If you need an easy dessert for the holidays that can be prepped ahead, this festive cheesecake is the answer.
Topped with homemade vegan gingerbread cookies, it has the creamiest filling that will wow your guests. Incredibly delicious and a beautiful centerpiece for the holiday table!
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🧾 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this no-bake gingerbread cheesecake:
Ingredient Notes
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Cookies: I use biscoff cookies as they complement the warm spices in this recipe. You can swap them for vegan graham crackers, digestives, or gingersnap cookies.
- Cashews: These add structure and a tangy flavor to no bake cheesecake recipes. You can use soaked sunflower seeds for a nut-free version.
- Dairy-Free Cream Cheese: I normally use Violife as it has the perfect consistency similar to full-fat cream cheese blocks. You can also use my homemade vegan cream cheese recipe.
- Pure Maple Syrup: As this is a vegan gingerbread cheesecake recipe, you could replace 1-2 tablespoons with molasses for a deep gingerbread flavor.
- Gingerbread Spices: These spices make up the gingerbread flavor of this cheesecake batter (ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and allspice).
- Vegan Yogurt: I use Alpro protein Greek style, if you can’t find a good vegan Greek yogurt, you can substitute it with vegan sour cream, vegan Skyr, or very thick coconut yogurt.
- Orange Zest: I generally add orange to gingerbread desserts as it is such a delicious combination. If you're using orange peel, make sure you only the bright orange part and not the white pith, which tends to be bitter.
🔪 Instructions
Here are step-by-step images showing how to make this easy gingerbread cheesecake. Please refer to the detailed printable recipe card at the end of this page for full measurements and written instructions:
Step 1: Step 1: Add the vegan cookies, gingerbread cookies, vegan butter, and salt to a food processor and blitz for a few minutes until it resembles fine crumbs.
Step 2: Press the cheesecake crust into the base of a springform pan lined with parchment paper and compact it down using a spoon. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
Step 3: Blend the cheesecake filling ingredients (cream cheese, soaked cashews, yogurt, maple syrup, mixed spices, vanilla extract, and orange zest) until smooth.
Step 4: Pour the filling into the cheesecake pan and refrigerate overnight (at least 6 hours) to firm up. You can also set it in the freezer for about 4 hours.
Step 5: Carefully remove it from the tin (while still frozen if set in the freezer) and use a cake scraper or offset spatula to smooth out the edges if needed.
Step 6: Pipe whipped vegan cream around the edges of the cheesecake, then top with gingerbread men, crushed cookies, pecans, fresh pomegranate, and fresh mint leaves or rosemary sprigs
💭 Recipe Tips
Line the base and side of the pan with parchment to prevent the cheesecake from sticking to the edges.
Blend the filling until completely smooth. Most good-quality blenders can get to the creamy stage in 5-10 minutes or less, but if needed allow a few minutes in between blends for the machine to cool down. The consistency should be like silk, with no grit or lumps whatsoever.
For more tips and tricks on making the best dairy-free cheesecake check out my guide to vegan cheesecakes.
🍽 Variations
- Wholefood Crust: Swap the crust for 1.5 cups of pecans, half a cup of dried cranberries, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and 2 teaspoons of ground ginger.
- Vegan cream cheese: If you don't have access to vegan cream cheese you can swap this out for full-fat chilled canned coconut milk. Chill your cans of coconut milk at least the night before making this recipe.
- Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars: Make this recipe in a square 8-inch baking pan and cut it into bars or slices. You could also do mini gingerbread cheesecakes in a muffin pan or a special pan for mini cheesecakes.
- Gingerbread Latte Cheesecake: Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the crust and filling for a fun flavor twist.
💬 FAQs
Place the cheesecake in a sealed container or on a plate wrapped with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Absolutely. All my vegan cheesecake recipes freeze beautifully. Simply slice any leftover cheesecake into servings and place them in an airtight container lined with parchment paper, with a piece of paper between each slice to prevent them from sticking. To defrost, place them on a plate in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for an hour.
If you want to prep ahead for the holiday season you can also freeze the entire cheesecake without toppings. Just prep it as usual and let it set in the freezer, then remove it from the pan and wrap it in plastic wrap for up to a month.
Yes, swap the cookies in the crust out for a gluten-free variety to make this cheesecake gluten-free. You could also try these gluten-free gingerbread cookies as a topping.
🌟 More Gingerbread Recipes
📖 Recipe
No Bake Gingerbread Cheesecake (Vegan)
Ingredients
Crust
- 120 g (4 ¼ oz) vegan cookies I use biscoff *see note 1
- 100 g (3 ½ oz) vegan gingerbread cookies replace with extra biscoff cookies
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 70 g (5 tablespoons) vegan butter
Filling
- 200 g (1 ½ cups) cashews soaked ahead of time *see note 2
- 500 g (17.6 oz) vegan cream cheese *see note 3 for less cream cheese option
- 120 g (½ cup) vegan Greek-style yogurt *see note 4
- 120 ml (½ cup) pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste/scraped-out vanilla pod
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice or ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon orange zest or orange peel without the pith
Garnish (optional)
- ½ batch vegan whipped cream
- fresh pomegranate
- mint leaves or rosemary sprigs
- pecans
- vegan gingerbread cookies
Instructions
- Make the crust: Add the cookies, gingerbread, salt, and butter to a food processor and blitz for a few minutes until the mixture sticks together between your fingers.
- Press the crust into the base of the pan and smooth it down with your fingers or using a spoon - make sure it is compact. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
- Make the filling: Add all the filling ingredients to a high-speed blender and blitz until completely smooth and creamy without any lumps. Pour the filling into the pan and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours (overnight is recommended) until set. *see note 5 for the freezer option.
- Decorate: Carefully remove the springform pan and peel away the parchment paper from the sides of the cheesecake. If needed, you can clean up the sides using a cake scraper. Top with vegan whipped cream, mint leaves, pomegranate, pecans, and additional gingerbread cookies.
Notes
- Vegan Cookies: Use vegan cookies such as digestives, ginger nuts, gingersnaps, or vegan graham crackers. Use GF cookies if needed.
- Soaked Cashews: Soak the cashews in water for 4 hours, rinse, and drain. You can also quick-soak your cashews by soaking them in boiled water for 30 minutes.
- Vegan Cream Cheese: You can use 300g vegan cream cheese with 55g coconut oil if you want to use less cream cheese.
- Greek-Style Yogurt: Sub with vegan sour cream, vegan skyr, firm silken tofu, or very thick coconut yogurt.
- Freezing: You can also set it in the freezer for about 4 hours, just remove it from the pan while still frozen and sit at room temperature for an hour before serving.
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