Cheesecake (gluten-free, dairy-free/vegan)
Categories: All, Cheesecakes, Desserts, Pies, Recipes
Tags: , Allergy Friendly, Cheesecake, Dairy Free, Desserts, GFCF, Gluten Free Graham Crackers, Pie Crust, Vegan
Sticking with our pie theme, I give you gluten-free, vegan cheesecake!
Those who may enjoy traditional dairy-full cheesecakes may not be able to appreciate the void left in the lives of those who cannot partake of this cow’s milk creamy delicious dessert, so often the conduit for heavenly sauces, berries and other sinful unmentionables (ok, I’ll mention them: chocolate and peanut butter!). For those in the latter camp, I offer you a safe but sweet soy alternative just begging to be smothered in your favorite accompaniments!
Cheesecake Ingredients:
- 16 ounces (2 cups) silken tofu
- 8 ounces (1 cup) soy cream cheese (plain) (Tofutti® Cream Cheese or Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet® Cream Cheese)
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup) soy sour cream (plain) (Tofutti® Better Than Sour Cream or Vegan Gourmet® Sour Cream)
- 2 Tablespoons Jules Gluten Free™ All-Purpose Flour
- 2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, gluten free
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon, lime or orange peel (optional)
- 2 cups fresh berries for topping or 3/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (Enjoy Life® Mini Chips)
Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs*
- 6 Tbs. melted butter or Earth Balance® Buttery Sticks (non-dairy)
- 2 Tbs. granulated cane sugar (optional)
Graham Cracker Pie Crust Directions:
Preheat oven to 300° F (static) or 275° F (convection).
Make or buy gluten-free graham crackers (use my recipe or easy mix!). To make the crust, use a gallon size zip-top bag (freezer bags are stronger) and fill it with approximately 1 1/2 cups of gluten-free graham crackers. Remove the air from the bag and seal, then begin rolling over the crackers with a rolling pin, crushing the crackers to a very small crumb size. Once uniformly crushed, measure out to be sure you have 1 1/2 cups of crumbs – repeat if you need more crumbs. Note: this step is even easier using a food processor! Freeze remaining crumbs in a freezer bag to be ready for your next recipe.
Pour the crumbs into a medium-sized bowl and stir in the sugar until completely integrated. Add in the melted butter or Buttery Sticks, stirring with a fork until the crumbs begin to stick together. If you find you need slightly more butter to get the crumbs to hold together, melt an additional tablespoon and stir it in.
Pour the crumb-butter mixture into a pie pan and press with your fingers to create an even thickness along the bottom and sides of the pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes – do not allow the edges to burn though. Remove and set aside until the pie filling is prepared.
Cheesecake Directions:
To make the cheesecake, bring all ingredients to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 325° F (static).
Blend the tofu, cream cheese, sour cream and gluten-free flour together until smooth, either in a food processor or a stand mixer. Add the sugars and vanilla and blend well. Stir in the citrus peel and chocolate chips last, if using.
Pour into the prepared crust – only fill 2/3 of the pie pan; if there is extra filling, oil a small ramekin and pour remaining filling into the ramekin to bake. Bake for 50 minutes, or until lightly browned and only slightly jiggy in the center.
Turn the oven off, but leave the cheesecake in the oven for one more hour. At that point, remove to cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
Top with berries, berry coulis, chocolate sauce, peanut butter sauce or other topping like homemade coconut whipped cream just before serving.
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Margo said: on June 7, 2012
Wow! This looks fantastic! I can’t wait to try it. It reminds me of my beautiful 3-tier wedding cheesecake, overflowing with berries… YUM. Hey Jules, I know this is a bit off the subject, but can you make a recipe for sopapillas? I miss the days when I could eat at mexican restaurants, but I think I miss the honey-drenched sopapillas the most. Thanks so much!**Hugs!**
Margo E.
Frances D’amato said: on June 8, 2012
I like it
Thank you
baby48@msn.com said: on June 8, 2012
I wish you would have the carb counts this would make it easier for me to prepare you food. My husband is diabetic and I need to count the carbs for his insulin dose. He is newly diagnosed
Jules said: on June 20, 2012
Almost all of my ebooks have the nutritional analyses included. We are trying to run these on as many recipes as possible, but we don’t have the software to easily do so, and we area very small company. I understand and respect the need, but we’re doing all we can at this point. Check out my ebooks on the “Books” tab at the top to see if any of those will suit your hubbie’s needs!
Barb Avery said: on June 8, 2012
Jules: enjoy every single email you send, plus the recipes. Thanks for adding some normalcy back to our lives.
Just made a batch of choc.chip chunk cookies from one of your cookie mixes.
No matter how long I back them, they NEVER get crunchy like my husband likes them to be (yes it is more for me, BUT). I’ve baked them as long as 18 mins, getting them pretty dark, but the softness continues. I use JUST the ingredients on the bag. Should I be adding creme of tartar to add stiffness to them. Something is still missing.
Barb
Gail said: on June 11, 2012
Would coconut cream cheese and coconut sour cream work? I am sensitive to soy so this would lessen the soy presence to perhaps a manageable level. Also, could I use the chocolate wafers from a chocolate cream sandwich cookie instead of the graham crackers?
Michelle Greene said: on September 12, 2012
Gail,
I am intrigued!! Is there such products as coconut cream cheese and sour cream? Where can a person buy them? My son and I have a casein allergy and he also has a soy allergy so enjoying anything sweet or savory that requires cream cheese or sour cream, without discomfort, has become a thing of the past……please e-mail me your reply as I don’t check this site daily.
Thank you!!
Susan said: on July 14, 2012
Hi! Can I substitue dairy free tofu based home made ricotta cheese into this recipe? In direct proportions to the tofu mentioned?
Jules said: on July 15, 2012
Susan, I would think your sub would work, but it wouldn’t be as creamy as using Silken Tofu. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out!
Sandra said: on October 23, 2012
Why does it require an hour in the oven after cooking it to cool ?
Seems like it would cook too long after 50 mins cooking.
Jules said: on October 24, 2012
Hi Sandra, good question! It’s all about the slow cool for cheesecakes so they don’t crack and sink — not so pretty! Leaving it in the oven as it’s cooling helps this process and creates beautiful cheesecakes!