Vegan Gluten Free Cheesecake Recipe

When I first published a vegan gluten free cheesecake recipe in my cookbook, Free for All Cooking, I heard from so many readers that they were thrilled to finally have a truly delicious dairy free option for cheesecake again. I never knew such a seemingly obscure recipe could be so popular!

But I suppose it makes sense — those of us who are dairy free and/or vegan still crave a great cheesecake, and those who aren’t still appreciate a great cheesecake. This vegan gluten free cheesecake is a great cheesecake for anyone, no matter what, so it is something to get excited about!

Getting down to ingredients, just how is this cheesecake so magically delicious and still vegan and gluten free? Well, you likely already know that the best gluten free flour makes the best gluten free baked goods, so now I want to introduce you to the ingredient that will take this vegan cheesecake to the next level as well – silken tofu.

Tofu is a fantastic ingredient to keep in your baking arsenal. It’s low-fat (and derived from non-animal sources, so it’s better-for-you fat, anyway) and supplies lots of protein, calcium and iron, plus Thiamin, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, to name just a few wonderful minerals.

What that means for your vegan cheesecake is that using tofu in place of ingredients like eggs or cheese equals a deliciously light, lower fat, higher protein, all around healthier dessert!

Did you say, “two slices“? Yes please! You just gotta love dessert when it’s a bit good for you.

Unlike “regular” tofu (which makes great gluten free veggie Pad Thai, among other things), silken tofu should not be pressed to remove excess water, and in fact, is quite soft and delicate, leading to its name. You may use firm tofu in recipes like this cheesecake but the texture will be a bit different.

Now, onto the crust! This homemade gluten free graham cracker crust is oh-so good, which makes the whole dang dessert irresistible! Made from homemade gluten free graham crackers, you can munch while you’re making, so it’s the dessert that keeps on giving!

Feel free to sugar up or sugar down on the crust, to your taste. There’s really not much need to add sweetness to these crackers, but you can add spices like cinnamon or nutmeg for variety, or even chocolate chips if you’re into that. It’s your crust, so make it your own!

By the way, you should pin this gluten free graham cracker pie crust recipe, as it’s so handy for all kinds of pies like Gluten Free Key Lime Pie, Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie, Gluten Free Chocolate Cream Pie, Gluten Free Peanut Butter Pie, and so much more!

Feel free to add chocolate chips or add your own flavorful flair to this base cheesecake recipe – it’s a versatile beginning to nearly any tasty combination you can conceive of. Some other yummy ideas we’ve played around with include berry coulis, a simple dollop of homemade coconut whipped cream or  So Delicious® vegan CocoWhip, vegan ice cream, chocolate drizzle or just fresh berries instead.

However you decide to serve this gluten free vegan cheesecake, I know you’ll love it! Share a pic of yours in the comments — I’d love to see how you decide to top yours!

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Vegan Gluten Free Cheesecake Recipe

Yield: serves 6

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Cool, creamy and totally decadent ... except this vegan gluten free cheesecake is a treat you can feel good about sharing!

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Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust:

• 1 ½ cups crushed gluten free graham crackers
• 3 Tbs. dairy-free butter substitute (e.g. Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks) or butter (not vegan)

Cheesecake

• 16 oz (2 cups) firm silken tofu (Morinaga® Organic Firm)
• 8 oz (1 cup) vegan cream cheese, plain (Tofutti®, Daiya®, Go Veggie®)
• 4 oz (1/2 cup) vegan sour cream or plain coconut yogurt (Vegan Gourmet® or Tofutti® sour cream or So Delicious® cultured yogurt)
• 2 Tbs. gfJules™ All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
• 2/3 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
• ½ cup fine granulated cane sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. lime juice
• zest from 1 lime, approximately 1 tsp.

Topping (optional)

• 3 cups fresh or frozen mixed berries
• 1 Tbs. granulated cane sugar
• 4 Tbs. orange juice
• 1 Tbs. lime juice
• 1 tsp. salba, chia or ground flaxseed (used to thicken the berries)

Instructions

To make the crust, crush gluten free graham crackers in a blender or food processor, or place in a large zip-top bag and roll over with a rolling pin until crackers are finely chopped. If the pieces are too large, they won’t hold together in the crust, so make sure the crackers are crushed finely.

Stir together with 2 tablespoons melted dairy free substitute, adding the extra one tablespoon if necessary to hold the crumbs together for the crust.

Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9- or 10-inch pie pan. Place into cold oven while oven is preheating.

Set oven to preheat at 325° F.

Bring all cheesecake ingredients to room temperature, then blend together in a large food processor or stand mixer with whisk attachment. Process or beat until smooth, adding the lime zest last.

Remove crust from the warmed oven and pour filling into the pan, filling only 2/3 full. If extra filling remains, pour into an oiled ramekin and bake separately.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until lightly browned and only slightly jiggly in the center. Turn the oven off, but leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour more.

Remove to fully cool afterwards on a wire rack before refrigerating or finishing with berry topping.

To make the berry topping, puree berries, and all other ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Spread out over top of baked and cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate until set and ready to serve.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment (and maybe even a picture!) below or share a photo on Instagram! Be sure to tag me! @gfJules

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