Good news! I’ve updated my reader-favorite No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake recipe to be even easier!
Similar to my Orange Chocolate Cheesecake you can now make this creamy, dreamy, chocolatey wonder without a blender and without tofu.
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📖 Recipe Overview
- Made With Only 10 Simple Ingredients - Despite bursting at the seams with chocolatey goodness, this chocolate vegan cheesecake recipe has a completely manageable grocery list.
- Quick, Easy, & No-Bake - You’ll only need to spend about 30 minutes of active prep time making this chocolate no-bake cheesecake, then the fridge does all the rest!
- Budget-Friendly - Vegan cream cheese can be expensive, which is why I’ve formulated this recipe to use less than a lot of other recipes all without any compromise on taste or texture. To save even more $$$, you can use a batch of my homemade cream cheese ~or~ half the recipe to make a smaller batch in a loaf pan!
Want some more rich, creamy vegan recipes to get your chocolate fix? Try my plant-based recipes for chocolate mousse cake, orange chocolate cheesecake, black forest cheesecake, raspberry chocolate tart, and no-churn chocolate ice cream next!
🧾 Ingredients Needed
As if that weren’t enough to love, this no-bake dessert was developed with you, the reader, in mind — it also boasts a short ingredient list and a smart cost-saving hack designed to save your hard-earned cash. Here’s what to grab:
Ingredient Notes
As you’re shopping, keep the following notes in mind:
- Oreos - Any vegan chocolate sandwich cookie will do. Feel free to swap in gluten-free cookies if needed.
- Vegan Block Butter - “Block” is an important note to keep in mind here. Spreadable tub-style butters are usually formulated to be softer, which will in turn make your crust much softer — not ideal!
- Vegan Dark Chocolate - You’re welcome to use either chips or bars, but I do recommend reaching for over 70% cocoa solids for the most rich chocolate flavor. The chocolate is also what helps set the cheesecake, so no coconut oil like many other vegan cheesecake recipes.
- Vegan Cream Cheese - To ensure this easy no-bake chocolate cheesecake recipe is nut free, I use Violife or homemade cream cheese. If you’re using a different brand, just be sure to read your labels.
- Vegan Greek-Style Yogurt or Skyr - This sneaky addition adds lovely tanginess and an ethereal creaminess, all while helping cut back on how much vegan cream cheese you need to use. You are also welcome to use soft silken tofu if needed.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - I tend to prefer using Dutch-process cocoa powder, which is less bitter than other varieties. That said, regular cocoa powder, black cocoa powder, or even raw cacao powder may be used instead.
- Pure Maple Syrup - For just the right amount of sweetness without any graininess. Feel free to add a touch more if you prefer a sweeter dessert. You can also use agave nectar if needed.
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🥣 How To Make Chocolate Cheesecake Vegan
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
As this chocolate cheesecake is made without nuts, another plus is that there's no need to soak raw cashews in advance! Here's how it's done:
Step 1: Blitz the cookies and sea salt in a food processor for about 30 seconds into fine crumbs. Then add in the vegan butter and blend again until evenly combined and the mixture sticks together between your fingers.
Step 2: Press the cookie mixture into the base of a cake tin that's lined with parchment paper. Use a springform pan for the easiest removal! Smooth it out with a ¼ cup measure or flat-bottomed glass. Make sure the crust is compact.
Step 3: Whisk the vegan cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until fluffy. Add in the vegan yogurt and whisk again until combined. You can use an electric hand mixer or stand mixer depending on what you have.
Step 4: Whisk in the unsweetened cocoa powder, vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, and sea salt until combined.
Step 5: Alternate between whisking in the melted chocolate and maple syrup in 3 increments each. Whisk each time to incorporate them into the cream cheese mixture.
Step 6: Transfer the chocolate cheesecake filling to the cake pan and use a spatula to smooth out the top. Refrigerate until set - about 4 hours, or overnight if preferred.
Step 7: Once set carefully remove the cheesecake from the pan. Make half a batch of vegan chocolate ganache. Allow it to cool slightly - you will need to whisk it until smooth once cooled. before pouring it over the cake. Pour it over the cheesecake and use a spatula to spread it out.
To make it even more fancy, decorate with chocolate shavings or some chocolate curls.
🍫 Variations
As much as I’ve become enamored with this recipe for no-bake chocolate cheesecake, there are still plenty of ways you can customize it to your liking. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Chocolate Tofu Cheesecake - Similar to the recipe for my chocolate orange cheesecake, you can use soft silken tofu in place of the yogurt. Just make sure to vigorously whisk out any lumps or make it in the blender for a perfectly smooth and creamy result.
- Gluten-Free No-Bake Cheesecake - Simply swap in the gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies of your choice.
- Milk Chocolate Cheesecake - For a less intense chocolate flavor, consider using vegan milk chocolate in place of dark chocolate.
- No-Bake Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes - Prime your dairy-free chocolate cheesecake for sharing by making individual portions rather than one large-format cake.
- Toppings - If you want to skip the ganache, you could top it with some vegan whipped cream. Then add some fresh berries or fresh fruit of choice instead.
📝 Recipe Tips
No food processor? No problem! You can easily make the Oreo cookie crust by tossing the cookies in a gallon-sized zip-top bag and bashing them with a rolling pin. Pour the cookie crumbs into a bowl and stir the melted butter through the mix before pressing it into your springform pan.
To make chocolate curls, melt the chocolate and pour it into a small plastic container lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 20-30 minutes until firmly set, then remove the block of chocolate from the container and use a potato peeler to create chocolate curls in long movements while applying pressure. I recommend wearing latex gloves for this step as the heat from your hands will melt the chocolate. If the chocolate gets too soft, return it to the freezer for 10 minutes and repeat.
Feel free to make your vegan ganache up to a week ahead of time. While you’ll only need a half-batch for this recipe, you can always make the full batch and use the extra as a makeshift hot fudge to pour over your favorite vegan ice cream.
💬 FAQs
I typically use unsalted butter and add sea salt flakes because I love a good salty-sweet balance. Feel free to use unsalted if you prefer! You can always add an extra pinch of salt if needed.
If you choose a vegan cheesecake, you can! That said, traditional cheesecakes are made with lots of dairy and oftentimes eggs, too, so they are not suitable for a vegan diet.
Once made, this vegan cheesecake chocolate deliciousness can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. You are also welcome to freeze any leftover slices for up to a month.
🍰 More Vegan Cheesecakes
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake (No Bake, Nut Free)
Ingredients
Crust
- 16 (160 g) original oreos or oreo style cookies *see note 1
- 50 g (3½ tbsp) vegan block butter
- ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) sea salt
Filling
- 300 g (10.5 oz) vegan dark chocolate
- 400 g (14.1 oz) vegan cream cheese (I use violife or homemade) *see note 2
- 300 g (12.3 oz) vegan Greek-style yogurt or Skyr or soft silken tofu *see note 3
- 20 g (4 tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 118 ml (½ cup) pure maple syrup add up to 20ml less according to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Topping
- Half batch vegan ganache
- 70 g (2.47 oz) vegan dark chocolate for shavings or chocolate curls, optional *see note 4
Instructions
- Prepare: Line the bottom and sides of a 7" or 8" cake tin (with a removable base) with some parchment paper.
- Make the crust: Add the cookies and sea salt to your food processor and blitz for about 30 seconds until evenly finely ground (see note 3). Add in the vegan butter and blend again until evenly combined and the mixture sticks together between your fingers.
- Press the cookie mixture into the base of the cake tin, and smooth it out with a ¼ cup measure or flat-bottomed glass, making sure it is compact. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
- Melt the chocolate: Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie (double boiler), stir until smooth, and set it aside for 15-20 minutes to cool.
- Make the filling: Add the cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and whisk using an electric whisk for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and fluffy. Then mix in the yogurt and whisk until smooth.Whisk in the cocoa powder, vanilla, and sea salt until combined.
- Lastly, alternate between adding the melted chocolate and maple syrup in 3 increments each, whisking each time to incorporate them into the cream cheese mixture. (one part chocolate and whisk, one part maple syrup whisk again, etc..)
- Set the cake: Transfer the filling into the cake tin using a spatula to smooth out the top. Place in the fridge to set for 4 hours (or overnight if preferred). Once set, carefully remove the cake from the tin.
- Garnish: Make half a batch of vegan ganache and allow it to cool slightly for 10-20 minutes. Give the ganache a good whisk so it is smooth and then pour it over the top of the cake, using a spatula to spread it out. Decorate with chocolate shavings or see note 4 on how to make chocolate curls.
- Storage: Place it in an airtight container in the fridge and consume it within 5 days. Alternatively, you can freeze any unused slices and defrost them as needed
Notes
- To make it gluten-free simply swap the cookies in the crust for vegan, gluten-free cookies of your choice.
- This cheesecake is nut-free. However, be sure to check the ingredients of separate ingredients, in particular the vegan cream cheese. I use violife, which is free from nuts.
- If you don't have a food processor, throw the cookies in a ziplock bag and bash them into a crumb consistency using a rolling pin. Add melted vegan butter and stir it through the crushed cookies before pressing it into the bottom of the pan.
- To make chocolate curls, melt the chocolate and pour it into a small plastic container lined with parchment paper. Freeze for 20-30 minutes, then remove the block of chocolate from the container and use a potato peeler to create chocolate curls in long movements while applying pressure. I recommend wearing latex gloves for this step as the heat from your hands will melt the chocolate. If the chocolate gets too soft, return it to the freezer for 10 minutes and repeat.
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*This recipe was originally published in Janury 2022. The recipe has since been improved and updated to minimize the ingredients used and simplify the instructions.
