Vegan gingerbread cheesecake - this easy, no-bake dairy-free cheesecake is the perfect dessert for Christmas!
With a gingernut biscuit base and a smooth, creamy, rich, gingerbread spiced topping, this cheesecake is full of festive flavours.
If you are looking for a dessert for Christmas that tastes really festive but isn't Christmas pudding, is easy to make and can be prepped in advance and frozen then this vegan gingerbread cheesecake is for you!
It contains all of the warming, spiced flavours of gingerbread in a rich, creamy, decadent, not-too-sweet cheesecake form for a dessert that is sure to impress!
Ingredient Details:
Cream cheese: Make sure that you use a vegan cream cheese with a firmish texture and that you like the flavour of. I use Philadelphia vegan cream cheese.
Firm tofu: This helps to give the cheesecake a firmer texture without adding lots of fat. I use Tofoo extra firm tofu, if using a different brand, be sure to squeeze out any excess liquid.
For a softer, lighter cheesecake, you can swap the firm tofu for either silken tofu or a thick, Greek style vegan yogurt (such as Alpro Greek or the Coconut Collaborative). In this case you will need to increase the amount of butter in the filling to 100g.
Cashews: Blended soaked cashews help give a creamy consistency and add structure.
Vegan butter: I add some melted vegan block butter to add richness and to help the cheesecake to set. Make sure that it is the solid block style, not spreadable.
Treacle: Black treacle or molasses helps give more of a gingerbread flavour.
Spices: Can't make gingerbread without spices! I use ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg but you could also add some allspice and cloves for a stronger flavour.
Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is preferable to white here as it adds flavour. I use light but dark would also be good.
Gingernut cookies: I use ginger nut biscuits (also know as gingersnaps) but another kind of (crunchy) biscuit such as Digestives, Biscoff, Graham crackers, Hobnobs or Oreo's will also work. Bear in mind that you may need to adjust the quantity of butter depending on the type of cookie that you use, so double check recipes on Google using your desired cookie beforehand.
Lemon Juice: Adds a bit of tangy flavour.
Orange zest: Some finely grated orange zest really helps bring out the gingerbread flavour.
How To Make Vegan Gingerbread Cheesecake:
(Full measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)
Step 1: Start by crushing the biscuits for the base, you can do this in a food processor or put them in a freezer bag and bash with a rolling pin.
Step 2: Place the crushed biscuits in a bowl and mix in melted vegan butter. It should resemble damp sand.
Step 3: Tip the biscuit mixture into a lined 20 cm springform cake tin and pack the crumbs down really firmly, use the base of a glass to help press them down.
Step 4: Soak the cashews in boiling water for an hour to soften.
Step 5: Drain the cashews well and place in a blender along with the cream cheese, firm tofu, sugar, treacle, melted butter, lemon juice, vanilla extract, orange zest, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Blend until extremely smooth.
Step 6: Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base and spread it level. Refrigerate for 8 hours until set.
Top Tips:
All of my recipes are developed using grams, and as with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup coversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!
I recommend making the cheesecake the day before you want to serve it as it will need at least 8 hours in the fridge to set.
Ideally you need a power blender (such as Froothie/Vitamix) for the smoothest cheesecake. You can still make it with a regular blender, but it might not be quite as smooth and creamy.
The filling can take a while to fully blend (5-10 minutes depending on your blender). Make sure that you stop regularly to let the blender cool down in between blends, and keep going until the filling is completely smooth, with no hint of graininess.
You ideally need to use a 20 cm/9 in springform cake tin to make this cheesecake so that it is easy to remove from the tin. A loose bottomed one would be second choice. Make sure that you line both the base and sides of the tin with baking parchment so that the cheesecake doesn't stick to the tin.
Taste the filling before transferring it to the tin and add more sugar/spices if required.
Cheesecake Decoration Ideas:
I decorated my cheesecake with my vegan gingerbread cookies which are easy to make and taste great!
Some other options include:
- Whipped dairy-free cream or coconut cream
- A layer of Biscoff spread or vegan nutella
- Drizzle of melted chocolate or ganache
- Crumbled Biscoff or ginger cookies
- Sugared cranberries
FAQ's:
Store the cheesecake in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you want to make it further in advance of serving it then I recommend freezing it.
Yes, you can either freeze individual slices in airtight containers or place the whole cheesecake on a lined baking tray and freeze until solid then wrap it well in clingfilm and return to the freezer for up to 3 months.
To defrost, unwrap it, place it on a plate and cover. Allow to defrost in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Do not refreeze.
The cheesecake filling is already gluten-free so all you need to do is use GF cookies for the base to make this vegan gingerbread cheesecake gluten-free.
More Festive Vegan Desserts:
- Vegan cranberry curd tart
- Vegan chocolate cheesecake
- Vegan chocolate yule log
- Steamed gingerbread pudding
- Mincemeat frangipane tart
- Vegan chocolate Christmas pudding
- Chocolate raspberry mousse cake
- Vegan tiramisu
- Berry and coconut steamed puddings
- Vegan Baileys cheesecake
- Steamed chocolate pudding
If you tried this recipe let me know how it went! Rate it, leave a comment or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess
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Vegan Gingerbread Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- 250 g (9 oz) gingernut biscuits
- 75 g (⅓ cup) vegan block butter melted
Filling:
- 250 g (9 oz) unroasted cashews
- 450 g (1 lb) vegan cream cheese
- 200 g (7 oz) extra firm/firm tofu* excess liquid drained off
- 100 g (½ cup) light or dark brown soft sugar
- 50 g (2 ½ Tablespoons) black treacle/molasses
- 75 g (⅓ cup) vegan block butter melted
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- finely grated zest of 1 large orange
- 4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Line the base and sides of a 20 cm/8 in round springform cake tin with baking paper.
- Place the biscuits in a food processor and blitz until very finely crushed. Alternatively, place them in a sealable freezer bag wrapped in a tea towel and bash them with a rolling pin.
- Tip the crushed biscuits into a bowl and mix in the melted vegan butter. It should resemble damp sand.
- Tip the biscuit mixture into the prepared tin and pack the crumbs down really firmly and evenly, use the base of a glass to help press them down.
- Optionally for a crisper base, bake it in a preheated oven at 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4 for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Place the cashews in a large bowl, cover with a generous amount of boiling water and leave to soak for 1 hour.
- Drain the cashews really well and place in a blender along with the cream cheese, firm tofu, sugar, treacle, melted butter, lemon juice, vanilla extract, orange zest, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Blend the filling mixture until it is extremely smooth with no hint of graininess. This can take a while so stop regularly to let the blender cool down and scrape down the sides as needed.
- Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base and spread it level. Refrigerate for 8 hours until set. You can also place it in the freezer for about 4 hours.
- To serve the cheesecake, remove the springform tin and carefully peel off the baking paper. If you like you can smooth round the edges with a palette knife to neaten. Keep refrigerated.
Notes
- All of my recipes are developed using grams, and as with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup coversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!
- See post above for tips, details and step-by-step photos.
- Ideally you need a power blender (such as Froothie/Vitamix) for the smoothest cheesecake. You can still make it with a regular blender, but it might not be quite as smooth and creamy.
- *For a softer, lighter cheesecake, you can swap the firm tofu for either silken tofu or a thick, Greek style vegan yogurt (such as Alpro Greek or the Coconut Collaborative). In this case you will need to increase the amount of butter in the filling to 100g.
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