Indulge in the perfect treat with this delightful baked vegan chocolate cheesecake! Topped with a luscious chocolate ganache and fresh strawberries, this dessert is the epitome of decadence. It’s rich, chocolatey, tangy, super creamy, and gluten-free, making it an easy delight for your taste buds.
Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
#### Chocolate Filling:
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews (soaked in water for 2-3 hours)
- 1 can 13.5 ounces coconut cream (use only the solid cream layer)
- 1 ½ cups Miyoko’s Vegan Cream Cheese
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 ounces vegan semisweet chocolate melted and slightly cooled
#### Chocolate Cookie Crust:
- 24 chocolate sandwich cookies
- ¼ cup Miyoko’s European Style Cultured Vegan Butter
#### Chocolate Ganache Topping:
- 8 ounces dark chocolate
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 pint strawberries thinly sliced, optional
Instructions
- Soak cashews in room temperature water for 2-3 hours, then drain and rinse. Preheat the oven to 350˚F / 175˚C.
- In a food processor, pulse chocolate sandwich cookies and melted butter until they form a crumb mixture.
- Press the crust mixture into a 9″ springform pan using the flat bottom of a measuring cup (or your hands). Press the crust about 1″ up the sides of the pan.
- Bake the crust for 7 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven heat to 300˚F / 150˚C.
- For the filling, blend cashews, coconut cream, cacao powder, cornstarch, cream cheese, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. Stream in the melted chocolate and continue blending until completely smooth.
- Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 1 hour. After 1 hour, turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 30 minutes to cool slowly (preventing cracking). Remove cheesecake from the oven and continue cooling for 30 minutes.
- Heat coconut milk in a saucepan over medium heat until very hot (but not simmering). Remove from heat and whisk/stir in chocolate until fully melted. Pour over the cooled cheesecake and transfer to the refrigerator to set for 2-3 hours. Optional: top with strawberry slices.
Notes
- Soften your cream cheese before blending for the smoothest filling.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300˚ after baking the crust.
- Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 30 minutes after baking to cool slowly.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake for several hours before slicing for the best taste.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze individually wrapped slices for up to 6 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before serving.