A crunchy biscuit base with a light and creamy texture, this baked tofu cheesecake is great as a dessert or for when you need a dessert-based pick-me-up with a coffee.
If you love cheesecake but would like to make more sustainable choices by avoiding the traditional dairy products, then you are in the right place. The US produced around 226.2 billion pounds of dairy milk for human consumption in 2020 alone. The 270 million dairy cows necessary for the production of butter, cream, and cream cheese produce greenhouse gasses that are contributing to the climate emergency. Make dairy-free choices without missing out by baking a vegan tofu cheesecake. Follow our simple recipe for creamy results, and check out our variation suggestions below.
Baked Tofu Cheesecake
This tofu cheesecake is made with silken tofu for an extra creamy texture. The recipe is delicious as it is, and is very easy to customise or add the toppings of your choice. For the biscuit base, we used a mixture of vegan butter for flavor, and coconut oil for its added health benefits. Be sure to purchase organic and Fair Trade coconut oil. Tofu is a protein powerhouse and a great source of vitamins and minerals for vegans and non-vegans. The U.S. grows a lot of soy, so it is possible to make more environmentally conscious choices by purchasing non-GMO, locally grown/produced tofu – always check the label.
Ingredients:
- 5 oz vegan cookies or graham crackers
- ¼ cup oats
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tbsp Fair Trade coconut oil
- pinch salt
- scant ¼ cup vegan sugar
- ¼ cup aquafaba
- 1 tbsp. ground psyllium husk
- 1 tbsp. water
- 14 oz package silken tofu
- 1 lemon, zest, and juice
- pinch of lemongrass powder
- pinch of Ceylon or cassia cinnamon
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
- pinch of salt
Instructions:
- Place the cookies and the oats in a food processor and blend to fine crumbs
- Melt the butter and oil and mix into the cookies. Tip into a 9 inch springform pan, and press into the bottom and up the sides. Chill in the fridge or freezer until ready to bake.
- Whisk the aquafaba with the sugar into soft peaks.
- Mix the water and the psyllium together and let it sit for a few minutes.
- In a large bowl, add the tofu, aquafaba, zest, and juice of a lemon, spices, and psyllium mixture and blend until smooth with a stick blender.
- Pour the mixture onto the biscuit base, and bake at 180°C/350°F for 30 minutes
- There should be a slight wobble in the center. Leave to cool and place in the fridge overnight before slicing.
1. Seasonal Berry Vegan Cheesecake
After the cheesecake has cooled in the fridge, top with a seasonal berry compote for added flavor. Compote is a great way to use up a surplus of berries, and it also freezes well.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups local, seasonal berries
- ¼ cup vegan sugar
- zest of a lemon
Instructions:
- Cook in a pan on low heat until slightly reduced.
- Cool to room temperature before spooning onto the cheesecake, either before or after slicing and serving.
2. Chocolate Tofu Cheesecake
Chocolate cheesecake is a wonderful thing. Try adding some fairtrade, organic 70% vegan chocolate to the vegan butter and stir it into the biscuit base. Use 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder in place of the cornstarch when making the batter.
3. Nutty Caramel Vegan Turtle Cheesecake
A caramel-nutty topping is crunchy, sweet, and a bit salty – it pairs excellently with the creamy cheesecake.
Use brown sugar (check that it’s vegan) when whisking the aquafaba instead of white, for an extra boost of caramel flavor. Make a batch of vegan caramel and layer a few tablespoons onto the base before adding the cheesecake batter. Once baked and cooled, scatter the tofu cheesecake with toasted pecans and more caramel.
Pecan trees grow in a lot of the southern states, meaning that you could cut down on the greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon footprint of your ingredients choices by choosing U.S. produce. Although, be sure to choose organic as some producers use pesticides to keep black aphids at bay. You can buy American grown raw, organic pecan halves in most health food stores across the country.
Read more:
- What is Silken Tofu & Difference to Firm Tofu
- 6 Coconut Cream Substitutes That Are Healthy and Vegan
- Aquafaba Meringues: Easy Vegan Dessert Recipe
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