Another instalment in the no-bake cheesecake saga – vegan chocolate cheesecake! This dairy-free, nut-free and completely vegan cheesecake was one of the most highly requested flavours on my instagram so I had to make it! It is decadent, rich and is easily in my top 5 favourite desserts of all time. If you’re a chocolate lover like me, it will be yours too!
If you’re not a fan of chocolate then not to fret – check out my other cheesecake recipes here! Or click on any of the photos below. Alternatively, check out my chocolate archives here if cheesecake doesn’t tickle your fancy!
Baking tips:
This chocolate cheesecake is fairly foolproof as it requires no baking, no difficult tools or techniques and can be whipped together within a couple hours! However, I know I’ve made some silly mistakes on easy recipes before so here are some tips and tricks to make sure your cheesecake is picture perfect!
1. Do not use regular tofu! There are many different types of tofu but the only acceptable one here is silken tofu as it blends like a dream and will give you that perfect cheesecake texture.
2. Espresso powder can be omitted but it does elevate the richness of the chocolate flavour.
3. Don’t skip the sea salt. I know it seems odd adding salt to desserts but when all the elements are sweet, you need a pinch of salt for balance.
4. If you hate crumbly crusts that make a mess when you cut the cheesecake then use 50% vegan butter + 50% veg shortening instead of just butter. Shortening is 100% fat so it’s firm at room temperature unlike butter. This means when you take it out of the fridge it will hold together very well.
5. I recommend a “plant-based cream” for the ganache but you can use plant milk, plant-cream or even water for this ganache. However, chocolate is tricky and will behave different based on the percentage of cocoa inside. I use 55% cocoa solids for most of my recipes.
The higher the cocoa % the firmer the ganache will set so try to balance that with the “cream” you’re using to make the ganache. If you have spare coconut cream from the filling you can use that here but add a little milk because it will set very firm otherwise.
One last note – I used vegan squirty cream to decorate my cheesecakes. It works well for quick photography but unfortunately it doesn’t last very long. If you want to achieve the same effect I would suggest using coconut whipping cream with a pinch of icing sugar.
If you’re in the UK, I’ve provided a list below with some of the key ingredients I’ve used.
INGREDIENTS:
- For the coconut cream, buy a couple of cans of coconut milk, chill it overnight and then scoop out the cream from the top of the can! I used to recommend buying cartons of coconut cream but sometimes they still contain a lot of liquid so it’s best to use the cream from a can.
- I use this brand of silken tofu!
- My go-to vegan block butter is the one from Naturli.
- For the plant-based cream I will often use Alpro single cream.
For this recipe you’ll need:
- 8-inch springform cake tin (ideally a push-through cake tin to get smooth edges)
- food processor/blender
Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
This vegan no-bake chocolate cheesecake is the dessert you didn't know you needed. It is creamy, chocolatey and silky smooth. If you make anything this month, let it be this absolute knock-out dessert!
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 154g Oreo biscuits (1 pack)
- 40g vegan butter, melted
- pinch of sea salt
- Filling:
- 400g dark chocolate, chopped (55% cocoa solids)
- 300g silken tofu, extra firm (1 pack)
- 200g coconut cream (from a can)
- 150ml plant milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp espresso powder (optional)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- pinch of sea salt
- Chocolate ganache:
- 100g dark chocolate, chopped (55% cocoa solids)
- 100g plant-based cream
Directions
- Step 1 Crust: Pulse the oreos in a food processor with the salt until they are completely crushed. Add the melted butter and process until well combined.
- Step 2 Place a circular disk of parchment in the bottom of the cake tin to help get the cheesecake out later. Place the crumbs into the cake tin and spread evenly.
- Step 3 Pack the crumbs down with a spatula and then place it in the freezer for 20 minutes while we prepare the filling.
- Step 4 Cheesecake filling: Take the silken tofu out of the packet and drain it. Add it to the food processor with all the other ingredients minus the chocolate. I would recommend warming up the coconut cream first so that it blends easier!
- Step 5 Melt the chocolate in the microwave using 30-second bursts or by using a bain-marie method. Pour the melted chocolate into the food processor and pulse until completely combined. It will be thick so you may have to scrape down the sides to get it to blend completely smooth.
- Step 6 Pour this filling into the cake tin on top of the frozen crust and leave it in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours.
- Step 7 Ganache Layer: Place the chopped chocolate in a microwavable bowl. Add the cream to a pot on the stove and heat it up. Once it starts to steam, pour the cream over the chocolate to melt it. Wait 2 minutes and then whisk it together to make it smooth. If it’s still lumpy, microwave the ganache for 30 seconds.
- Step 8 Pour this ganache over the chilled cheesecake. Use a spatula to spread the ganache evenly, working quickly as it will start to set within 30 seconds.
- Step 9 Cover again and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving!
Just amazing! Best decadent recipe ever!
Hello! Does this need to be kept in the fridge to stop it from melting? Or is it stable at room temperature?
A quick question. I can only find firm silken tofu where I live. Will this do. I love the look of this recipe. Thanks in advance.
Hello! Firm silken tofu will be fine. As long as it’s silken it will still work 🙂
These were delicious! My crust is still very crumbly doing half shortening and half plant butter. Any recommendations?
Hello! This is a no-bake recipe but you can always bake it in the oven for 7-8 minutes at 180C to make it firmer! Also do pack it in as much as possible.
Hi Tom! I’m about to make the cheesecake but am confused about the ingredients for the crust…do you use whole oreo biscuits including the filling or only the actual brown biscuits and scrape of the creamy filling? Thanks!!! 🙂
Hands down, best cheesecake I have ever tried! 12/10!
I would love to make this cheesecake but not vegan . Can you help
Me with the substitute pls. I can use cream cheese instead of the tofu n normal cream, ? Pls reply. Thank you
This isn’t my website so I can’t answer for the recipe author, but since most cheesecakes are non vegan you are probably better to just google a standard cheesecake recipe as most will be non vegan. That will be far easier than trying to adapt a recipe which was designed to be vegan. Otherwise, maybe try this one as it is? You may be surprised at how good vegan desserts can taste!
hi,
do you use silken tofu, or firm tofu, little confused as it says silken tofu – extra firm?
Hi Jon – I use extra firm silken tofu but any brand of silken tofu will probably be fine. Just don’t use fresh tofu from the chilled section as that is super crumbly and a completely different texture.