Vegan Cheesecake, Soy & Nut Free (One Recipe, Three Textures)

A vegan cheesecake that is legume free, and nut free without compromising on flavor and texture is something I’d never thought I’d be able to create. Thanks to a recipe created in 1995 by Karen Tack and Pam Anderson, my adapted recipe now exists.
For most people, cheesecake is all about the texture. Most recipes will have similar flavor profiles, but texture can vary greatly! I wanted a cheesecake that can be made rich and creamy, light and fluffy, or dense and firm with simple instruction changes. That way, everyone can make a cheesecake with the texture of their own preference.

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Challenge #1:

Make a vegan cheesecake that is legume free, and nut free without compromising on flavor and texture.
If you have allergies, then finding a cheesecake that meets all the above requirements is extremely tricky. That is why it was my goal to create a cheesecake that is more allergy friendly, one that I can eat and actually enjoy.

Solution #1

Find the best ingredients…First off, shout out to Oatly cream cheese; they are hands down the best cream cheese to use in place of Philadelphia’s regular cream cheese for your vegan cheesecake. Stay tuned for my copycat oatly cream cheese recipe, but for now use the store-bought stuff!
If you can’t do oats or can’t find the brand in your stores, there are many other plant based brands and options; open nature brand being the second best! (Philadelphia, Daiya, & Miyoko are a few more brands) but most of those will contain coconut, nuts, or legumes of some kind. For example, I found using Daiya (contains pea protein) affects the final texture and flavor profile of your cheesecake. Using Daiya cream cheese makes a cheesecake taste more like a custard, but if that is a cream cheese you can have then it’s definitely worth it. Also, I tried using Philadelphia’s plant based cream cheese and because they used faba bean protein (a legume), the flavor of the cheesecake was strongly bean-y. Due to the allergens in the other plant-based cream cheeses, I have not tested them; if you try them please let me know in the comments how it turned out!

Challenge# 2:

Make a recipe that can have three textures with simple instructional changes.
I agree with Karen Tack and Pam Anderson with they say “For most cheesecake fans, perfect cheesecake has more to do with texture than flavor.” For me, cheesecake is all about texture. I personally love light and airy cheesecakes that remind me of meringue. Still others are firm and dense like your classic New York style cheesecake & others are rich and creamy like custard. Both of which are my husband’s favorite. So my goal, like Karen & Pam’s was to develop a basic vegan cheesecake that is both legume and nut free whose texture could be altered with a simple instructional change or baking method.

Solution #2:

Find the right ratio of ingredients & instructions… Starting with the key ingredient of cheesecake, that is, cream cheese, I tested using Oatly, Open Nature, Daiya (contains pea protein), and Philadelphia’s plant based cream cheese (contains faba bean protein). I found that the Oatly brand and Open Nature cream cheese were the best in both flavor and texture.
In testing egg substitutions, I quickly learned I needed a binder, ie: cornstarch, a protein source, ie: potato protein, and liquid, ie: water. These ingredients helped mimic the eggs needed to make an outstanding vegan cheesecake. To get a light and airy style of cheesecake, though, it was vital to whip the egg white substitute and fold it into the batter.
The addition of cream gives a velvety, smooth texture to your vegan cheesecake, but too much of it and you begin to mask the cream cheese flavor. Sour cream supports the underlying tang of the cream cheese, but, if overdone, it takes over as the dominant flavor. You need a little of each — cream for texture and sour cream for flavor. With our ingredients settled, we focused in on how to keep the cheesecake from baking up grainy and cracked. We were not surprised to find that a water bath protects a cake from harsh, direct heat that can cause it to overcook, crack, and sink.
Finally, to get a smooth-textured, dense cheesecake we found that the unusual approach of starting with a high oven heat (500 degrees) and then lowering it to 200 degrees worked on two ends. The high heat nicely browned the graham cracker crust and caused the eggs to puff. The low heat gently cooked the cake through slowly dehydrating it so that it was dense yet creamy in texture. Soft and creamy, light and fluffy, or firm and dense. Varying the oven temperature and using whole or separated egg substitutes make all the difference.

Ingredients & Substitutes

Vegan soy free butter, OR homemade
Partake Graham cracker crumbs, OR homemade cookie dough crumbs
oatly cream cheese
Sugar
Potato protein + water + 1g agar agar [This replaces 4 egg whites]
cornstarch + water, dissolved [This replaces 4 egg yolks]
lemon zest, OR apple cider vinegar
vanilla extract
Plant based heavy cream
Violife sour cream (if you can do coconut), OR non dairy yogurt of choice
Optional: cherry OR strawberry pie filling, OR fresh berries of choice

How to Make Vegan Nut & Legume Free Cheesecake

There are three ways you can make this cheesecake: rich and creamy, light and airy, or dense & firm. But all ways start with the same ingredients and similar setup.

Begin by Adjusting the oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 325F degrees (500F for dense and firm cheesecake).

Line bottom of 9-inch springform pan with parchment, tuck parchment underneath the pan bottom, and assemble the pan.

Press graham crumbs or cookie dough crumbs into bottom of your pan.

Cover underneath the pan and along the sides with a sheet of heavy-duty foil and set in a large deep dish. The foil will help your pan remain waterproof so that no water leaks into your pan, while cooking.

Bring a kettle of water to boil for a water bath. You will skip this step if making a dense and firm cheesecake.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese in a bowl, until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat on medium speed until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Your CHEESECAKE SETUP is now complete and you can move on to picking the texture you want, rich and creamy, light and airy, or dense & firm. Then, follow those instructions below:

RICH AND CREAMY:

After the CHEESECAKE SETUP above, In a separate bowl, Add egg yolk substitutes and egg white substitutes, and mix thoroughly.

Now stir the both egg substitutes into the cream cheese base, 2 TB at a time, mixing until just incorporated and scraping down after each addition. (If you don’t scrape down the bowl after each egg, cream cheese that sticks to the bowl will ultimately show up as lumps in the batter.)

Then slowly mix in zest, vanilla, cream and sour cream, till smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan and place your cheesecake into your deep dish. Pour the hot water around it carefully. Water should be about halfway up the side of the springform pan.

Bake in the water bath for 60 mins. The cheesecake is ready when the top has nicely puffed and started to become lightly golden brown. Unlike regular cheesecakes, this allergy friendly cheesecake will be liquidy until it fully cools.

Turn off the oven, and allow the cheesecake to rest in the oven for 1 hour before placing it into the refrigerator to cool for 4 hours to overnight.

Serve plain or with a can of pie filling of choice. You can serve cold or at room temperature. Cheesecake can be refrigerated up to a week. Cheesecake can also be frozen up to 4 months and then set out on counter for 3 hours to be brought to room temperature.

LIGHT & AIRY

After the CHEESECAKE SETUP above, In a separate bowl, mix up the egg yolk substitute till smooth.

Then, adid egg yolk substitute 2 TB at a time into the cream cheese base, mixing until just incorporated and scraping down after each addition. (Cream cheese that sticks to the bowl will ultimately show up as lumps in the batter.)

Slowly mix in zest, vanilla, cream and sour cream, till smooth.

Beat the egg whites substitute into soft peaks. Fold this substitute into batter gently and then pour into your prepared cheesecake pan.

Place your cheesecake into the deep dish and pour the hot water around it carefully. Water should be about halfway up the side of the springform pan.

Bake in the water bath, reducing cooking time to 50 minutes.

The cheesecake is ready when the top has nicely puffed and started to become lightly golden brown. Unlike regular cheesecakes, this allergy friendly cheesecake will be liquidy until it fully cools.

Turn off the oven, and allow the cheesecake to rest in the oven for 1 hour before placing it into the refrigerator to cool for 4 hours to overnight.

DENSE & THICK

After the CHEESECAKE SETUP above, In a separate bowl, add egg yolk substitutes and egg white substitutes, and mix thoroughly.

Then stir the both egg substitutes into the cream cheese mixture, 2 TB at a time, mixing until just incorporated and scraping down after each addition. (Cream cheese that sticks to the sides of the bowl will ultimately show up as lumps in the batter later.)

Then slowly mix in zest, vanilla, cream and sour cream, till smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan and place your cheesecake into your deep dish.

Bake 10 mins at 500 & reduce temperature to 200 for 40 mins. Open the oven door for 5 mins to help lower temperature quickly. The cheesecake is ready when the top has nicely puffed and started to become lightly golden brown. Unlike regular cheesecakes, this allergy friendly cheesecake will be liquidy until it fully cools.

Turn off the oven, and allow the cheesecake to rest in the oven for 1 hour before placing it into the refrigerator to cool for 4 hours to overnight.

Common Questions

Why let it rest in the oven after it’s done cooking? The abrupt temperature shift from the oven to the fridge can make the top of your cheesecake crack, hence why you slowly let it cool down.
Can this premade and frozen before serving? Yes, simply follow all instructions and place plain cheesecake in freezer when done cooking. Take out of freezer a few hours before eating to thaw & add an optional pie filling to the top.
How to store? Cheesecake should always be stored chilled in the refrigerator. When I’m ready to store mine, I’ll usually replace the springform ring and then cover the top with foil.

PRO TIPS

Cheesecake shouldn’t be left out at room temperature for a long time (unless your thawing it from the freezer), because it can melt. It will melt faster in humid climates.
DONT OPEN YOUR OVEN. Opening your oven will drastically change the temperature in your oven and cause your cheesecake to sink or not cook fully. Only check it with an oven light to see if the top is rising and if it’s starting to turn lightly golden.