Have I been converted to a No Bake Cheesecake lover?
I’ve always been a staunch no bake cheesecake h@ter but ever since the creation of this Lemon Cheesecake recipe I’ve been converted!
Perhaps because of the triple dose of intense lemon is what gives it a creamy cheesecake-y zing!
Creamy & zingy is what lemon cheesecake is known for!
This is not a frozen dessert!
Probably my biggest pet peeve when it comes to no bake vegan cheesecakes that are cashew based,
Is the fact that they have to remain frozen to serve otherwise they collapse into a pool of nutty cream
This website may contain links as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, which means when you click a link and make a purchase through my website I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you
Notes for Success:
I don’t want to use agar!
If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, that’s okay too
I’ve left the agar out on one test and the resulting cake is slightly less stable
So if you do decide to leave it out I would recommend to keep the cheesecake in the freezer until you’re ready to serve
Pay attention to the strength of agar you are using
I use 900 Strength agar in my recipes CLICK HERE FOR THE EXACT BRAND *not sponsored
Do I have to make the lemon curd custard?
Well, for the topping yes you can skip it; But since there is a large addition of custard in the actual cheesecake, you really can’t skip that part!
The custard addition is what sets my no bake cheesecake apart from the others!
Any vegan cream cheese brand will work great for No-Bake Cheesecakes!
If you can’t get vegan cream cheese at all, don’t worry! Just leave it out!|
Your finished cake will be slightly thinner in thickness than mine but the taste it still awesome!
The main key to success in a cashew cream based cheesecake is using a high speed blender to get it smooth!
I have tried in the past to use just a food processor and it does not do the trick!
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.
The cashew amount listed in the recipe below is raw cashews, not yet soaked
No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
The prep time listed reflects the time needed to set in the freezer before serving, which is about 3 hours
You will need an 8" springform pan for this recipe
Ingredients
For the Lemon Curd Custard
- Plant Milk 1 cup (240ml)
- Water ¾ cup (177ml)
- Lemon Juice ½ cup (118ml)
- Granulated Sugar ¾ cup (150g)
- Cornstarch 3 Tablespoons (24g)
- Lemon Zest 2 teaspoons
For the Crust
- Lemon Cookies approx 1½ cups crushed cookies (160g) *MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE BY USING A GF COOKIE!
- Vegan Butter melted 4 Tablespoons (56g)
For the Lemon Cheesecake
- Raw Cashews 2 cups (300g)
- Lemon Custard (from above recipe) 1 cup
- Lemon Juice 1/3 cup (80ml)
- Sugar ½ cup (100g)
- Agar ½ teaspoon
- Vegan Cream Cheese 12 ounces (336g) *see notes above
Instructions
- If you have acetate cake strips, I like to line the inside of my springform pan with it.
- If you don't have it, it's not imperative
- First prepare the crust by crushing the vegan cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs
- Add the melted vegan butter and combine until it resemble wet sand.
- Press this into the bottom of an un-greased springform pan and refrigerate until needed
- Next prepare the lemon custard by whisking the sugar with the cornstarch in a small bowl, then add it to a medium sauce pot along with the water, lemon juice and plant milk
- Bring it up to a rolling boil whisking constantly to prevent scorching on the bottom
- Once it boils fully add the lemon zest and then pour 2 cups of the custard into a heatproof container and reserve in the refrigerator to set and cool for later~ this becomes the topping
- The remaining custard in the pot will get the sugar and lemon juice listed from the cheesecake portion of the recipe as well as the agar
- Return this to the stove and cook over medium heat until it boils once again, stirring constantly then take it off the heat & reserve at room temperature
- Next prepare the cheesecake batter by boiling the cashews in about 1 cup of water.
- Once it boils turn off the heat and let them soak for 30 minutes
- Drain the cashews and place them into a high speed blender with the remaining cheesecake ingredients including the lemon custard with the agar addition that you just re-boiled
- Blend on high until the mixture is smooth
- Pour into the prepared crust & freeze the cheesecake for at least 3 hours or overnight then unmold it from the pan and spread the remaining lemon custard over top
Notes
Lemon Cheesecake must be kept refrigerated at all times.
It will stay fresh for up to 1 week
For longer storage freeze for up to 2 months ~ wrapped well
See notes in the text article for those not using the agar addition, as this may require freezing in order to set properly
Which plant milk did you use when you made your cheesecake?
I always use soy milk but any one you like best will work great
Can you substitute vegan cream cheese with anything? That I can make myself? Thnx
If you make homemade Vegan Cream Cheese, I think it would work here
I do note in the recipe (perhaps not very clearly?) That you can leave OUT the vegan cream cheese altogether and it is still a great recipe!
From the post::: “I’ve also added some vegan cream cheese to this recipe, but have made it without and it was perfectly fine that way too!
So if you can’t get vegan cream cheese, don’t worry! Just leave it out!
Your finished cake will be slightly thinner in thickness than mine but the taste it still awesome!”
Hi Gretchen
Can you use a liquid sweetener like maple syrup in the recipe? How would this change the quantities?
In a recipe like this one~ yes! Very easy to adapt to alternative sweeteners! Pure maple syrup will tend to be sweeter (they say 3X sweeter!) than granulated sugar so you may want to cut back on the amount slightly. Nothing else about the recipe needs to change here though since this is not a creaming method recipe- it’s a “throw it all in the food processor recipe!”
CLICK HERE for more info about Sugar Free/Refined Sugar Free baking & also be sure to watch the video along with it!
Gretchen, I think this recipe looks fantastic. Can’t wait to try it.
Hello Gretchen
I have lost your original lemon cheesecake recipe!!! Do you still remember what it was??
Many thanks
Thanks for the response to my previous question, I have another one:
You have asked to keep 2 whole cups of the custard and then use only 1/2 cup for the swirl so what do you do with the remaining 1.5 cups leftover?
Hey there, I can see where that seems confusing & I have updated the instructions at step #8 slightly to read:
Pour 2 cups of the custard into a heatproof container and reserve in the refrigerator to set and cool for later~ this becomes the topping
The remaining custard in the pot will get the sugar and lemon juice listed from the cheesecake portion of the recipe as well as the agar
Return this to the stove and cook over medium heat until it boils once again, stirring constantly then take it off the heat & reserve at room temperature
I’ve eliminated the swirling into the top part – because by topping the cheesecake with lemon custard, the swirl becomes obsolete so it’s a wasted step.
Also, the custard amount should only make slightly more than 3 cups total? Not 4 cups as you mentioned in your comment?
Made this yesterday. So good! A quick question. The zest doesn’t appear to be mentioned in the directions. I added it before the first boil. Everything was delicious so I’m assuming that was right. 🙂 I’m going to try your classic cheesecake next!
Hey thanks for letting me know! It would be fine to add it at any stage! Great! Let me know which one you prefer!
Hi Gretchen! Wanted to make this for thanksgiving but could not find the recipe for the meringue. Thank you!!
Hi there I think you are looking for this recipe CLICK HERE
Hi Gretchen,
Great recipe .Wanted to know if we can sub store bought lemon juice for this cheesecake?Any tips for using store bought lemon juice ? Thank you.
Hi! Yes! I love Nellie & Joes lime & lemon juices the most!
Can you make this with limes rather than lemon?
Yes! Here is another version of an actual key lime cheesecake in case you are interested!
CLICK HERE
I made this ahead and it’s been in the freezer for a couple days. How long should I thaw it in the fridge before serving? I used agar.
Just a full day will do it!
Gretchen, did you top this with a candied lemon? Do you have a recipe for those? I tried several batches yesterday, and they were all fails. VERY BITTER. Any tips? I am making “mini-loaf” cakes with your Lemon Cake recipe. At this point, I think I will try drizzling this lemon curd on top of the lemon buttercream. Should still be pretty, and sounds very tasty. I will keep you posted. But, I would still love some help on candied lemons if you have any pointers.
I did not top this one with candied lemon but YES I have made it! CHECK IT OUT HERE!