The holiday season calls for indulgence, and what better way to celebrate than with a Vegan Keto Classic Style Cheesecake? This recipe delivers a super creamy, plain, good ole fashion cheesecake with a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth, buttery crust. It's extremely easy to put together and won't take up much of your time, making it the perfect dessert for any occasion. The best part? This cheesecake contains absolutely zero cashews, keeping the net carb count as low as possible, roughly 3.9g per slice. If you're not following a keto diet, that's totally ok! You can just disregard all this talk of it and still enjoy the cheesecake in all it's glory.
Why This Recipe Works
This vegan keto cheesecake is a game-changer for several reasons:
- Low-Carb: With only 3.9g net carbs per slice, this cheesecake fits perfectly into a ketogenic lifestyle.
- Vegan: Made without any animal products, this dessert is suitable for vegans and those with dairy sensitivities.
- Cashew-Free: Unlike many vegan cheesecake recipes, this one doesn't rely on cashews, further reducing the carb count.
- Easy to Make: The recipe is straightforward and doesn't require any special baking skills.
- Delicious: The creamy filling and buttery crust create a flavor combination that's sure to satisfy any sweet tooth.
Ingredients You'll Need
For the Crust
- Almond flour
- Pinch of salt
- Vegan butter (such as Earth Balance Buttery Spread)
- Sweetener (such as erythritol or monk fruit sweetener)
For the Filling
- Vegan cream cheese (such as Tofutti or Violife Creamy Original)
- Coconut cream (refrigerated overnight and only using the thick cream)
- Vanilla extract
- A little bit of ACV (apple cider vinegar)
- Sweetener (such as erythritol or monk fruit sweetener)
- A few tablespoons of almond meal for thickening
Optional Toppings
- Keto-friendly powdered sugar
- Berries (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries)
- Sugar-free blackberry syrup
- Cranberry glaze
Equipment
- 8″ round springform pan
- Foil
- Large tray for water bath
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Food processor (for crust)
- Blender (for filling)
- Parchment paper
- Silicone muffin mold (for mini cheesecakes)
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making the Crust
- In a large bowl, add all the crust ingredients and mix until well combined. The mixture should be crumbly and a bit wet, and you should be able to mold it to the bottom of your pan. Alternatively, combine all crust ingredients into food processor and pulse until combined OR combine with a fork.
- Press the crust into the bottom of your springform pan, distributing it evenly. You may need to add 1 to 3 additional tablespoons of coconut oil depending on the consistency of the crust - you want it to press together easily like a dough but not be overly oily.
Preparing the Filling
- Preheat oven to 325-350°F (160-175°C) and spray an 8" round springform pan with coconut oil spray or any non-stick cooking spray.Line a 8-inch or 9-inch springform pie pan with parchment paper.
- Using a stand or electric hand mixer, place all the filling ingredients into a large bowl and mix until combined and super creamy. Hold back on the Keto Confectioners for now, but blend the rest of the ingredients together until they’re completely one smooth mixture.
- Cover the bottom of the springform pan in foil, letting it come up the sides a little bit. Place the pan in a large tray and pour water halfway up. The water should not go higher than the foil. Place in the oven carefully and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour and 35 minutes, depending on the recipe. Do not open the oven.
Baking and Chilling
- Once the baking time is up, turn the oven off and let the cheesecake sit in there for an extra 10-15 minutes. Do not open the oven door. Instead, turn off the heat and let your cheesecake continue to rest in the oven for 15 more minutes.
- Remove from oven carefully, remove the springform pan out from the water bath and onto your counter. Carefully disregard the water from your water bath.
- Let the cheesecake sit out on your counter for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes are up, place in your fridge to set. I like to set mine overnight but you can slice into it at 6 hours.
Variations and Customizations
- No-Bake Version: For a no-bake cheesecake, replace half a cup of the yogurt in the recipe with softened coconut butter or coconut oil. Chill the unbaked cheesecake until firm.
- Mini Cheesecakes: Use a silicone muffin mold to make individual cheesecakes. Bake for 15 minutes until toasty.
- Flavor Variations: Experiment with different extracts, such as almond or lemon, to change the flavor profile of the filling.
- Nut-Free Option: Substitute sunflower seed butter for almond butter in the crust.
- Soy-Free Option: Use Big Mountain Food’s Soy-Free Tofu which is made from fava beans.
Tips for Success
- Use Full-Fat Ingredients: For the creamiest texture, use full-fat vegan cream cheese and coconut cream.
- Don't Overbake: The cheesecake should still be jiggly in the center when you take it out of the oven. It will continue to firm up as it cools.
- Chill Overnight: Chilling the cheesecake overnight allows the flavors to meld together and the texture to set properly.
- Adjust Sweetness to Taste: The wonderful thing about this recipe is you can taste and adjust as you go.
- Strain the Yogurt: I do recommend straining the vegan yogurt -- leaving it for a couple of hours in a strainer lined with a cheesecloth -- to get some of the whey out. It's the only extra step and it's worth it.
Serving Suggestions
- Dust with keto-friendly powdered sugar.
- Top with fresh berries or a sugar-free berry compote.
- Drizzle with sugar-free blackberry syrup.
- Serve with a dollop of whipped coconut cream.
- Accompany with a warm cranberry glaze.
Making a Cranberry Glaze
Combine cranberries with water sufficient to barely cover. Turn the heat to high and wait for it to boil. Once there, turn the heat down to a simmer and add the ginger slices. Simmer 5 minutes. Let this mixture cool (a cold water or snow bath is helpful) until you feel safe to transfer it to your blender. It can be warm but not hot. Take out the ginger slices. Add the sweeteners, vanilla, and salt. Blend until smooth.
Storing and Freezing
Store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, slice and freeze the cheesecake. Thaw on the countertop before serving.
Nutritional Information (per slice)
- Net Carbs: Approximately 3.9g (without toppings)
- Fat: 33.4g
(Note: All of the nutrition info is an estimate. Please log in your measurements to whatever app you use to get a more direct (for you) estimate.)
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tags: #vegan #keto #cheesecake #recipe