The ultimate vegan chocolate cheesecake – this no-bake chocolate cheesecake recipe is perfect for all chocolate lovers! It’s made from intense dark chocolate, vegan cream, and vegan cream cheese for the most delicious decadent vegan dessert guaranteed to go down well every single time you make it.
I topped this dairy-free cheesecake off with cacao nibs, raspberries, and a chocolate ganache sauce to make it extra indulgent, but it’s also perfectly good on its own! This cheesecake takes about 10 minutes to whip up, and then simply needs to be chilled overnight to set. This is a fantastic vegan dessert for dinner parties and special occasions – such as a romantic valentine’s day dinner.
This vegan chocolate cheesecake in words…
In case the photos haven’t gotten your mouth watering enough for this cheesecake, here are a few words to summarise the taste sensation you’ll be getting:
- Decadent
- Creamy
- Indulgent
- Light and fluffy
- Crunchy biscuit base
- Rich chocolate filling
This is up there in my top 5 all-time desserts, alongside my vegan chocolate tart and my absolute favourite biscoff brownies! This is an easy recipe that really doesn’t take long to make, and is honestly one of the best vegan chocolate cheesecake recipes I’ve ever had – and I’m not just saying that because I made it up!!
Tools and ingredients you’ll need
I used a 6-inch spring form cake tin for this recipe which results in a relatively small cheesecake – probably around 6 servings (depending on your appetite!). A springform pan is a must to ensure you can easily release the cheesecake once it’s set and remove it from the tin.
In terms of ingredients, everything you’ll need should be really easy to find in your local supermarket or store, but I’ve listed a few potential alternatives further on in this post in case you can’t find a specific ingredient.
Ingredients you’ll need:
- Biscuits: I used bourbon biscuits for the biscuit base for this vegan chocolate cheesecake, as they add a delicious chocolatey flavour and are accidentally vegan! You could also use lotus biscoff biscuits, oreo cookies or McVities digestives.
- Vegan butter or margarine: You’ll need a little melted vegan butter or margarine for the biscuit base. I often use either the Flora plant-based unsalted butter block or Stork margarine when baking and both work great.
- Vegan cream cheese: I’m based in the UK, and have found the Violife vegan cream cheese to be the best dairy-free cream cheese alternative for cheesecakes and other bakes. If you can’t find this brand, however, use whatever alternative you can find.
- Vegan cream: I always use the ElmLea plant-based double cream, which whips really well into a thick and creamy texture that’s perfect for cheesecakes. However, if you can’t find any vegan cream where you’re based, you could consider using coconut milk.
- Corn flour: Also known as corn starch, this helps the cheesecake mixture thicken to set more firmly.
- Icing sugar: Also known as powdered sugar, this adds some sweetness to the recipe but is also instrumental in helping the cream cheese and cream to thicken so that the cheesecake has a firmer texture that sets well once chilled overnight.
- Dark chocolate: My go-to dark chocolate for any recipe is the Lindt 80% dark chocolate bars, but use whatever you prefer. If you’re vegan, check that the dark chocolate is dairy-free as not all of them are!
- Raspberries and cacao nibs or chocolate chips: Both are used to decorate the top of the cheesecake once it’s set, so they are optional – but the raspberries add a wonderful burst of sweetness while the cacao nibs add a tremendous little chocolatey crunch.
- Cacao powder or cocoa powder: To add a deep, chocolatey flavour to your cheesecake! I use unsweetened cocoa powder as this recipe is already quite sweet from the cream and icing sugar, but it’s up to you what you prefer.
How to make this vegan chocolate cheesecake
Scroll down to the recipe card for the exact quantities and instructions for this recipe! To start, place your chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat at 30-second increments, stirring each time, until the chocolate has melted. You could also melt the chocolate with a water bath, which is when you set a bowl on top of a small saucepan with water so the steam from the water melts the chocolate as it heats up.
Set the bowl to one side so the chocolate can cool to room temperature before you add it to the cheesecake filling (if it’s too hot, the cream cheese and cream won’t whip and thicken properly, and the chocolate will harden into small pieces).
Grease your cake tins and line the bottom with parchment paper (this makes it easier to prevent the cheesecake base from sticking to the bottom of the pan and slide the cheesecake out when it’s set).
Blitz your biscuits into fine crumbs in a high-speed blender, then mix in your melted butter to make a dough-like consistency for your biscuit base. Press the biscuit base firmly into the cake tin, using the bottom of a glass to press the base down. The firmer it’s packed in, the better. Pop the tins in the fridge while you make the filling.
Next, add your cream cheese and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat them together with an electric mixer (I like using my handheld electric mixer best).
Next, add in the plant-based cream and continue to beat the mixture on a low speed until the cheesecake mix begins to thicken into stiff peaks, then add the sugar and melted chocolate and continue to beat until it’s a dense, thick, creamy mixture. As a general rule, if you scoop up some of the filling with your spoon, it shouldn’t slide right off if turn it to the side. If it does, continue to beat the ingredients together until thick and creamy.
Spoon the cheesecake filling over the biscuit base and smooth the top down. Place in the fridge for at least 5 hours, but ideally overnight to allow the cheesecakes to fully set! Use a hot knife to encourage the cheesecake away from the sides of the pan if it looks like it’s stuck, and gently remove it from the tin. Top with your cacao nibs and fresh berries, and enjoy!
More no-bake cheesecakes…
If you like the look of this recipe, make sure you check out these other vegan cheesecake recipes!
Frequently Asked Questions
I would highly recommend chilling the cheesecake overnight to allow it to fully set before removing it from the tin, but if you’re really short on time I would say it needs to chill for a minimum of 5 hours.
I like using the Violife creamy spread, which is a popular cream cheese alternative here in the UK. However, there are several brands of vegan cream cheese available at health food stores and supermarkets. Some popular options include Tofutti, Daiya, Kite Hill, and Miyoko’s Creamery.
Yes, you can use a gluten-free biscuit base with gluten-free graham crackers or biscuits. Alternatively, you can purchase a pre-made gluten-free crust.
This cheesecake will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container.
Yes, you can freeze this cheesecake. Allow it to cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminium foil before freezing. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Yes, you can make this recipe without a food processor. You can crush the biscuits for the crust using a rolling pin or a mortar and pestle.
Yes, you could make this recipe without an electric mixer, but using just a whisk will take you a very long time and it may be difficult to effectively whip the cream cheese and cream together into thick peaks.
If you would prefer not to have cornflour in this recipe, you can omit it, just note that it may make the cheesecake filling a little less firm than if you added it in.
Silken tofu is a common ingredient for vegan cheesecakes, but I’ve not tested this ingredient for this recipe yet so I wouldn’t advise swapping anything out for tofu!
This vegan chocolate cheesecake is a great recipe for anyone who likes a rich chocolate flavour and that classic creamy, fluffy cheesecake texture (with no dairy products!). Give it a try and you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to whip up!
Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
Any chocolate lover's dream, this delicious vegan chocolate cheesecake recipe has a crunchy biscuit base and a luscious, thick and creamy dairy-free cheesecake filling for the ultimate induglence.
Ingredients
- 100g biscuits
- 40g vegan butter or margarine (melted)
- 200g vegan cream cheese
- 100ml plant-based cream
- 40g sifted icing sugar
- 120g dark chocolate, chopped
- 1tbsp corn flour
Instructions
- Start by melting your chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl or using a water bath. Stir every 30 seconds until the chocolate has melted, then set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Grease your cake tins and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Blend your biscuits in a high-speed blender until they become fine crumbs. Add melted butter and mix until it becomes a dough-like consistency. Press the biscuit base firmly into the cake tin, using the bottom of a glass to press the base down. Place the tins in the fridge while you make the filling.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and icing sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add in the plant-based cream and continue to beat on low speed until the cheesecake mixture begins to thicken into stiff peaks.
- Add the sugar and melted chocolate and continue to beat until the mixture becomes dense, thick, and creamy. The mixture should hold its shape when scooped with a spoon.
- Spoon the cheesecake filling over the biscuit base and smooth the top down. Place in the fridge for at least 5 hours, ideally overnight to allow the cheesecake to set.
- Use a hot knife to encourage the cheesecake away from the sides of the pan if it looks like it's stuck, and gently remove it from the tin.
- Top with cacao nibs and fresh berries, and enjoy!
Notes
This cheesecake is best chilled overnight so it can be set, but the very minimum is around 5 hours. Keep your cheesecake refrigerated until serving, or for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
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