Name: Vegan Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake
Prep time: 40 min
Total time: 400 min
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (or regular all purpose flour for non-GF version); 1 cup ground almonds; 4 tablespoons vegan butter; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; ½ cup gluten-free rolled oats (or regular rolled oats for non-GF version); 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup; 200 g cashews (soaked *see notes); 1 cup chilled canned full-fat coconut milk (*see notes); ½ cup vanilla soya or coconut yoghurt; 4 tablespoons coconut oil (solid); 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; Pinch sea salt; 400 g fresh strawberries; 3 tablespoons caster sugar (or coconut sugar)

It may not be strawberry season yet but we're getting ahead of the game here so that you have your strawberry recipes ready to go once berry season arrives!

This cheesecake has it all, a buttery shortbread crust that's gluten-free and baked to perfection. A creamy vanilla cheesecake filling that melts in the mouth, and sweet strawberries in syrup to top it off. The strawberries are macerated in sugar which creates a sweet syrup and intensifies their flavor.

The inspiration for this recipe came from my Chamomile Vanilla Cheesecake from last Summer. I don't know about you, but winter here feels like it's been going on forever and I've never been more ready to welcome Spring and all the fresh flavors it has to offer.

This strawberry cheesecake is:

Creamy and light
Fruity and sweet
Bursting with flavor
Gluten-free
Vegan-friendly

Ingredients needed

For the crust and topping

All-purpose GF flour and ground almonds: I like to use these ingredients at a 1:1 ratio for the perfect shortbread base. You can also use regular all-purpose flour if you don't need the cake to be gluten-free.

Vegan butter: You can also use coconut oil in place of vegan butter.

Pure maple syrup: This helps to bind the ingredients for the shortbread dough as well as adds a hint of sweetness.

Sea salt: You can use flaky sea salt, kosher salt, or pink Himalayan salt. Avoid regular table salt, however.

Rolled oats: Oats are added to some of the shortbread dough in order to create a crumble topping for the top of the cheesecake.

For the filling

Cashews: When soaked for a minimum of 4 hours, these nuts begin to soften. Once blended, this allows them to create a rich and creamy base for the cheesecake filling.

Full fat coconut milk: You’ll use the full-fat canned variety to get a rich consistency. Reduced fat coconut milk and other plant milk will NOT work for this recipe. The fat content is vital for creating a stable emulsion that will keep your cake nice and set!

Vanilla soy yogurt: Adding plant-based yogurt to vegan cheesecakes is a game changer! That light, cultured flavor adds a twang and airiness to any cheesecake recipe.

Coconut oil: Coconut oil solidifies at around room temperature, and is great for helping cheesecakes to set and keep their shape.

Lemon juice: A dash of lemon is used to elevate that cheesecake flavor.

Vanilla extract: I don’t skip this ingredient in most dessert recipes and with GOOD reason! It always helps to round off the flavors of a dessert.

For the macerated strawberries

Fresh strawberries: For this recipe, it actually doesn't matter if your strawberries aren't the sweetest. Caster sugar is added to them which enhances their flavor and sweetness and creates the most delicious strawberry syrup.

How to make this recipe

(full recipe and ingredients list can be found on the recipe card at the end of this post)

Shortbread crust and crumble topping

First things first get your oven preheated to 175°C (350°F). Next line the bottom of a 7" cake tin with a removable base with some parchment paper. This will make it easy to remove the cake once from the tin later.

Make the dough by combining the gluten-free flour, almond flour, vegan butter, maple syrup, and salt in your food processor until the ingredients stick together to form a dough. Set aside one-third of the dough, as this will be used to make the crumble topping for the cheesecake.

Press the remaining two-thirds of the dough into the base of the cake tin, and smooth it out with a spatula or flat bottomed glass. With a fork, gently prick the dough several times.

To prepare the crumble topping, add the remaining third of the dough back to the food processor along with the rolled oats and one tablespoon of maple syrup. Blitz for about 20 seconds. Then crumble the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Place both the cheesecake base and crumble into the preheated oven and bake for 13-15 minutes until slightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Place the crumble into an airtight container until ready to serve.

Cheesecake filling

For the filling, add all of the ingredients to your high-speed blender and blitz for several minutes until completely smooth and creamy, with no lumps or grit. The mixture should be silky smooth with no lumps. Pour the filling into the cake tin and place in the freezer to set for at least 4 hours (or overnight if preferred).

Once set, remove the cheesecake from the cake pan whilst still frozen and allow it to thaw at room temperature for about 30-40 minutes.

How to macerate strawberrie3s

Wash and dry the berries well. Then cut the strawberries into quarters and place them in a bowl, sprinkle with the sugar, and cover. Allow them to sit for at least 30 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and formed a syrup around the berries.

Assembling the cheesecake

Add the crumble and macerated strawberries to the top of the cheesecake just before serving. If you don't plan on serving the entire cake in one go, keep the remaining crumble and strawberries in separate containers and add just before serving.

This cake will store in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days (with the strawberries and crumble stored separately).