This cheesecake recipe is one of my favorite ever. Say hello the my vegan salted caramel cheesecake which I have been making over and over again for a long time. This no-bake beauty consists of a buttery Gingernut base, a creamy classic cheesecake filling, as well as a sweet and salty caramel topping.
The texture somewhat reminds me of a New York cheesecake before being topped with the heavenly and homemade salted caramel sauce which compliments it perfectly.
Yes, this cheesecake takes quite a while to chill inside the fridge but trust me, it's totally worth it. This will be one of the most delectable and creamiest dairy free cheesecakes that you've ever tried!
If you are always in the mood for a cheesecake, I also recommend vegan Oreo cheesecake, vegan peach cobbler cheesecake and my vegan chocolate orange cheesecake recipes which are all certainly in the 'classics' category.
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Why You'll Love This Cheesecake
- Authenticity & Nostalgia - The best thing about this cheesecake is how it resembles an equivalent non-vegan counterpart. The taste is almost identical to a standard salted caramel cheesecake and for those people who haven't always been vegan, plant-based or dairy free, this is going to be a real treat.
- Incredible Topping - The caramel I made for this recipe is very similar to the one that was used for the vegan banana pudding poke cake. It's not overly thick like the one in the vegan caramel slices recipe, but still not too thin either.
- Amazing Texture - I'd describe the consistency of this cheesecake as luscious, super creamy and all-round delicious. From the cookie crust on the base to the gooey caramel on top, it all goes so nicely together.
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This vegan salted caramel cheesecake recipe is wholly vegan, dairy free & potentially gluten free.
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan Ginger Nut cookies - These add a lightly different dimension to this cheesecake recipe and they actually work really well. I often opt for a 'safer' option such as, Digestives or Oreos, but I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious the Ginger Nuts turned out to be.
- Vegan cream cheese - Make sure that you use a good quality vegan cream cheese as some are certainly better than others. I love to use the vegan Philadelphia cream cheese, as well as the Oatly one too. For me, those two options give the best results.
- Fresh lemon juice - When making a vegan cheesecake, this is such an underrated ingredient. It gives it a more 'cheesecakey' taste due to the absence of actual cheese. I also used this trick in my vegan Biscoff cheesecake and vegan banana cream cheesecake recipes. I promise you, it's such a great hack!
- Vegan double whipping cream - Make sure that the cream you buy is suitable for whipping or else this recipe won't work. The whipping process has a major influence on the creamy texture of the cheesecake.
- Cornstarch - This will be used to thicken the caramel.
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you would like to make this cheesecake gluten free, only one of the ingredients needs to be swapped out. That is the Ginger Nut cookies. Here in the U.K, you can but Ginger Nuts which are both gluten free and vegan. However, if you live elsewhere, you can also swap them out for a gluten free cookie of your choice. Either way, I'm sure it will be delicious.
- The caramel is great on it's own but if you like, you can add an extra topping. When I choose to do this, I love to add extra cookie crumbs on top. Extra toppings can often overwhelm a perfectly good cheesecake but cookie crumbs never fail to disappoint. An example of this working really well would be my vegan chocolate cheesecake recipe.
How To Make A Vegan Caramel Cheesecake
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1: Grease a round, springform tin with vegan butter.
2: Make the cheesecake base and press it into the prepared tin.
3: Make the cheesecake filling.
4: Spread it over the base and refrigerate.
5: Top with extra cookie crumbs if you wish.
6: Make the caramel topping and pour it over the cheesecake. Slice and serve.
Expert Tips
Use cream that can be whipped - Make sure that the vegan double cream that you purchase is whipping cream so that stiff peaks can be formed. Otherwise, the texture of the cheesecake will be too soft and it won't set properly in the fridge.
Making the salted caramel topping - This couldn't be any easier. Just add all of the ingredients to a saucepan, cook for a few minutes and that's it. It may seem a little thin at first but it will thicken while cooling down at room temperature. Pour it over the cheesecake and serve.
Use helpful tools and equipment - The thing that I love about this vegan caramel cheesecake recipe is how easy it is to make. Machinery such as, the high-speed blender and the stand mixer do most of the work for you. The hardest part is waiting for it to set.
Recipe FAQs
This could be because you didn't whip the cream for long enough. You need it to have stiff peaks before it goes into the fridge. Not all vegan cream is suitable for whipping so make sure you get a good one.
Store this cheesecake inside the fridge for up to 5 days inside an airtight container. Instead of storing the leftover caramel separately, pour it over the cheesecake before it goes into the fridge.
Yes, store each slice of cheesecake inside an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Let them thaw at room temperature for a few hours.
More Vegan Cheesecake Recipes
If you tried this Vegan Salted Caramel 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 Salted Caramel Cheesecake (No-Bake & Gluten Free Option)
Ingredients
For the base:
- 350 g vegan Gingernut cookies or gluten free version
- 120 g vegan butter block melted
- Pinch of salt
For the cheesecake filling:
- 400 g vegan cream cheese
- 100 g powdered sugar sifted
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 40 g coconut oil melted
- 150 ml vegan double whipping cream
For the salted caramel sauce topping:
- 120 g coconut cream
- 0.5 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 90 g brown sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon vegan butter
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Preparation:
- Grease a round, 8-inch springform baking tin with vegan butter. Set aside.
Make the Gingernut crust:
- Add the Gingernut cookies to a high-speed blender or food processor and blitz until the crumbs are fine.
- Pour in your melted butter and salt. Blitz again to create a base mixture which should feel like wet sand.
- Press the Gingernut base into the bottom of the greased tin with the flat bottom of a glass or firmly with your hands.
- Place the cheesecake base into the freezer to set while you make your filling.
Make the cheesecake filling:
- In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until creamy. Next, mix in the lemon juice, vanilla extract and coconut oil. The oil may make it a little lumpy but don’t worry.
- Now pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and add your vegan double cream. You can alternatively keep it in the original bowl and use an electric hand-whisk. Whisk the filling for a few minutes on a medium-high speed. It will thicken and the peaks should be quite stiff and able to hold themselves.
- Take your Gingernut base out from the freezer then pour the thickened cheesecake filling over it.
- Place the cheesecake in the fridge overnight and for at least 12 hours to set. The longer it is in the fridge the thicker it will be.
Make the caramel sauce topping:
- Just before the cheesecake comes out from the fridge, make the caramel sauce.
- In a saucepan, add all the caramel ingredients. Stir continuously over a medium heat until the thick coconut cream melts.
- Once the caramel begins to bubble reduce to a simmer and cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Keep stirring continuously.
- Let the caramel cool so it thickens a little. Remove your cheesecake from the springform tin and pour the caramel topping over it. Slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- Make sure that the vegan double cream that you purchase is whipping cream so that stiff peaks can be formed. Otherwise, the texture of the cheesecake will be too soft and it won't set properly in the fridge.
- Making the salted caramel topping couldn't be any easier. Just add all of the ingredients to a saucepan, cook for a few minutes and that's it. It may seem a little thin at first but it will thicken while cooling down at room temperature. Pour it over the cheesecake and serve.
- The thing that I love about this vegan caramel cheesecake recipe is how easy it is to make. Helpful tools such as, the high-speed blender and the stand mixer do most of the work for you.
EE says
Amazing recipe