The more chocolatey a dessert is, the more I want to indulge in it. That's certainly the case every time with this vegan chocolate cheesecake, which is silky smooth and utterly irresistible. Whenever I make this recipe, I know that it's going to be a good few days for our household.
This cheesecake is super easy to whip up and completely no-bake. It sits gracefully on a 'buttery' vegan Oreo crust which compliments the creamy chocolate beautifully. Oreo cookie crumbs are also sprinkled on top.
The simplistic nature of this treat is what makes it so special. It isn't overcomplicated in any way. Just pure chocolate goodness, which is what we all want, right? I sometimes like to serve it with some dairy-free single cream but never anything more than that.
For more no-bake vegan chocolate recipes, try my vegan brownie cookie dough, vegan chocolate peanut butter cups and my vegan rocky road bars. Hopefully you can be inspired by some of them.
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Why You Will Love This Cheesecake
- Fantastic Flavor - Although the cheesecake is very chocolatey, it isn't unbearably rich. This is due to the large amount of dairy-free cream cheese and which neutralizes the dark chocolate quite a lot. Therefore, it tastes more like a vegan milk chocolate cheesecake and it's a feature that I love.
- Indistinguishable Texture - Another wonderful thing about this recipe is that it tastes so similar to a non-vegan chocolate cheesecake. For those of you who have recently transitioned to a plant-based or vegan diet, this may be the perfect recipe to start with. For other cheesecake recipes which have a similar texture, you also need to see try vegan snickers cheesecake and vegan chocolate orange cheesecake. There's no need to feel like you're missing out!
- The Cookies - The use of Oreos as the crust was a last minute decision and I have to say, that decision has paid off massively. They make a perfect crunchy, base and the flavors definitely compliment the cheesecake.
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This vegan chocolate cheesecake recipe is fully vegan and dairy free.
Ingredient Notes
- Oreos - These amazing cookies are vegan in most countries and are perfect for the crust. You can also sprinkle them on top of the cheesecake if you wish. They're so versatile. Check out my eggless red velvet cake loaf for more Oreo inspiration.
- Vegan butter block - Just like the cookies, this will also be used for the crust. Many vegan butters have different flavors so it's important that you choose a good one, or else it could affect the taste of the whole cheesecake. I personally like to use the Flora dairy-free block as it has worked amazingly in many of my recipes such as, my vegan banoffee pie. There are many more great vegan butter blocks out there.
- Vegan dark chocolate - Using a vegan dark chocolate which is made for baking specifically will give you the best outcome in this recipe. Baking-specific chocolate melts really smoothly, in comparison to many other kinds of chocolate. Therefore, the final cheesecake will have a smoother texture as a result.
- Unsalted cashew nuts - You may be wondering, as to why there are nuts in this recipe. Trust me, these are the most important ingredient in this chocolate cheesecake and without them the consistency would be completely different.
- Vegan cream cheese - I love to use plant-based cream cheese in my cheesecakes. It has a slightly different texture to its dairy counterpart, but they often retain the 'cream cheesey' tang. The vegan Philadelphia and Oatly cream cheeses certainly work very well.
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Oreos are vegan in many parts of the world, but if they're not where you live, you can certainly change the base and topping. They also don't sell Oreos everywhere and not everybody is a fan of them so there are multiple reasons as to why people may not use them. Change them for another type of cookie of your choice if you like. I used vegan ginger nut cookies for my vegan salted caramel cheesecake and they worked so deliciously.
- If you'd like to give the dessert a luxurious taste you can use a high-quality cocoa powder instead of regular cocoa powder. This will and will take the cheesecake to an even higher level. The difference is always very noticeable due to the powerful, chocolatey flavors that high-quality versions produce.
How To Make Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1: Line a round, springform tin with parchment paper.
2: Add the crust ingredients to a high-speed blender.
3: Press the crust ingredients into the prepared tin firmly.
4: Melt the dark chocolate.
5: Make the cashew mixture inside the blender.
6: Add the chocolate and the other filling ingredients to the cashew mixture. Blend again.
7: Pour the chocolate filling over the Oreo base. Refrigerate.
8: Sprinkle extra Oreos on top of the cheesecake.
Expert Tips
Soak the cashews - Before making the recipe, soak the cashews for at least 1-2 hours. Overnight is even better. This gives the cashews a creamier texture when blended with water and it also makes them softer which is makes it easier for most blenders to handle.
Press the crust in firmly - I like to use the bottom of a glass to press the cheesecake crust into the springform cake tin. The more compact that it is, the less likely that any crumbling will occur.
Recipe FAQs
The surface of the cheesecake must be completely firm, without a wobble. Any sign of liquidity means it needs to stay in the fridge for longer.
Swap out the Oreos for a gluten free cookie alternative and you'll have yourself a gluten free cheesecake.
Store this chocolate cheesecake inside the refrigerator for up to 4 days, preferably inside airtight containers.
Yes you can! Please individual slices inside airtight containers and freeze for up to three months.
More Vegan No Bake Recipes
If you tried this Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake (No Bake)
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 180 g Oreos
- Pinch of salt
- 60 g vegan butter block
For the filling:
- 250 g vegan dark chocolate chopped
- 85 g unsalted cashew nuts* soaked in boiling water for 1-2 hours (see notes)
- 150 ml water
- 450 g vegan cream cheese
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
Topping:
- Oreo crumbs to taste (optional)
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Line the bottom of an 8” springform cake tin with parchment paper. Set aside.
- To a high-speed blender or a food processor, add the Oreos. Blitz for about 30-40 seconds or until there are fine crumbs.
- In a small saucepan, melt the vegan butter over a low heat. Add it to the blitzed cookie crumbs along with the salt and pulse again. When the mixture has the consistency of wet sand and can be moulded, it’s ready.
- Press the cookie crust mixture into the prepared baking tin. I like to use the bottom of a glass to press it in compactly. This stops it from crumbling.
- Place the crust into the freezer while you make the filling.
Make the filling:
- Add the dark chocolate to a heat-proof bowl and place it over a pan of boiling water on the hob (double-boiling method). Continuously stir the chocolate until it has fully melted.
- Drain your soaked cashews then add them to a high-speed blender along with the water. Blend until the cashew mixture is nice and smooth.
- Next, add in the vegan cream cheese, maple syrup, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and salt. Once again, blend until smooth. Finally add in the melted chocolate. Blend one more time.
- Pour your chocolate cheesecake filling over the crust inside the prepared tin. Make sure it is nice and smooth on top. Place it into the fridge for 5 hours to set.
- When your cheesecake has set, remove from the tin. Top with extra Oreo crumbs if you wish.
Video
Notes
- Before making the recipe, soak the cashews for at least 1-2 hours in boiling water. Overnight is even better. This gives the cashews a creamier texture when blended with water and it also makes them softer which is makes it easier for most blenders to handle.
- I like to use the bottom of a glass to press the cheesecake crust into the springform cake tin. The more compact that it is, the less likely that any crumbling will occur.
Monica says
Hi I want to make this at Christmas. How much boiling water (in ml) do you need to soak the cashews? I'm asking as the recipe reads that you need to blend them in the same water? Please can you clarify?
Thanks in advance 🙂
DJ says
Hi Monica. Sorry that it isn't clear. The amount of boiling water used for soaking the cashews doesn't matter as long as the cashews are covered fully. After soaking the cashews they must be drained completely, before blending them together with the 150ml cool water inside the blender 🙂 Hope that helps and let me know how it turns out in the review section!
Monica says
Hi I made this after you video enticed me to make this for our first vegan Christmas and it was YUM!!!!!
I prefer less topping so I did 1.5 times the base and only a quarter of the topping. In hindsight I would half the topping as it was so much better than cream cheese cheesecake.
I use 70% lindht which I could tell gave such depth to the topping.
Thank you!
DJ says
I'm so happy to hear this! Very glad you enjoyed it, Monica 🙂
Laurie Kudoba says
This chocolate cheesecake is amazingly delicious! My whole family loves it! Great texture and taste!
DJ says
So glad that you and your family loved the cheesecake Laurie! Thank you 🙂
Dan says
Best vegan chocolate cheesecake ever! Family also loved this recipe.