The buttery crust is made with toasted pecans to enhance the classic pecan pie flavor, while being no-bake and egg-free. With no oven needed, it's a fuss-free alternative to traditional pecan pie.
If you love pecan desserts, try my vegan recipes for pecan cookies, sticky pecan buns, pecan pie, and pecan pie cupcakes next.
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🧾 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this pecan pie cheesecake. Find the complete ingredients list with quantities and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Ingredient Notes
Vegan cream cheese: I recommend a firm cream cheese such as Violife, which resembles the consistency of regular full-fat cream cheese, or homemade dairy-free cream cheese.
Vegan Greek-style yogurt: I've been adding vegan yogurt to almost every vegan cheesecake recipe for years. It adds that tangy flavor and lightness that helps make the filling creamy rather than heavy. You can also use vegan sour cream.
Cashews: For richness, creaminess, structure, and the tangy flavor of cheesecake.
Cookies: I use digestives, but feel free to use other vegan cookies, such as biscoff or even vegan graham crackers.
Pure maple syrup: Maple and pecans are a flavor match made in heaven!
Bourbon: This is optional, but it adds a nice flavor to the caramel topping along with vanilla extract and a pinch of sea salt. You can also use whiskey or brandy.
Vegan unsalted butter: Go for block-style butter, not spreadable margarine from a tub. You'll use melted butter for the crust, and chilled butter for the caramel sauce.
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📷 Step-By-Step Images
Here's a visual overview of this easy vegan cheesecake recipe. Please refer to the detailed card at the end of this page for full written instructions.
Start by making a buttery pecan cookie crust. Toasted pecans add an extra layer of flavor here, and blitzing them in a food processor with cookies and a pinch of salt gives you a deliciously nutty crumb.
Once you've mixed in the melted vegan butter, the texture should feel like damp sand - that's your cue that it's ready to press into your springform pan. Pop the crust into the freezer to firm up while you prepare the filling.
The cheesecake mixture is super creamy and smooth, thanks to a high-speed blend of all the filling ingredients. Be patient and blend until the mixture is completely lump-free. This helps create that dreamy, velvety texture.
Once the cheesecake batter is poured over the crust, it goes into the fridge to set. Give it enough time to chill fully so it slices cleanly later.
Now for the real star: the caramel pecan topping. You'll start by caramelizing the sugar and water, then stir in the vegan butter and heavy cream to make it rich and glossy. The optional bourbon and vanilla add warmth, and the pecans bring crunch.
Let the caramel cool to room temperature before you pour it over the cheesecake - it'll naturally spill over the edges in the most beautiful way.
💭 Expert tips
If your vegan cream cheese is on the softer side (brands like Philadelphia tend to be), your filling might end up a bit too soft and could even crack once the topping goes on. To help it set more firmly, try adding about a quarter cup of coconut oil to the batter before blending. It gives the cheesecake a little more structure without affecting the flavor.
Before adding the caramel topping, pop the set cheesecake into the freezer for about 30 minutes. This firms up the top and edges just enough to give you a cleaner finish when the caramel goes on. It also helps prevent any sinking or cracking from the weight of the topping.
For a perfectly smooth finish, run a sharp knife or cake scraper around the edges after removing the cheesecake from the pan. It's a simple trick that gives the sides a clean, professional look.
🍁 Variations
- Gluten-free: Simply swap the cookies for a gluten-free alternative, or use extra pecans in the crust for a naturally gluten-free base.
- Nut substitutions: No pecans? No problem. Walnuts or even peanuts make great stand-ins and still give that lovely crunch.
- Pumpkin twist: For an autumnal spin, try using the filling from my vegan pumpkin cheesecake to turn this into a pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake. Perfect for the holidays!
- Cheesecake bars: Want to serve it in slices or bars? Use a square or rectangular tin (8x8 inches works well), and line it with parchment paper on all sides. This makes lifting the cheesecake out much easier once it's set. Slice into bars, squares, or whatever shape you like!
❄️ Storage and FAQs
Keep your cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for 4 to 5 days.
Absolutely! This cheesecake freezes really well. You can freeze the whole thing in an airtight container or wrap individual slices in parchment or plastic wrap. It'll keep in the freezer for up to a month. Just avoid using aluminum foil, as it tends to stick to the sides.
Yes, you can use brown sugar, or even a mix of brown and granulated sugar. Just keep in mind that with brown sugar, it can be a little trickier to tell when the caramel is ready since the color is already quite dark. Keep a close eye on the texture and bubbles rather than the color for best results.
🍰 More Vegan Cheesecake
📖 Recipe
No Bake Vegan Caramel Pecan Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 50 g (½ cup) pecans
- 140 g (18 cookies) biscoff cookies *note 1
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 60 g (4 tablespoons) vegan butter melted
Cheesecake
- 200 g (1 ½ cups) cashews soaked *note 2
- 500 g (17.6 oz) vegan cream cheese *note 3 for lower cream cheese option
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) pure maple syrup
- 120 g (½ cup) vegan Greek-style yogurt *note 4
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Topping
- 200 g (1 cup) organic granulated sugar *note 5
- 30 ml (2 tablespoons) water
- 80 g (5 ½ tablespoons) vegan butter cubed
- 100 ml (½ cup) vegan heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon Bourbon optional
- 150 g (1 ½ cups) pecans
Instructions
- Prepare: Line the base and sides of a 7.5-inch or 8-inch cake tin (with a removable base) with parchment paper.
- Crust: Add the pecans for the crust to a skillet and toss over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until they have browned slightly and start to smell toasted. Add the pecans to your food processor with the cookies, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter, and blitz until it resembles wet sand.
- Press the mixture into the base of the pan, using a spatula or flat-bottomed glass to smooth it out. Set aside in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
- Filling: Add all of the filling ingredients to a high-speed blender and blitz until smooth and creamy without any lumps. Pour the mixture into the cake pan and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours (or overnight) until set. Alternatively, you can set it in the freezer for 4 hours.
- Once set, remove the cheesecake from the cake tin. If needed, carefully run a knife or cake scraper around the edges to smooth it out. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour while you prepare the topping.
- Caramel: Add the sugar and water to a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture turns a deep caramel color. Whisk in the butter - it will bubble up so be careful. Slowly drizzle the cream into the caramel whilst whisking until combined. Lastly, whisk in the vanilla, salt, and bourbon if using. Remove from the heat, stir in the pecans, and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
- Topping: Once cooled, spoon the caramel pecan topping over the cheesecake.
Notes
- Cookies: Swap for vegan graham crackers, digestives, or ginger nuts.
- Soaked cashews: Soak the cashews in water for 4 hours, rinse, and drain.
- 500g vegan cream cheese: Swap for 300g vegan cream cheese plus 60g coconut oil.
- Vegan Yogurt: I use soy Greek style. You can also use vegan skyr, vegan sour cream, silken tofu, or very thick coconut yogurt.
- Sugar: You can use all granulated, all brown sugar, or a mixture of both. Brown sugar will give a darker color.
- Vegan heavy cream: You need double cream, like dairy-free Schlagfix or Emlea, which are designed for whipping. Alternatively, use full-fat coconut milk or coconut whipping cream.
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