Vegan raspberry cheesecake - this easy, no-bake vegan cheesecake is light, soft, creamy, tangy and utterly addictive!
With a smooth raspberry cream cheese filling, buttery biscuit base and tart raspberry curd topping, this cheesecake is a delicious fruity dessert for any time of year.
This no-bake vegan raspberry cheesecake is the perfect Summertime dessert!
It is rich and indulgent, yet feels very light to eat; the filling is almost mousse-like and the creamy texture is perfectly offset by the crisp biscuit base and tangy raspberry curd topping; it is a great way to use up a glut of raspberries!
Ingredient Details:
Raspberries: Either fresh or frozen is fine. If using frozen, defrost them first but do not drain them.
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 or Violife. Do not use a low fat variety!
Cashews: Blended soaked cashews help give a creamy consistency and add structure.
Digestive biscuits: I use Digestive biscuits but another kind of (crunchy) biscuit such as Ginger snaps/nuts, 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.
Vegan butter: To make the biscuit base and to help set the filling. A block style such as Flora plant butter or Naturli vegan block is best.
Lemon Juice: Vegan cream cheese tends to be less 'tangy' than dairy cream cheese so adding a bit of lemon juice replaces that classic tang and helps bring out the raspberry flavour. Either fresh or bottled is fine.
Sugar: I used caster sugar as I wanted to retain the bright colour of the raspberry; granulated or icing sugar is also fine.
It is optional, but I top the cheesecake with some of my vegan raspberry curd to enhance the raspberry flavour. You could top the cheesecake with a simple raspberry compote or just with fresh raspberries instead.
How To Make Vegan Raspberry 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: Cover the cashews with boiling water and leave to soak for half an hour.
- Step 5: Blend the raspberries and lemon juice then press the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Really scrape it through to extract as much of the pulp as possible.
- Step 6: Transfer the raspberry mixture to a pan and bring up to a simmer. Cook until it has reduced to a thick paste.
- Step 7: Drain the cashews well and transfer to a blender along with the raspberry paste, cream cheese, sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract. Blend until totally smooth.
- Step 8: Pour the cheesecake mixture over the biscuit base and spread it level. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours until set.
Top Tips:
For the best results use the weight measurements. Using volume measurements is inaccurate and may affect the set of the cheesecake.
You ideally need to use a 20 cm/8 in springform cake tin to make this vegan raspberry 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.
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.
It is important to cook the raspberry puree down enough, if it is too liquidy then the cheesecake may not set. It should be a very thick paste and should weigh around 175g.
The cheesecake will need at least 4 hours in the fridge to set, ideally longer, so make sure that you factor this in and give yourself enough time.
If you are topping the cheesecake with the raspberry curd, make it before you start making the cheesecake as it needs to be cold when you add it to the cheesecake. It can be made several days in advance if needed.
FAQ's:
It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for around 4 days. It will become soft at room temperature so make sure that you keep it chilled at all times unless serving.
Yes but I recommend freezing any leftovers rather than making the cheesecake in advance and freezing it as the texture may change upon defrosting. Freeze it in slices in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to serve.
Yes, simply use GF cookies for the base, the cheesecake filling is already gluten-free.
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Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake (no-bake)
Equipment
- blender
- 20 cm/8 in round springform cake tin
Ingredients
Base:
- 225 g (8 oz) Digestive biscuits
- 90 g (6 Tablespoons) vegan block butter melted
Filling:
- 250 g (9 oz) unroasted cashews
- 450 g (1 lb) raspberries*
- 4 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 450 g (1 lb) vegan cream cheese
- 80 g (6 Tablespoons) caster or granulated sugar
- 60 g (¼ cup) vegan block butter** melted
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ batch vegan raspberry curd to top (optional) chilled
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.225 g (8 oz) Digestive biscuits
- Tip the crushed biscuits into a bowl and mix in the melted vegan butter. It should resemble damp sand.90 g (6 Tablespoons) vegan block butter
- 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.
- Place the cashews in a large bowl, cover with a generous amount of boiling water and leave to soak for 30-60 minutes.250 g (9 oz) unroasted cashews
- Place the raspberries and lemon juice in a blender and blitz to a puree.450 g (1 lb) raspberries*, 4 Tablespoons lemon juice
- Press the raspberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a deep saucepan to remove the seeds. Really scrape it through using the back of a spoon or a spatula to extract as much of the pulp as possible. Discard the seeds.
- Bring the pan of raspberry puree up to a simmer; cook until it has reduced to a very thick paste, stirring often to prevent it from catching, especially near the end of cooking. It can take up to 30 minutes to fully reduce. Weigh the puree, there should be about 175g (¾ cup) left after reducing.
- Drain the cashews really well and transfer them to a blender along with the raspberry paste, cream cheese, sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract. Blend until totally 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.450 g (1 lb) vegan cream cheese, 80 g (6 Tablespoons) caster or granulated sugar, 60 g (¼ cup) vegan block butter**, 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the biscuit base and spread it level. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until firm.
- Once the cheesecake has set, unclip the springform tin and remove the sides. Gently slide it onto a serving plate, a cake lifter is useful for this; then peel the baking paper off the sides of the cheesecake.
- Give the chilled raspberry curd a good stir until it is smooth and creamy then spread it over the top of the cheesecake and serve.½ batch vegan raspberry curd to top
Notes
- *Either fresh or frozen raspberries is fine. If using frozen, defrost first but do not drain them.
- **For a lighter, softer set cheesecake swap the butter for Greek style soya yogurt, coconut cream or silken tofu.
- See post above for tips, details and step-by-step photos.
Ana
Hi! Vegan cream cheese is not available in my country 🙁 Do you think I could substitute with silken tofu+more butter or coconut oil?
Hannah
Hi Ana, probably, but I'm not sure on the ratio of tofu to butter without testing it.