Description
This Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake is a luscious, dairy-free dessert featuring a crunchy cookie crust, creamy vegan cream cheese filling infused with fresh strawberries and coconut cream, topped with a vibrant strawberry compote. Perfect for summer gatherings or any occasion where a refreshing, plant-based treat is desired.
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 (optionally half raspberries for vibrance)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch / corn flour
Instructions
- Make the crust: Line an 8-inch (20 cm) springform or loose-bottom cake pan with parchment paper. Place the cookies in a food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs. Add the melted vegan butter and pulse until the mixture is well combined. Firmly press this mixture into the bottom of the prepared cake pan and set aside.
- Prepare the cheesecake filling: In a food processor or blender, combine the vegan cream cheese, granulated sugar, melted coconut oil, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla extract. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Cook the strawberry reduction: Place the strawberries and a splash of water in a medium pot over high heat. Simmer and mash the strawberries as they cook, breaking them down until they reduce to about ½ heaped cup (~180g) with a thick sauce consistency, approximately 10-15 minutes.
- Thicken the strawberry mixture: To the pot with the strawberry reduction, add the coconut cream and cornstarch. Whisk thoroughly to combine. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and maintain for about 5 minutes until it thickens. Don’t worry if it separates slightly.
- Combine and blend the cheesecake filling: Add the thickened strawberry mixture to the food processor containing the cream cheese mixture. Process until the blend is very smooth. Add beetroot powder or pink food coloring if a deeper pink color is desired. Taste and adjust lemon juice or vanilla extract as needed.
- Assemble and chill the cheesecake: Pour the prepared cheesecake filling over the crust in the cake pan and smooth the surface. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until fully set.
- Make the strawberry topping: In a small saucepan over high heat, combine most of the fresh strawberries and all the cornstarch. Mash the strawberries with a fork or stick blender as they cook, stirring until thickened into a sauce. Sweeten to taste if desired. Let the compote cool completely.
- Serve: Just before serving, top the chilled cheesecake with the cooled strawberry compote and reserved fresh strawberries. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- You can substitute plain sweet cookies with Oreos or chocolate cookies to create a vegan Oreo strawberry cheesecake.
- A liquid sweetener such as maple syrup can be used instead of granulated sugar, though the cheesecake might set slightly softer.
- If using agar powder, mix it with the coconut cream and cornstarch mixture before adding to the strawberry reduction. Agar needs to be cooked properly to activate.
- Use regular canned coconut cream for best results as light versions contain less thick cream and will require more cans to achieve the desired texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/12 of cheesecake)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
