Description
This Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake is a creamy, delicious dessert made without any dairy or eggs. Featuring a crunchy cookie crust and a smooth, tangy vegan cream cheese filling enhanced with fresh strawberry puree, this cheesecake is both refreshing and indulgent. Topped with a luscious homemade strawberry compote and fresh berries, it’s perfect for special occasions or a delightful everyday treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- ~2 cups (200g) plain sweet cookies, gluten-free if needed
- ⅓ cup (75g) vegan butter, margarine or coconut oil, melted
Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Filling
- 16 oz (480g) vegan cream cheese, room temperature (2 x regular tubs)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45g) melted coconut oil or cacao butter, or 2 teaspoons agar powder
- 3 tablespoons (45g) lemon juice and zest, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or to taste
- 3 cups (360g) fresh or frozen strawberries
- 1 cup (240g) thick scoopable canned coconut cream
- ¼ cup (30g) cornstarch / corn flour
- 1 teaspoon beetroot powder, or pink food coloring, to color if needed
Strawberry Topping
- 1 cup (120g) fresh strawberries, stems removed (can substitute half with raspberries)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch / corn flour
Instructions
- Make the crust: Line an 8-inch (20 cm) springform or loose-bottom cake pan with parchment paper. Add the cookies to a food processor and pulse until they form fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Set aside.
- Make the cheesecake filling: Add the vegan cream cheese, sugar, melted coconut oil, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla extract to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Prepare strawberry reduction: Place the strawberries and a dash of water in a medium pot over high heat. Simmer and mash the strawberries until mostly broken down, cooking 10-15 minutes or until the mixture reduces to about ½ heaped cup (~180g) with the consistency of thick tomato pasta sauce.
- Thicken the strawberry mixture: Add the coconut cream and cornstarch to the pot with the strawberry reduction. Whisk thoroughly and bring to a gentle boil for 5 minutes or until thickened. Don’t worry if the mixture separates.
- Combine filling with strawberry mixture: Transfer the thickened strawberry mixture to the food processor with the cream cheese mixture. Blend until as smooth as possible. Add beetroot powder or pink food coloring if desired for color. Taste and add more lemon juice or vanilla extract as needed.
- Assemble and chill: Pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Cover the pan and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or until set.
- Make the strawberry topping: In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the majority of the fresh strawberries and cornstarch. Mash the strawberries using a fork or stick blender and stir until the mixture forms a thick sauce. Sweeten to taste if desired. Allow to cool completely.
- Serve: Just before serving, top the chilled cheesecake with the strawberry compote and the reserved fresh strawberries. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- You can substitute the plain sweet cookies with Oreos or chocolate cookies for a vegan Oreo strawberry cheesecake variation.
- A liquid sweetener such as maple syrup can be used instead of granulated sugar, but the cheesecake may be slightly softer.
- If using agar powder, mix it with the coconut cream and cornstarch before adding to the strawberry reduction. Agar must be cooked thoroughly to set properly.
- Use regular canned coconut cream (not light versions) as it contains thicker, scoopable cream needed for best texture. You may need more cans if light coconut cream is used.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12th of cheesecake)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
