Description
This easy vegan strawberry cheesecake features a creamy cashew and vegan cream cheese filling swirled with vibrant strawberry curd atop a crunchy cookie crust, offering a luscious, plant-based dessert that’s perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Strawberry Curd
- 1 batch (450g) vegan strawberry curd (prep-ahead option, see notes)
Crust
- 140 g lotus biscoff cookies (or other vegan cookies, see notes)
- 45 g unsalted vegan butter (block-style)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Filling
- 150 g cashews (soaked ahead of time, see notes)
- 300 g vegan cream cheese
- 80 g vegan Greek-style yogurt (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons agave syrup (see notes)
Topping
- Remaining strawberry curd (about 300g)
Instructions
- Prepare: Make the vegan strawberry curd up to two days in advance and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to use. Soak the cashews in water for at least 4 hours, then rinse and drain them thoroughly. Alternatively, quick-soak cashews by soaking them in boiled water for 30 minutes. Line the base and sides of a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal later.
- Make the crust: Place the cookies and sea salt into a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the vegan butter and blend again until the mixture becomes sticky and holds together when pressed between your fingers, forming the crust base.
- Assemble the crust: Press the cookie mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan, smoothing the surface evenly with your fingers or a spoon to create a compact base. Chill the crust in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.
- Make the filling: In a high-speed blender, combine 150g of the strawberry curd with soaked cashews, vegan cream cheese, vegan Greek-style yogurt, vanilla extract, and agave syrup. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy without any lumps. Pour the filling evenly over the chilled crust and refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 6 hours or overnight until fully set.
- Add the topping: Gently warm the remaining strawberry curd in a saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Spread the warm curd evenly over the set cheesecake using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Return the cheesecake to the refrigerator for 1 hour or place it in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up before slicing.
- Serve and store: When ready to serve, use a hot, wet, sharp knife to cut the cheesecake into portions cleanly. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to one month. To serve frozen cheesecake, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Notes
- Prepare the strawberry curd up to two days ahead to save time on the day of serving.
- For the crust, lotus biscoff cookies provide great flavor and texture, but any vegan cookies can be substituted.
- Check the cookies for vegan certification to ensure they meet dietary preferences.
- Soaking cashews softens them for a creamy filling; quick-soaking with boiled water saves time if needed.
- Use vegan Greek-style yogurt to add creaminess and tang to the filling.
- Agave syrup is used as a natural sweetener; you can substitute it with maple syrup or another vegan liquid sweetener if preferred.
