This vegan lemon cheesecake is made out of healthy ingredients and it doesn’t have any refined sugar in it. Also, it is gluten-free and very delicious!
If you are a fan of lemon, you will definitely come back to this recipe!
The main ingredients in the crust are oats and dates. Dates add the natural sugar into the crust and also help with sticking the crust together.
The filling is made out of tofu as the main ingredient. But trust me – you won’t feel any tofu taste. The cheesecake is very lemony and cheesy!
And yes, this vegan lemon cheesecake has no cashews!
Which lemons to use?
When using lemon zest, I recommend buying organic lemons, because they are less touched by any kind of pesticides and so on. Moreover, they taste better and more intense than simple ones.
Still, if you have already bought lemons that are not organic, you may consider leaving them in hot water for 20 minutes. The taste of them will not change, but hopefully, you will get rid of some toxic components.
Of course, you bake the cheesecake anyway, but I would still be precautious.
Is the recipe gluten-free?
Yes. In this recipe, I used only gluten-free ingredients.
Still, check the packages to see if the ingredients are certified as gluten-free. Some of them might include small portions of gluten because they might be processed in the same place as gluten products are.
Storing the lemon cheesecake
Store the cheesecake in the fridge for up to 3 days. You do not need necessarily to cover it – only if you want to.
I do not have experience with freezing the cheesecake, but I believe that you would better consume it right away.
Which pan to use for making the cheesecake?
As for the dimension, a pan between 14-22 cm (5,5-8,5 inches) will work fine. The smaller the pan is, the more you will have to spread the crust on the walls of the pan.
The best pan for making the cheesecake is a removable bottom cheesecake pan. If you use a simple round pan, make sure to brush it with oil very well so the crust won’t stick.
Pro-tip: If using a simple pan, place parchment paper on the bottom before forming the crust. When your cheesecake will be ready, you can remove it very easily by grabbing the edges of the parchment paper.
Want more dessert recipes?
Ingredients and substitutes for the vegan lemon cheesecake
For the crust
- Old-fashioned rolled oats. As this is an important ingredient for the crust, do not substitute it. Still, you could use 1 ½ cups of oat flour instead of 1 1/3 cups rolled oats.
- Dates. They will provide a sweet and sticky texture to the crust.
- Tapioca flour. This ingredient is used for holding better the crust together. Substitute it with other flour (rice, all-purpose flour, chickpea flour).
- Coconut oil. Do not substitute coconut oil with another oil.
- Baking powder. Alternatively, use baking soda, but a smaller amount.
- Salt. This is an optional ingredient but highly recommended.
For the filling
- Tofu. The best type of tofu for this particular recipe is hard tofu (not extra hard). Remove excess water out of it, but do not stress too much about it, some remained water will be fine.
- Maple syrup. Also, you can substitute it with honey if not vegan, agave syrup, or another liquid sweetener.
- Coconut oil. Please do not substitute this oil with another one – coconut oil works best. It helps the filling to hold together.
- Lemon zest. Once again, I encourage you to use organic lemons, especially for the zest. Feel free to add more lemon zest than in the recipe if you want a stronger flavor.
- Lemon juice. This is a lemon cheesecake, right?
- Salt. Optional.
- Vanilla extract/vanilla paste. Gives a nice, sweet flavor to the cheesecake.
Instructions on making the vegan lemon cheesecake
- In a food processor/blender, add the oats, dates, tapioca flour, coconut oil, baking powder, and salt. Blend for a couple of minutes until well combined.
- Take a pan with a loose bottom and brush it with oil. Add the oat mixture and start pressing on it, spreading the crust on the walls of the pan (see video instructions below). Make some holes with a fork in the crust.
- In a preheated oven (175 C / 350 F), add the crust and bake it for 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in the same food processor, add the tofu, maple syrup, coconut oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and vanilla paste/extract. Blend, blend, blend. Taste the filling and see if you want it lemonier. If so, add more lemon zest.
- When the crust is ready, take it out of the oven. Pour the filling into the crust and spread evenly.
- Bake at 160 C / 320 F for about 30 minutes.
- Let it cool, remove the “walls” of the pan and enjoy!
Also, find out how to make:
Tips for the vegan lemon cheesecake
- I like topping the cheesecake with a blueberry gem. I also believe that strawberry or raspberry gem will be as delicious as a blueberry gem.
- If you don’t have a loose pan, use a normal round pan. Just place some parchment paper on the bottom. When it’s time to serve the cheesecake, grab the edges of the parchment paper and remove it gently.
Vegan lemon cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 3/4 cups rolled oats
- 10 dates juicy
- 2 tbsp tapioca flour (or rice, all-purpose, chickpea flour)
- 5-6 tbsp coconut oil
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the filling
- 400/14 g/oz firm tofu
- 6 tbsp maple syrup (or another sweetener)
- 4 tbsp coconut oil
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract/paste
Instructions
- In a food processor/blender, add the oats, dates, tapioca flour, coconut oil, baking powder, and salt. Blend for a couple of minutes until well combined.
- Take a pan with a loose bottom and brush it with oil. Add the oat mixture and start pressing on it, spreading the crust on the walls of the pan (see video instructions below). Make some holes with a fork in the crust.
- In a preheated oven (175 C / 350 F), add the crust and bake it for 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in the same food processor, add the tofu, maple syrup, coconut oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and vanilla paste/extract. Blend, blend, blend. Taste the filling and see if you want it lemonier. If so, add more lemon zest.
- When the crust is ready, take it out of the oven. Pour the filling into the crust and spread evenly.
- Bake at 160 C / 320 F for about 30 minutes.
- Let it cool, remove the “walls” of the pan and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- I like topping the cheesecake with a blueberry gem. I also believe that a strawberry or raspberry gem will be as delicious as a blueberry gem.
- If you don’t have a loose pan, use a normal round pan. Just place some parchment paper on the bottom. When it’s time to serve the cheesecake, grab the edges of the parchment paper and remove it gently.
Vegan lemon cheesecake
Per slice:
Protein: 7% of your daily dose
Net Carbs: 14% of your daily dose
Fat: 24% of your daily dose
Fiber: 12% of your daily dose
Iron: 11% of your daily dose
Calcium: 19% of your daily dose
Vitamin A: 0,1% of your daily dose
Vitamin C: 4,5% of your daily dose
Folate: 5% of your daily dose
Potassium: 10% of your daily dose
*please note that these numbers are estimated
Please note that I may earn a small commission from Amazon and iHerb in case you decide to buy products from these sites.
If you liked the recipe, share the result in the comment section below, I would be glad to see the result and you may help others as well doing so.
Really tasty. Surprisingly, It is even better than a non-vegan one 🙂
Agree! Thank you for the feedback.
Hi
What could I substitute for the oil in the lemon filling?