This is one cheesecake that will have your friends like, “No freaking way this is vegan!”
Cookie Butter Cheesecake swirled with Biscoff Cookie Butter
And topped with the cutest little cookie cups that are also filled with more cookie butter!
If I have nailed one thing in vegan baking it is definitely how to make an authentic New York Style Cheesecake in tons of different flavors!
My vegan cheesecakes are probably the easiest of any of my recipes to make
Because it is a simple throw it all in a food processor method and then bake!
Notes for Success:
Cornstarch is a very difficult ingredient to measure consistently with a volume spoons measure
So while I list both measures below I cannot stress enough how the grams measure with a scale is going to give you the best results.
Many times people have complained that their cheesecake is like rubber and they don’t know why!
Tofutti Cream Cheese is the only brand I use for my BAKED recipes *not sponsored
I have not had success with any other brand in BAKED recipes.For some reason the other more expensive brands I’ve tried have broken down into an oily mess when baked.
At times I will add a portion of firm tofu in place of some of the cream cheese as I did in the recipe below for a lightened up version and to cut some of the fat calories too.
But if you prefer to leave out the tofu you can simply replace that measurement with more vegan cream cheese
I do have some awesome No Bake Cheesecakes if you cannot get vegan cream cheese and don’t want to risk using another brand!
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR HOW I MADE THIS CHEESECAKE!
Cookie Butter Cheesecake
Ingredients
- Vegan Cream Cheese 1½ package (12oz) (340g)
- Biscoff Cookie Butter 1½ cup (divided into ¾ cup and ¾ cup)
- Firm Tofu drained, lightly pressed 4ounces (113g) *see notes
- Vegan Granulated Sugar 1 cup (200g)
- Cornstarch 3 Tablespoons (24g) *see note above!
- All Purpose Flour 3 Tablespoons (24g)
- Salt ¼ teaspoon
- Ground Cinnamon ¼ teaspoon
- Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons (10ml)
- 1 teaspoon Vegan Lactic Acid
- Vegan Butter 2 Tablespoons (28g)
- Plant Milk ¾ cup (177ml)
For the Crust:
- Biscoff Cookies or any cookie you like 1½ cups after crushing to crumbles
- Vegan Butter 2 Tablespoons melted
- 1 Recipe Biscoff Cookie Butter Cups
Instructions
- Grease & parchment line a 7" cake pan and preheat the oven to 350°F
- Prepare the crust by combining the crushed cookies and the melted vegan butter
- Press it into the prepared 7" cake pan and freeze while you prepare the cheesecake batter
- Place all cheesecake ingredients (except the second measure of cookie butter) into a food processor and process until smooth
- Take out about ¼ cup of batter and add the other measure of cookie butter (you may have to warm the cookie butter slightly in the microwave to get it to a more mixable consistency)
- Pour the first batter into prepared pan and then swirl in the concentrated cookie butter batter.
- Bake in a water bath in a preheated 350°F oven for 1 hour, then turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside for another hour.
- After an hour cooling in the oven, removeand refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before un molding
- For a closer look at how to unmold a cheesecake in a regular cake pan, click here
- (Skip to 1:19 in the video for a visual tutorial)
- Garnish as you wish, I used my Best Vegan Buttercream and of course the cookie butter cookie cups
Notes
Cheesecake must be kept refrigerated and can be stored for up to 1 week.
I do not freeze vegan cheesecake as the texture changes significantly
Hi Gretchen! I love your recipes and creativity! It is so beautiful to see that beeing a vegan does not mean to sucrifice on all these delights! What does the lactic acid in this recipe? Thx martina
Hi Thankyou! The lactic acid will provide that characteristic tang that cream cheese imparts to a cheesecake recipe. If you dont have it I wrote the replacement for apple cider vinegar in the recipe
Hi Gretchen,
Hope you’re well. I have a couple of questions if you don’t mind.
1. What is the purpose/function of the tofu in your cheesecakes? Is it there to help set it?
2. Do you find baking with vegan products more expensive than when you did your non-vegan recipes?
Thanks ☺️
Hi Thank you! Basically the tofu is acting as a filler here, rather than an excess amount of vegan cream cheese. The tofu helps makes it light and creamy.
Yes vegan ingredients are definitely more expensive as is anything that is not “mainstream”. Just like Organic and gluten free.
Hi Gretchen! I love your recipes. Im keen to try this as mini cheesecakes as I want to take it to work and cupcake size is easier to transport- do you have any suggestions as to how I would change the baking time please? ☺️
I’m not sure how “mini” your talking but I did mini ones CLICK HERE to see and I think I baked for 35minutes?
Oh perfect! I’ll use that recipe as well, thank you so much!
Your recipe looks awesome. Gonna try it but u listed Firm Tofu as 4 ounces (226g). 4 ounces should be 113g not 226g. Should I use 113g or 226g? Thank u🙂
Ah good catch! THANKYOU! Updating now, its 4 oz 113g
Hi Gretchen! Thank you for all the lovely recipes. I was wondering if you have any Vegan cheesecake recipes that don’t require vegan cream cheese, as I cannot find any where I live. Thank you!
HI! I only have one that uses cashews as a base CLICK HERE
Would Trader Joes cookie butter work in this recipe as well?
yes!
Thank you for your creative and delish recipes! Can I use an 8″ pan? reduce cooking time? Also, can I add some cookie butter to the buttercream? Thank you! I always get compliments on your recipes, when I feel like sharing.
You’re welcome and thank you too! Yes – your cheesecake will be slightly thinner, and bake time just less about 15 minutes, yes for sure to buttercream click here for my latest!
Hi Gretchen, love your recipes so much! I am going to attempt a cheesecake this weekend. Out of curiousity why do some cheesecake recipes ask for firm tofu (this recipe) and some ask for soft (mango cheesecake)? Thanks 🙂
Hi Kelsey! Hey great question and Im glad you brought it up! (Im going to update that Mango post!) That mango cheesecake was one of my earlier recipes, before, dare I say “I MASTERED” the recipe! 😀
I now use just firm, as the result on the mango (maybe you can tell from the picture) was really too soft.
Also be sure to use Tofutti brand cream cheese as I have had miserable results with Kite Hill CLICK HERE for more!
ALSO I sometimes use ALL vegan cream cheese and NO TOFU for a more NY style dense result like here in my German Choc Cheesecake
I so like to add the tofu though since I feel it lightens it up a bit! But it is purely preference!
Would Trader Joes cookie butter work in this recipe as well?
yes
I made this yesterday using the peanut butter option vs cookie butter, because I live in pohdunkville and none of the stores had it. I used Nutter butter cookies for the crust, next time I will double the crust amount. IT IS AMAZING! Absolutely the cheesecake recipe I’ve needed and being vegan should not intimidate anyone into thinking that they will miss all the dairy. Oh I did use my homemade tofu in the recipe, and lactic acid. Thank you thank you for this terrific recipe!!!!
When you say that you haven’t had luck with other brands of vegan cream cheese, do you mean that others have actually not worked or that you haven’t tried any others? The only one I can get where I live is Violife so I was wondering if I should even try your recipe with it. Thank you!
Thanks Gretchen for sharing this cookie recipe.
How would you recommend adjusting the baking time if this was made into bars in an 8×8 pan?
It will definitely bake faster since the batter will be spread thinner, so I would check it at around 35 minutes to see how “jiggly” not liquidy the center is. Then once its jiggly like Jell-O NOT Liquid turn the oven off and let it cool inside for about 45 minutes