Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe

This vegan raspberry cheesecake recipe is easy to make with a gluten free crust, tofu-almond filling and perfectly sweetened raspberry topping.

Together, these components make a cheesecake that’s rich, creamy and not-too-sweet. Want more sweetness? The fresh, bright raspberry topping can be sweetened to you liking.

This is an extremely versatile recipe as you can use any berries for the topping! The cheesecake (without fruit topping) is also delicious on its own.

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Ingredients for Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake

There are three parts to this recipe: the crust, the cheesecake filling and the raspberry sauce topping.

Vegan Cheesecake Crust Ingredients

For the gluten free crust, you’ll need:

• Oat flour: To keep the crust gluten free and tasty, I like to use oat flour. If you don’t have oat flour, simply blend rolled oats into flour using a high-powered blender or food processor.
• Almond flour: For richness and a slight nutty flavor, I love oat and almond flour together. There’s also almond flour in the filling so this helps create a cohesive flavor between the crust and cheesecake.
• Brown sugar: Some sugar helps make for a tasty crust. I haven’t tested any other types of sugar for this recipe.
• Vegan butter: You’ll need some vegan butter to bring the crust together. I haven’t tested this with vegan margarine or coconut oil. Either option should work, although I can’t guarantee it.
• Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavors in the crust and balances the overall sweetness of the cheesecake.

Tofu Cheesecake Filling Ingredients

For the rich and creamy cheesecake filling, you’ll need:

• Tofu: The cheesecake filling base is a block of extra firm tofu. This creates a rich, creamy cheesecake that’s firm and easily holds together. I’ve tested this recipe with medium firm and soft/ silken tofu, and while both technically work, they create a very soft (almost melty-textured) cheesecake which I didn’t enjoy as much.
• Almond flour: Along with tofu, almond flour adds bulk, flavor and richness to the cheesecake.
• Sugar and maple syrup: Combined, granulated sugar and maple syrup makes a perfectly sweetened cheesecake. I use mostly granulated sugar so that the final cheesecake doesn’t taste overly maple flavored. I haven’t tested this recipe with any other sugar or sweetening ingredients.
• Lemon juice: Cream cheese, which is the typical base for cheesecake, has a slightly tart flavor. This recipe replicates that flavor using some lemon juice. While fresh-squeezed is always best, bottled lemon juice is fine for this recipe. If you want additional lemon flavor, and are using fresh lemons, you can also zest them and add the zest to your cheesecake filling or raspberry topping.
• Corn starch: To ensure the cheesecake is firm and slices easily without falling apart, use some starch.
• Vanilla extract: Flavor the base of this cheesecake even further with vanilla extract. I use a lot in this recipe so feel free to adjust the amount based on your taste preferences. If you buy high-quality vanilla extract, you likely won’t need as much.
• Miso paste: This may sound like an odd ingredient, but the saltiness and umami flavor in miso paste really enhances this recipe. It helps make the filling taste more like cream cheese (which is fairly salty). You could make the recipe without miso paste by substituting ¼ to ½ teaspoon of salt instead, but the flavor won’t be the same.
• Coconut oil: Add some melted coconut oil into the filling for richness and to create an ultra-creamy cheesecake texture. Use coconut oil; other (liquid) oils won’t set properly in the baked cheesecake.

Raspberry Cheesecake Topping Ingredients

The raspberry topping is made from:

• Raspberries: Use fresh or frozen raspberries to make the cheesecake topping. Other berries and/or you a combination of berries can also work well.
• Sugar: Raspberries are often tart, so some sugar is nice to balance and enhance the flavor. You can sweeten the sauce however you like.

How to Make This Tofu Raspberry Cheesecake

Despite having three components, this is a very easy recipe to make. Just prepare the crust, then the tofu filling and bake those together. When out of the oven, top with raspberry sauce and serve!

Step 1: Prepare Crust

Before you start this recipe, preheat your oven to 350 °F.

The crust is very simple to prepare. Add the oat flour, almond flour, brown sugar and salt to a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir to combine evenly.

Then melt vegan butter and add it to your mixing bowl. I melt my butter in the microwave, but a small pot on the stove over medium-low heat also works.

Stir the crust ingredients together until evenly mixed. The crust should hold together when pressed, then easily crumble apart again.

Grease a 9-inch springform pan, then press your crust firmly into the bottom of it. I don’t bring the crust up the edges of this cheesecake and there isn’t enough crust to do so.

Step 2: Prepare Cheesecake Filling

The cheesecake filling is incredibly easy to make. Simply add all the ingredients, except for coconut oil, to a blender or food processor (I made this in a food processor before I had a high-powered blender).

Blend until extremely smooth and creamy. Scrape down the edges of your blender a couple times to make sure everything is well blended.

I use an unblanched almond flour in this recipe which is why my filling has small brown flecks throughout (it’s almond “skin”). If using blanched almond flour (which is white in color) your cheesecake will look lighter than mine.

Once the filling is smooth, and your oven is fully preheated, add melted coconut oil to the blender and blend to incorporate it into the cheesecake filling.

Working somewhat quickly, scrape the cheesecake filling out of the blender, over the crust pressed into the bottom of your springform pan.

Spread the cheesecake filling into an even layer, then place into your oven on a center rack.

Melted coconut oil tends to solidify in the filling, which is colder in temperature (because of the cold tofu). To prevent this, add the coconut oil last and get the cheesecake into your oven quickly.

Bake the cheesecake for 35-40 minutes. When done, the top should be golden brown with the edges appearing darker brown. The cheesecake should seem firm in the center if you give the pan a slight shake. Also, when very lightly pressed, the cheesecake should hold its form (and not dent).

Remove from your oven and cool completely to room temperature before releasing the springform pan. Cooling is essential to let the filling set properly.

Step 3: Prepare Raspberry Topping, Assemble and Serve

While the cheesecake bakes, prepare some raspberry topping. Simply add raspberries and sugar to a pot and cook on medium-low heat, stirring regularly, until a sauce forms.

You may need to add a small splash of water at the start of cooking. Some liquid in the pot helps make sure nothing burns (you could also mash up the berries first to release their liquid).

The berries should break down completely and look pureed.

Use the sauce as-is or strain out the seeds with a mesh strainer. I like to remove the seeds.

Place the sauce in your fridge while the cheesecake cools.

You can top the cooled cheesecake with the raspberry sauce, but it’s best to keep the sauce separate and simply pour it over each slice as you serve the cheesecake.

Vegan Cheesecake Variations

This cheesecake recipe is very versatile. You can use any berries (like blueberry), or combination of berries, to make the topping.

You can also serve with fresh berries on top, and maybe a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

For additional flavor options, get creative with flavor extracts. Replace up to one tablespoon of the vanilla extract with other flavors like orange or lemon (just be careful as extracts can have a very potent flavor).

For a brighter flavor, add citrus zest to the cheesecake or berry sauce.

How to Store Leftover Cheesecake

Once the cheesecake cools completely, you must refrigerate it. Use an airtight container and the cheesecake should last well for 3-4 days. It’s best to store the cake separately from your raspberry topping, as the sauce can cause the cheesecake (especially the crust) to become soggy.

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!

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