Category: Vegan Recipes

Vegan aloo gobi, an Indian dish featuring cauliflower and potatoes, on a blue and white plate.

Easy Vegan Aloo Gobi (Restaurant-Style)

by Ginaxy, posted in Vegan Dinner, Vegan Indian, Vegan Recipes

Aloo gobi is one of my favorite meals to make and to get at a restaurant. I love cauliflower and this dish glorifies cauliflower in every way that the cruciferous vegetable deserves. And of course, potatoes make everything satisfying and delicious. Luckily, aloo gobi is traditionally made vegan to begin with, so this vegan aloo gobi recipe is a classic crowd-pleaser.

I’ve simplified the recipe with some store-bought ground spices to make it extra accessible to peeps here in the US. I’ve also stirred in coconut cream to give it that creamy restaurant-style finish. I actually made aloo gobi at a cooking class while I was living in Rishikesh, India, and incorporate many of the tips I learned from the chef into this easy recipe (thanks Cooking Masala!).

  • Tomatoes simmering in pan for vegan aloo gobi recipe.
  • Potatoes and cauliflower cooking on a pan for vegan aloo gobi.

Easy Vegan Aloo Gobi Recipe

Ingredients

  • Olive oil, for pan
  • 1x large yellow onion, diced
  • 4x cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2x beefsteak tomatoes, diced
  • 1x 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 1/2 of a 13.5 oz can of coconut cream
  • 1x tablespoon curry powder
  • 1x tablespoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne for extra spice (optional)
  • 2x medium russet potatoes, diced
  • 1x medium head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
  • Salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Cayenne, to desired spice level (optional)

Method

  1. Preheat a medium and large pan on medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil on each.
  2. In the larger pan, add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes, moving often so they don’t stick.
  3. In the medium pan, add the onion and saute until golden, then add garlic and saute until a light golden color.
  4. Next, add the diced tomatoes to the onions and garlic and saute until they start to break down a bit, about 4 minutes. Then, add the tomato paste, coconut cream and spices, bring to a medium-low simmer for at least 10 minutes so flavors can marry.
  5. Meanwhile, in the larger pan, add the cauliflower florets with the potatoes and continue cooking them both together for 15 more minutes until both are getting more tender (about half cooked). Then, add the simmering tomato mixture to the potatoes and cauliflower.
  6. Simmer all ingredients together for 30 more minutes, adding salt, black pepper and cayenne (optional) to taste.
  7. After 30 minutes, turn off yoru aloo gobi and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
  8. Finally, serve alongside basmati rice and/or naan and enjoy! I
Creamy vegan aloo gobi in a pan with a tomato and coconut cream gravy

Notes

  • Want it even creamier? There are three ways to achieve this:
    1. One is to immersion blend or blend the tomato mixture before adding it over the tomatoes and cauliflower. Many restaurants do this, and actually I do it often as well.
    2. The other is to add the whole can of coconut cream rather than half. I’ve done this and it makes it very scrumptious.
    3. Third, you can do both 1 and 2 for the ultimate level of creaminess.

Try this recipe and let me know what you think! What other Indian dishes would you like to see recipes for?

Blue and white floral plate with 2 vegan chocolate chip pancakes on it.

Vegan Single-Serve Chocolate Chip Pancakes

by Ginaxy, posted in Vegan Breakfast, Vegan Recipes

I love pancakes more than your average citizen. Annoyingly, I feel like I’m never around other pancake lovers. Either it’s too many carbs or they don’t like sweets or they prefer french toast or some other nonsense. So, typically I have to make pancakes-for-one (myself). Oh also, I love chocolate hence the chocolate chips, but leave them out if you wish. When you get the pancake craving, these vegan single-serve chocolate chip pancakes will do the trick!

  • Vegan single serve chocolate chip pancakes batter mae with macadamia milk
  • Blue pan with one vegan chocolate chip pancake with earth balance butter
  • Vegan chocolate chip pancake on the pan after flipping, perfectly golden from the butter.

Vegan Single-Serve Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Vegan chocolate chip pancake on the pan fluffing up before ready to flip.

Vegan pancakes for one? No problem! These delicious, fluffy pancakes have the perfect golden buttery finish and are loaded with melty chocolate chips. Eating breakfast solo has never tasted so good.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup nondairy milk 
  • 1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar, or other sugar (optional) 
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder 
  • Tiny pinch of baking soda 
  • 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)
  • Vegan butter, for pan 

METHOD

  1. In a medium bowl, mix the milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and sugar. Let sit for 3 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, mix the salt, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and chocolate chips.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Let sit for 2 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, preheat a pan on medium-high heat.
  5. Melt butter on the pan and pour half the pancake mixture over the melted butter. Let sit and wait for it to fluff a bit and bubbles to start forming on the upper side of the pancake.
  6. Flip the pancake and cook through until it fluffs and is golden on both sides.
  7. Repeat with 2nd half of the batter.
  8. Plate and top with your favorite syrup! I used date syrup but of course, maple is classic and the ultimate.
  • Vegan chocolate chip pancakes on a blue and white floral plate drizzled with date syrup.
  • Vegan chocolate chip pancakes on a blue and white floral plate drizzled with date syrup.

Enjoy this recipe to the fullest my fellow pancake fanatic, and though you’re probably eating them alone, just know I’m somewhere eating these vegan single-serve chocolate chip pancakes right along with you rn. Craving more? Try these vegan chocolate chip cookies!

Vegan pesto with walnuts and vegan parmesan in the food processor.

Vegan Pesto Recipe with Walnuts and Basil

by Ginaxy, posted in Vegan Italian, Vegan Recipes

Nothing says spring like pesto — the burst of fresh basil awakens the mind and stimulates the senses. This vegan pesto recipe uses walnuts instead of pine nuts. There are a couple of reasons for this. 1. Walnuts are what I happened to have in my cabinet. 2. Pine nuts are mad expensive and this was not for a special occasion 3. Walnuts have tons of nutrients the body needs (omegas, b6, vitamin e, etc). and 4. You don’t always have to play by the rules! Cooking is often about tradition, but it’s also very much about spontaneity and convenience.

Jump to Recipe

Why is pesto not vegan?

Pesto is traditionally not vegan because it has parmigiano reggiano cheese mixed into it. For this reason, it’s very hard to find vegan at the supermarket or out at a restaurant. Luckily, if you have a food processor it’s super easy to make pesto at home, and more delicious too. Plus, there are no cows tortured to make your vegan pesto sauce, which is a huge bonus in my book.

Vegan pesto without nutritional yeast

Another variation is that this vegan pesto recipe does not have nutritional yeast. I love it with nutritional yeast but, in the name of convenience, I only had vegan parmesan on hand so that’s what I used this time. This worked out wonderfully because the original nonvegan pesto uses parmigiano reggiano. I realize some people try to avoid nutritional yeast so this recipe is a great option for you.

HOWEVER, to be honest I think it’s even better with nutritional yeast than vegan parmesan. It lends more of a cheesy flavor and marries perfectly with whatever nut you are using. For this reason, I will be putting a note about switching parmesan for nutritional yeast.

  • Vegan pesto ingredients like olive oil, garlic, vegan parmesan, basil and walnuts.
  • Vegan pesto with walnuts and vegan parmesan in the food processor.
  • Vegan pesto with walnuts and vegan parmesan.

Pesto Without a Food Processor

I assume every person on the planet has a food processor because it’s my favorite kitchen appliance in existence. However, I’m shocked by how many people don’t. Many times I plan to make this at a family member’s home or AirBNB or close friend’s house and realize they don’t have a food processor! So there have been countless times I’ve had to make pesto without a food processor.

Actually, not using a food processor is the way that the old Italian grandmas used to make it once upon a time. Food processors didn’t always exist, so sometimes I really enjoy making pesto with a good sharp knife and mad chiffonade skills. It connects me to the ancestor spirits.

To make pesto without a food processor, all you need is time, patience and a super sharp knife. Here’s the method:

  1. Get a good, large, very sharp knife like a mezzaluna knife or similar.
  2. Chop very fine the garlic and a portion of the basil leaves. As you chop, continue to add the basil leaves until all are finely chopped. about 5 minutes.
  3. Next, add half of your walnuts and chop. Then add the rest of the walnuts and chop until all it incorporated and tiny. The whole chopping process will take about 15-20 minutes.
  4. Now, transfer the basil, garlic and walnuts to a bowl, add parmesan and olive oil, and mix to incorporate.

Vegan Pesto Recipe with Walnuts and Basil

  • Banner of vegan pesto ingredients: walnuts, basil and vegan parmesan.
Ingredients
  • 4oz (114 g) Basil, rinsed and removed from stalk
  • 1/4 cup walnuts (I used raw but roasted is fine)
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 4 tbsp vegan parmesan (I used Follow Your Heart brand)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Method
  1. Add all ingredients to a food processor
  2. Process until smooth and combined. Do not over process or it can bruise the basil and create a bitter flavor.
Serving

There are countless ways to use pesto, here are some ideas:

  • Use as sauce for 10 oz of your favorite pasta with veggies. For this, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water and mix in when adding the pesto to your cooked pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve as appetizer dipping sauce for veggie meatballs with toothpicks
  • Use on toasted Italian bread to make a pesto bruschetta topped with some chopped tomato
  • Spread on any of your favorite sandwiches
  • Use as a drizzle on vegan white pizza
  • Fresh vegan pesto on a piece of Italian bread.

Notes

  • Subbing nutritional yeast. You can sub nutritional yeast by putting 4 tbsp of nutritional yeast rather than vegan parmesan.
  • Adding water. To make it more smooth, light and creamy, add 3 tbsp of water

Calories in Vegan Pesto

This vegan pesto recipe contains 786 calories in total. It can serve 6-8 people, making each serving 98-131 calories per serving. Most of the calories come from olive oil, so if you are looking to cut calories, feel free to cut the amount of olive oil in half and sub with water.

Can you Freeze Vegan Pesto?

Yes, you can freeze vegan pesto. To freeze, place in an air-tight container and cover with a thin layer of olive oil before covering. This will minimize the browning of the pesto. It can be stored for up to 6 months. This is actually a great idea, especially if you have an herb garden with tons of basil that would otherwise go to waste.

To thaw and use pesto after freezing, simply defrost in the fridge overnight and mix with fork to smooth. Or you can use defrost setting on your microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until ready. After thawing, be sure to use within 5 days (do not re-freeze).

What’s your favorite way to use vegan pesto? Share your thoughts and enjoy this spring favorite!

A plate full of vegan chocolate chip cookies, tollhouse style on a distressed white wooden table/

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe: Tollhouse-Style

by Ginaxy, posted in Vegan Desserts, Vegan Recipes

I’ve adapted this vegan chocolate chip cookies recipe from a regular tollhouse cookie recipe that makes the most delicious vegan cookies you can imagine. A little soft, a little chewy and bursts of chocolate with every bite. You can even get that crunchy finish if you leave them in the oven a bit longer. I personally like them a bit undercooked and gooey 🙂

  • A vegan chocolate chip cookie on a silver baking pan prior to baking.
  • Vegan chocolate chip cookies on the pan just out the oven after being baked.

Nothing is more satisfying than a good cookie, and infinitely better if no animals were harmed in the making. You know the best part? Vegan chocolate chip cookie dough is eatable! No eggs means no salmonella. Yayyy! And seriously, you don’t need the animal products, these cookies are legit identical to regular choco chip cookies. Vegans and non-vegans alike should make cookies without animal products.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

These vegan chocolate chip cookies are every bit as delicious as regular chocolate chip cookies. They are actually exactly like tollhouse cookies and perfect to make as a treat for your loved ones or bring as dessert to special occasions. These egg-free, dairy-free chocolate chip cookies are winners everywhere I’ve brought them.

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Servings: 20 large cookies

Materials Needed

  • 1 medium and 1 large mixing bowl
  • 2 cookie sheets

Ingredients

I always recommend non-GMO, organic ingredients wherever possible. Bonus points for locally-sourced <3

  • 2 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1.5 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) vegan butter softened (I use Earth Balance sticks)
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons of original apple sauce
  • 2 cups (12-ounces) vegan chocolate chips

METHOD

  1. Preheat oven to 375ÂşF
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside
  3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the softened vegan butter, both sugars, vanilla, and apple sauce. Stir for a minute or two to really combine and bring the flavors together
  4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet sugar mixture until a nice dough is created. I usually start with a spoon and switch to my hands when the dough starts coming together
  5. Add in the chocolate chips and mix to distribute evenly into the dough
  6. Grab chunks of the cookie dough and make them into balls with your palms to make 20 cookies. You can also make 50 cookies from this same recipe by using a rounded tablespoons. But, I prefer larger cookies.
  7. Bake for about 10 minutes. For soft, gooey cookies take out at 8 minutes, for crispy cookies take out at 12 minutes.
  8. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve with your favorite non-dairy milk!

I paired my cookies with a tall cup of Oatly oatmilk. Oatmilk is seriously my favorite now. I hope you enjoyed these delectable vegan chocolate chip cookies. Be sure to share your experiences baking these circles of wonder in the comments!

Vegan white pizza with tofu ricotta, spinach and sun-dried tomato on a cutting board.

Vegan White Pizza Recipe: With Tofu Ricotta (No Cashews)

by Ginaxy, posted in Vegan Dinner, Vegan Italian, Vegan Recipes

This vegan white pizza recipe is really, really, really good. I have been making pizza with my mom, dad and sister since I was 3 years old. I remember getting that round of dough from the corner pizzeria on Long Island, NY and loading it with globs of ricotta then topping it with fresh mozzarella from Uncle Giuseppe’s and our favorite toppings.

When I became vegan in 2004, did I have to give up white pizza? Of course not. I’m New York Italian — no way I’m giving up pizza. I just made it vegan! With the best, easiest and cheapest tofu ricotta, the finest dough of the land, vegan mozzarella of your choice and toppingzzz! In this case, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach FTW.

This recipe is very easy and definitely a crowd-pleaser. The trickiest part for me is working with the dough. Luckily my boo has a couple years of assistant pizza chef under his belt so he is a dough master. Thanks to him, my pizzas now look like circles and not like “guess the country” shapes. But if you don’t have these skills, luckily the mystery shapes still taste just as good as the circles, so shine on, you crazy diamond!

What is vegan white pizza sauce?

Vegan white pizza is essentially pizza that uses a vegan ricotta instead of tomato sauce. So vegan white pizza sauce is actually just a vegan ricotta. On top of the non-dairy ricotta, you simply put some vegan mozzarella and your favorite toppings. My vegan ricotta is made from simple, affordable ingredients like tofu, nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper and optional fresh basil.

Actually, my tofu ricotta is kinda famous in my house and my (non-vegan) family comes lurking with spoons when they know I’m making it. I have to shoo them away or else there will be none left for the pizza! I also use the ricotta for my baked ziti, lasagna, eggplant rollatini, manicotti and more.

Making tofu ricotta in a food processor, with tofu, nutritional yeast, black pepper, salt and olive oil.
A spoonful of creamy vegan ricotta right out of the food processor.
Mens hands shaping a round of uncooked pizza dough in preparation to put vegan white pizza toppings.
Vegan white pizza with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and vegan ricotta pre-bake.

Facciamo la pizza!

(Let’s make pizza!)

Vegan White Pizza Recipe: With Tofu Ricotta (No Cashews)

White pizza is my favorite!! Though I love tomato sauce, there is something so indulgent and comforting about a white pizza loaded with homemade vegan ricotta and my fave toppings. This is the perfect recipe for a Friday pizza night. But whatever day of the week, vegan white pizza rules.

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 15-17 minutes
  • Serves: 4

Ingredients

I always recommend non-GMO, organic ingredients wherever possible. Bonus points for locally-sourced <3

Materials needed:

  • Perforated circular pizza pan (non-perforated also works fine).
  • Food processor. This is pretty essential for the ricotta. I have processed it with my hands in an emergency situation before but it’s not nearly as creamy. Food processor is an excellent investment for vegan ricotta, hummus, pesto — so many things!

For the dough:

  • A “round of dough” from your local pizzeria. You can also find fresh-made whole wheat and regular dough at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
  • Flour, for your work surface and working with the dough
  • Olive oil, for greasing your pizza pan.

For the ricotta:

  • 1 pack (1 lb) firm tofu
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of salt (or more to taste)
  • .5 teaspoon black pepper
  • .5 teaspoon garlic powder
  • handful fresh basil (optional, but recommended for basil lovers)

For the toppings:

  • Your favorite vegan mozzarella. My favorite used to be Daiya, but for pizza now I gravitate more toward Follow your Heart shreds or Miyoko’s Fresh Mozzarella.
  • Your favorite toppings. I used jarred sundried tomatoes, and frozen spinach that I sautĂ©ed a bit with olive oil before putting on top of pizza. You can put fresh pineapple, sautĂ©ed broccoli, vegan pepperoni, artichoke hearts—the options are endless.

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F
  2. Rub the surface of your pan with a little olive oil and set aside
  3. Prepare the vegan ricotta
    • Place tofu and olive oil in your food processor, process until mostly smooth
    • Add nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and basil (if using) and process until smooth
    • Taste test to see if there is anything missing. This step is KEY! Add more of whatever it is lacking
    • Process until complete smooth and creamy and set aside
  4. Prepare the dough
    • Sprinkle a clean, dry surface with a generous dusting of flour (I used my countertop)
    • Work the dough into a medium circle so the dough is about a half-inch thick
    • Place the dough onto your lightly greased pizza pan
  5. Assemble your pizza
    • Dollop your ricotta on your dough and spread evenly. There should be a generous layer of ricotta
    • Top the ricotta with your choice of vegan mozzarella. I used almost a whole pack of Follow your Heart mozzarella shreds
    • Put your favorite toppings over the vegan mozzarella. I put chopped, sautĂ©ed spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and some additional dollops of tofu ricotta
  6. Bake your pizza
    • Place pizza on center rack in your preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until crust is golden and desired level of crispy. I like to take a spatula and peak at the bottom of the crust to see the color
  7. Serve.
    • Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into 8 slices. Serve, top with vegan parmesan, oregano, crushed red pepper or any other finishing touches.
    • Enjoy!
  • Vegan white pizza with tofu ricotta, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes unsliced on a cutting board.
  • Vegan white pizza slice with tofu ricotta, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes topped with parmesan and paired with Pellegrino.
    I topped my slice with Follow your Heart Parmesan and paired it with Dark Morello Cherry & Pomegranate Pellegrino. Perfection!
  • Vegan white pizza with tofu ricotta, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes sliced on a cutting board.

I hope you found this vegan white pizza recipe useful! Please be sure to share your results or any questions in the comments 🙂

Best Vegan Cheesecake: Creamiest Non-Dairy NY Cheesecake

by Ginaxy, posted in Vegan Desserts, Vegan Recipes

My dad’s and fiancĂ©’s favorite dessert is NY-style cheesecake. So it was my special mission to make the best vegan cheesecake for the 2 most important guys in my life. I am from New York (Long Island) and somehow never had cheesecake growing up before I was vegan. I didn’t like it — give me ice cream or brownies or cannoli plz. I think cheesecake is something you like as you get older? Do kids ever like it?

Over 16 years of being vegan, I tried different vegan cheesecakes from plant-based restaurants (huge shout out to Darbster’s in South Florida for their insanely delicious non-dairy cheesecake). And learned what makes a cheesecake so delicious — a buttery graham cracker crust, a creamy, light and perfectly sweetened cake and a fresh topping to finish it off. So this Valentine’s Day I decided to go ahead and make an awesome cheesecake. And my fiancĂ© said it was the best cheesecake he has ever had!!

Finding Ingredients

  • Vegan Cream Cheese. The key ingredient in cheesecake? Cream cheese! And luckily, vegan cream cheese is available everywhere (in the US) now. If you don’t typically make vegan desserts or purchase vegan products, don’t be intimidated, trust me you can find it. If you go to Trader Joe’s, there is a green and blue packaging for their store-brand vegan cream cheese. At Whole Foods or your local supermarket, you can find Tofutti or Kite Hill brand. I used the Trader Joe’s cream cheese and had incredible success. I would suggest one of these 3 brands for best results: 1. Trader Joe’s 2. Tofutti 3. Kite Hill (Original). I can’t vouch for other brands.
Dark blue, light blue and green packaging for Trader Joe's Vegan Cream Cheese Alternative Plain and Classic.
  • Coconut Cream. Be sure to ideally get a can of coconut cream, or if you really can’t find it you can get a can of full-fat coconut milk. Just please be sure to avoid light coconut milk. Again, Trader Joe’s is an easy spot to find this. They have a great canned coconut cream. You can also find coconut cream at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Natural Grocers and most any other natural-leaning grocery store. You may be able to find it in a typical supermarket, though it may be trickier (it’s not available in my local Von’s, for example).
  • Vegan Graham Crackers. Most graham crackers contain honey (including the ones at Trader Joe’s). If you’re vegan, this is an issue! However, Nabisco Original Graham Crackers do not contain honey. Luckily, these are pretty easy to find at any standard grocery store. If you prefer a chocolatey finish, you can use Oreos. If you want to make it gluten-free, use your favorite gluten free graham cracker or ginger cookie. I used the Nabisco Graham Crackers.
  • Vegan Butter. Again, available literally everywhere. I used Earth Balance for this and this is probably the one you’ll find too because this is the most common vegan butter brand out today. If you can find it, that would be my pick. Alternatively, you can use coconut oil if you prefer.

The rest of the ingredients are super standard that you probably already have in your home, so no need to offer tips on how to find them.

Best Vegan Cheesecake Recipe

This NY-style cheesecake is so good you would never know it’s vegan. It’s every bit as good as dairy cheesecake, but without the cholesterol or animal products. You are 1 step away from making the best vegan cheesecake for your loved ones (or just yourself, no judgment here). Best prepared the day before so it can chill overnight.

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 1 hour
  • Chill time: 6 hours to overnight
  • Servings: 8 slices

Ingredients

Materials needed:

  • Hand mixer or fork/whisk
  • 9-inch spring-form pan
  • Mixing bowl

Crust Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups vegan graham cracker crumbs
  • 7 tablespoons melted vegan butter (or melted coconut oil)
  • 1/4 cup white sugar (for the crust, I used coconut sugar to bring down the glycemic index a bit)

Cake Ingredients

  • (4) 8-ounce containers of vegan cream cheese (48 ounces). Trader Joe’s brand works great, but you may use Tofutti or Kite Hill as well.
  • (1) 13.5 ounce can of coconut cream
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Method

  1. Prep.
    • Preheat the oven to 350ÂşF.
    • Lightly grease the bottoms and sides of your 9-inch springform with vegan butter, coconut oil or baking spray.
    • Wrap the outside (outside bottom and outside sides) of the springform snugly with tin foil to prevent leakage.
  2. Crust.
    • Crumble your graham crackers until you have 1 2/3 cup. I did this by hand for that homemade touch, but you can use a food processor if you prefer.
    • Stir in melted butter and sugar until incorporated.
    • Press your mixture onto the bottom and a bit up the sides of your prepared, greased 9-inch springform pan.
    • The crust will be pretty crumbly and not overly moist. That is fine, don’t worry, it will hold together in the end.
  3. Filling.
    • Whisk all cream cheese in mixing bowl until smooth. I started with a fork then switched to handheld whisk. It took a bit of strength so yay for exercise. If you have an electric mixer with whisk or hand beaters you can use those.
    • Mix until uniform and creamy.
    • Add remaining ingredients (coconut cream, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and lemon juice)
    • Continue whisking until uniform, fluffy and totally smooth. Don’t overmix.
  4. Pour.
    • Pour your cheesecake filling evenly over the crust in the springform.
    • Make sure it is level.
  5. Bake.
    • Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes. Do not open the oven during this time.
    • When ready, it should be slightly golden on top.
    • When finished baking, turn off oven heat and let sit in the hot oven for 10 more minutes.
    • Carefully remove from oven. It will be slightly jiggly on top, that is normal. It will continue to set in the fridge.
  6. Chill.
    • First leave the cheesecake out on the counter to cool for 20 minutes, then transfer to fridge for at least 6 hours.
    • I recommend whipping this dessert up the day before and letting it chill overnight in the fridge. I placed a clean dish towel over the top while it was chilling
  7. Serve.
    • The most fun part is taking off the springform and slicing into this beautiful cheesecake.
    • Slice a generous portion, top with your favorite topping and serve.
    • It can stay out on the counter for up to an hour, after which you should put it back in the fridge to chill.

Optional Toppings

Fresh Strawberry Topping

Slice a half-cup of fresh strawberries and set aside. Place another 2 cups strawberries, quarter lemon of fresh squeeze lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons agave nectar (or sugar) in a food processor and process until smooth. Mix fresh strawberry slices in to the puree and let chill in fridge an hour or 2 before serving.

Chocolate Drizzle Topping

Mix 1 cup canned coconut milk, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 cup agave nectar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Bring to a simmer in pot over medium heat. Remove from heat. Mix in 1/4 cup of (vegan) semi-sweet chocolate chips until melted and smooth.

Fresh Blueberry Topping

Set aside half cup of fresh blueberries. Place another 2 cups of blueberries, quarter lemon of fresh squeezed lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons agave nectar (or sugar) in a food processor and process until smooth. Mix fresh blueberries into the puree and let chill in fridge an hour or 2 before serving.

It’s also nice to just have these toppings on the side in cute bowls with cute lil spoons and let your guests choose which they want to put on top.

Slice of plain vegan cheesecake golden on top, graham cracker crust with rose and strawberry in background.

And that’s it! It takes a little bit of time but nothing says special occasion like an absolutely delicious homemade cheesecake. I’m so excited to make this for my next family event. I hope you enjoy the best vegan cheesecake, and please be sure to share your experience!