flour and are not gluten-free—but fortunately, there are many gluten-free graham crackers made with a gluten free flour blend.

What are the anti caking agents in gluten-free cheese? ›

Cheese Products

Some may contain starch or cellulose to prevent the shreds from sticking together. However the starches/cellulose used in shredded cheese typically don't contain gluten. Often potato starch is used, which is gluten-free.

Can celiacs eat gluten-free cake? ›

Although regular breads and cakes are not included in a gluten free diet, there are many creative ways in which people with coeliac disease can have their cake and eat it! Gluten gives bread, cakes and pastry the right texture. Without gluten, bread is less chewy and cakes and pastry can be drier and more crumbly.

Does Jello no bake cheesecake have dairy? ›

Contains: milk, wheat, soy.

Does no bake cheesecake contain gelatin? ›

The basic steps for no-bake cheesecake are as follows: Beat together softened cream cheese and sifted powdered sugar. Whip in some heavy cream until the mixture is thick and billowy. Add a little gelatin and whisk it in at the end to help make the cheesecake stable and easy to slice.

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