This dreamy dessert is the perfect mash up between baked vegan cheesecake and lemon meringue pie.
The filling is nut-free and coconut-free, and doesn't use vegan cream cheese! Similar to my no-bake lemon cheesecake, it is flavored with tangy lemon curd which packs in so much fresh lemon flavor.
Ingredient Notes
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Vegan Lemon Curd: My homemade fresh lemon curd is made with lots of fresh lemon juice and zest for a super concentrated lemon flavor, without needing to add lemon extract or artificial flavors. You can make it a few days ahead and keep in the fridge, and while the recipe calls for less than a full batch, you can make extra and use it for other lemon desserts or add it to your breakfast.
- Soft Silken Tofu: This makes a fantastic alternative to cream cheese. Don't worry, you won't taste it, but it gives a lovely creamy cheesecake filling.
- Vegan Greek Yogurt: You need thick Greek-style yogurt. I use Alpro Greek-style plain yogurt, sometimes labeled Skyr or protein yogurt. You can also use thick coconut yogurt or soy yogurt and increase the amount of tofu like in my vegan Basque cheesecake (details in the recipe card below).
- Plant-Based Cream: I use single soy cream (cooking cream) which is readily available in large supermarkets, but you can also use vegan heavy cream, oat cream, or coconut cream.
- Cornstarch: Works as an egg replacer, binding the cheesecake filling while thickening it. You can swap the cornstarch for arrowroot starch at a 1:1 ratio.
- Cookies: Any vegan cookies are fine here, like digestive biscuits, lotus biscoff, ginger nuts, or vegan graham crackers.
- Vegan Meringue Topping: Italian meringue is best here, as it does not need to be baked like French meringue. This Italian meringue recipe uses aquafaba instead of egg whites, and creates a silky fluffy meringue.
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🔪 Instructions
Here are step-by-step images so that you have a visual guide showing how to make this lemon meringue cheesecake recipe. A heads up! Please refer to the detailed printable recipe card at the end of this page when you're ready to make the recipe for full measurements and written instructions:
Step 1: Blitz the cookies and melted butter in a food processor until it resembles wet sand.
Step 2: Press the crust into the base and up the sides of the springform pan lined with parchment paper.
Step 3: Blend the filling ingredients (lemon curd, silken tofu, yogurt, dairy-free cream, cornstarch, and vanilla extract) in a high-speed blender or food processor until smooth and creamy.
Step 4: Pour the lemon cheesecake batter into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven for 65 minutes. The edges should be light golden brown. Leave it sit for 1 hour with the oven door slightly open.
Step 5: Refrigerate overnight, then carefully remove the cheesecake from the pan and transfer to a serving plate.
Step 6: The next day, gently melt the rest of the lemon curd over a double boiler and spread it over the cheesecake layer.
You can serve it as is, and you will have a beautiful lemon curd cheesecake! Or continue to the next step and make meringue before serving!
Step 7: Prepare the meringue topping ahead of serving. This involves whipping reduced aquafaba to stiff peaks and slowly combining it with sugar syrup.
Step 8: Spoon it on top of the cheesecake and gently brown the topping with a kitchen torch before serving and it will caramelize for a slightly toasted marshmallow flavor.
💭 Recipe Tips
Double line the base of the pan with parchment. The extra layer of parchment makes it easier to lift the cheesecake out of the pan once set.
One thing about using tofu in cheesecakes is that it can sometimes leave a bit of condensation due to a high protein content. Simply blot away any excess moisture with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels before you decorate the chilled cheesecake.
Slowly cool the cheesecake. If you take it out of the hot oven straight after baking it's more likely to crack from the shock in temperature difference. Instead, let it hang out in the oven with the door cracked until the temperature comes down.
Add meringue just before serving. While it's perfectly fine to add the meringue topping a few hours ahead, it does not store too well in the fridge and can deflate a little - still perfectly edible but *most* beautiful when fresh!
💬 FAQs
Not for this cheesecake. I tested the recipe a few times, baking the crust ahead (both with and without baking weights). I noticed that the crust shrank significantly, and I would need to reshape it with the bottom of the glass afterwards, making several unnecessary extra steps!
At room temperature (granted its not a hot climate or the middle of cummer), you can keep it out for a few hours or the day of serving it. Otherwise, store it in an airtight container in the fridge. For best results, the meringue topping should be added before serving, but it will hold in the fridge for 2-3 days - it may just deflate a little.
As another option, you can prepare the cheesecake a few days in advance, place in a sealed container in the fridge, and top with the meringue on the day of serving.
Yes you can, but without the meringue topping. Vegan meringue can become weepy when it defrosts and won't be as perfect as when it's freshly whipped!
A tip if you are freezing leftovers is to first slice it into servings. Then place them in a freezer safe container separated by sheets of parchment, wrapped in plastic wrap, or in individual ziplock bags.
Absolutely. Just swap out the cookies for a GF version and make sure all the other products are labeled gluten-free.
🍰 More Vegan Cheesecake Recipes
📖 Recipe
Baked Vegan Lemon Cheesecake with Meringue Topping
Ingredients
- ¾ batch (450 g) vegan lemon curd prep-ahead option *note 1
Crust
- 250 g (8.8 oz) vegan cookies I use biscoff *note 2
- 90 g (3.1 oz) vegan butter melted
Filling
- 400 g (14 oz) soft silken tofu
- 240 g (1 cup) vegan Greek-style yogurt *note 3
- 120 ml (½ cup) single soy cream oat cream, or coconut cream
- 125 g (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 40 g (4 tablespoons) cornstarch *note 4
Topping
- ½ batch vegan Italian meringue *make fresh before serving
Instructions
- Note: As there are a few elements to this recipe, please read through the instructions and blog post fully before you get started. The cheesecake requires setting in the fridge overnight, so it's best made 1-2 days ahead of serving, while the meringue topping is best made fresh on the day of serving.
- Preparation: Make the lemon curd and refrigerate until ready to use. Line the sides and double line the base of a 7.5 or 8-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper.
- Preheat oven: Place an aluminum baking sheet or baking tray into the middle of your oven and preheat to fan-forced 160°C/320°F or conventional 180°C/356°F.
- Make the crust: Add the cookies and melted 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 and up the sides of the pan and smooth it down with your fingers or using a spoon. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
- Blend: Add 200g (~ ½ cup) of lemon curd and all the filling ingredients to a high-speed blender and blitz until smooth and creamy.
- Bake: Pour the filling into the prepared pan and place it on the preheated tray in the oven. Bake for 65 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the cheesecake still has a slight jiggle to it.
- Cool and set: Turn off the oven, and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door cracked open slightly for 1 hour. Then transfer the cheesecake pan to the fridge for 8 hours (overnight works well). In the meantime, reduce the aquafaba (step 1 of this meringue topping recipe) and refrigerate until later.
- Lemon Curd Topping: Add the remaining lemon curd to a saucepan and gently heat while stirring so that it becomes a spreadable consistency. Top the cheesecake with the curd and smooth it out with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Place back in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Meringue Topping: Prepare the remaining steps of the meringue topping and spoon it on top of the cheesecake before serving. Torch the meringue using a blow torch.
Notes
- Vegan Lemon Curd: Prep up to 2 days in advance and store in the fridge. The full recipe and instructions are linked in the pink text above.
- Vegan Cookies: Use vegan cookies such as biscoff, digestives, ginger nuts, or vegan graham crackers. Use GF cookies if needed.
- Greek-Style Yogurt: I use Alpro Greek-style plain yogurt (soy-based) sometimes labeled as Skyr or protein yogurt. If you can't find vegan Greek yogurt, increase the silken tofu to 600g and add 200g thick coconut yogurt or unsweetened soy yogurt.
- Cornstarch: Sub for ground arrowroot at 1:1 ratio.
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