Vegan Chocolate Cookie Cheesecake

This vegan chocolate cheesecake is so indulgent yet keeps you wanting more. It has a beautiful cookie base, created and veganised based on my original NYC cookie recipe, with a soft but thick and creamy topping. Not only is it vegan as mentioned, but it is also top 14 allergen free. This means that the cheesecake is more inclusive for most diets, also using easy-to-get ingredients making it an overall hit.

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I actually created this recipe thanks to a vegan work colleague. They gave me their favourite flavours to design a bake for their birthday. They’d mentioned alongside the chocolate about how much they loved my peanut butter cookies I baked for Christmas presents. This had me thinking about a cookie base for the cheesecake. I know I’ve seen billionaire’s slices use this, but not many of this type of bake. I thought it gave it more of a unique twist than the classic biscuit base.

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All of the cheesecake recipes I make are naturally vegan due to my dairy intolerance. Obviously I can’t miss out on trying them, hey! This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to make it this way, though. If you’d prefer, my recipe can have a 1:1 swap with dairy-containing ingredients for a gluten-free only dessert.

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Tips and Tricks:

What vegan cream cheese do you recommend? Always Violife! It is more like a cream cheese block rather than a spread, giving a more solid and strudy texture to the cheesecake.

What plant-based cream to use? Elmlea for sure. It whips so well and is easily bought in major supermarkets like Sainsburys and Tesco.

Can I make this using dairy instead? You can – just substitute the ingredients in a 1:1 ratio if you don’t need it vegan or dairy-free.

Does it have to be gluten free? Whilst all my recipes are GF, you can substitute the flour 1:1 for gluten-containing if you wish.

Can I use eggs in the cookie dough? If preferred, you can use my NYC cookie recipe as the base (just without the chilling step before baking). This is what this recipe is based on.

Do you have any egg substitutes without using oil? I haven’t personally tried it in this recipe as I find olive oil and vegan milk work really well. However, click here for a helpful guide.

Can I make the cheesecake filling ahead of time? I wouldn’t recommend it. I tried this and it made it much harder to spread onto the base due to the hardening of the chocolate in the mix. I always make my filling after making the base.

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Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake With a Cookie Base

Top 14 allergen free (vegan friendly)
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cooling Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American, British, European
Servings 8 Servings

Equipment

  • 20cm Loose-bottom Circular Cake Tin
  • 2 Mixing Bowls
  • 2 Mixing spoons
  • Whisk
  • Bain-Marie Substitute: microwaveable bowl
  • Spatula
  • Oven
  • Fridge
  • Greaseproof Paper
  • Sieve

Ingredients
  

For the cookie base

  • 4 tbsp Plant-based milk
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil
  • 115 grams Vegan butter Room temperature
  • 110 grams Brown sugar
  • 60 grams White sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 250 grams Plain Flour Gluten Free
  • 1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 200 grams Vegan Chocolate Chips

Cream cheese topping

  • 400 grams Vegan Cream Cheese See notes*
  • 200 ml Plant-based Cream See notes**
  • 350 grams Vegan Chocolate Milk or dark, depending on preference
  • 85 grams Icing Sugar

Instructions
 

For the cookie base

  • Pre-heat the oven to 180°C fan or 200°C conventional
  • Line the cake tin with greaseproof paper on the base and sides (set aside for later)
  • In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until combined
  • Add in the olive oil, vanilla extract and milk to the batter and mix in until it becomes smooth
  • Use a sieve to add in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda to the bowl and mix until fully combined with the wet ingredients
  • Fold in your chocolate chips so they spread evenly throughout the batter
  • Move the thick cookie dough batter into the lined cake tin and press down, either using the back of a spoon or your hands, so it is evenly distributed over the base of the tin
  • Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden
  • Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for ~30 minutes to cool before adding the cheesecake topping

For the cheesecake topping

  • Place the plant cream in a second mixing bowl and whisk until the cream resembles thick, whipped cream
  • Mix in your cream cheese into the bowl until evenly distributed
  • Using a clean sieve, add the icing sugar to the bowl and mix in
  • Add the chocolate into a Bain-Marie and stir over a medium heat until fully melted (alternatively, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl, heating and stirring in 10 second bursts so it doesn't burn)
  • Pour in the melted chocolate to the cream cheese mixture and completely fold in with a spatula
  • Pour the cream cheese topping over the cooled cookie base and even out the top with a spatula
  • Pop into the fridge for at least 4 hours (or overnight) to set fully before removing from the tin
  • Optional: decorate with your favourite chocolate treats
  • Slice into 8-10 pieces, tuck in and enjoy!

Notes

*Violife recommended due to its rigid and thick structure (other brands may be a softer, spread-like cheese rather than a block)
**Elmlea plant recommended and used in this recipe
  • This recipe also works as 1:1 substitutes for dairy-containing products if preferred
  • Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days (serve from fridge)
  • Suitable for home freezing up to 3 months (defrost fully before serving)
  • Cookie dough can be made in advance and frozen before baking (defrost prior to baking)
  • Serves 8 larger slices or 10 smaller slices
Keyword Cheesecake, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Cookie, Cookie base, Cookie Dough, Dessert, Vegan
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