Description
This baked vegan chocolate cheesecake topped with a silky smooth chocolate ganache and fresh strawberries is the ultimate decadent dessert! It's rich, chocolatey, tangy, so creamy, and easy to make gluten free.
Ingredients
Chocolate Filling:
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews, soaked 2-3 hours in water
- 1 13.5 ounce can coconut cream, (use the solid cream layer only)
- 1 1/2 cups Miyoko's Vegan Cream Cheese
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 5 ounces vegan semisweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
Chocolate Cookie Crust:
- 24 chocolate sandwich cookies
- 1/4 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 oven to 350˚F / 175˚C.
- Add chocolate sandwich cookies and melted butter to a food processor and pulse until they form a crumb mixture.
- Using the flat bottom of a measuring cup (or your hands), press the crust mixture into a 9" springform pan. Press the crust about 1" up the sides of the pan.
- Bake the crust for 7 minutes, then remove from the oven and set a side.
- Reduce oven heat to 300˚F / 150˚C.
- To make the filling, add the cashews, coconut cream, cacao powder, cornstarch, cream cheese, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed to make sure all ingredients are evenly incorporated. 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 so it can cool slowly (this will prevent cracking). Remove cheesecake from the oven and continue cooling for 30 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk to a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until very hot, but not simmering. Remove from heat and whisk/stir in chocolate until fully melted. Pour over the cooled cheesecake, then transfer to refrigerator to set for 2-3 hours. Optional: top with strawberry slices.
Notes
Soften your cream cheese: For the smoothest possible filling, bring your cream cheese to room temperature before adding to the blender.
Don't forget to reduce the oven temperature after baking the crust: The crust bakes at 350˚, but you'll need to reduce to 300˚ for the actual cheesecake. We've found that in order to cook the cheesecake through without drying out the top, it needs to bake low and slow.
Leave your cheesecake in the oven for 30 minutes to cool: Once the baking time is up, turn off your oven, but leave the cheesecake in there. We often prop the door open slightly with an oven mitt or dish towel. This helps the cheesecake cool slowly, which prevents cracking and helps it set.
Let the cheesecake cool fully before slicing. It's best if you refrigerate the baked cheesecake for several hours before slicing, which gives it time to fully set. It also tastes best cold!
Storage: Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also store individually wrapped slices in the freezer for up to 6 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cool Time: 2 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Vegan Baking
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 498
- Sugar: 31.6 g
- Sodium: 129.6 mg
- Fat: 32.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 41.9 g
- Fiber: 3.1 g
- Protein: 6.7 g
