This post is sponsored by Kite Hill. Thank you for supporting all the brands that make this space possible!
I’ve tried my hand at vegan cheesecake once or twice, but they always kind of left me feeling really meh about them and not feeling like they could pass for a ‘real’ cheesecake, if put to a taste test. One of my main goals here in this space is to make vegan desserts that a.) could beat their non-vegan counterpart anytime and b.) don’t use crazy weird ingredients that are super un-healthy in the process. I know there are plenty of recipes out there for vegan cheesecake that use an all cashew base or utilize the many vegan cream cheeses on the market, but I just didn’t feel like that was the recipe for me. I wanted to use more whole ingredients and less processed stuff, just to make it slightly better for you (I mean there is still sugar, so I won’t call it healthy). So, much like when I was stumped by my key lime pie recipe, I thought the answer may be vegan yogurt! Needless to say, when Kite Hill reached out and wanted to know if I wanted to create a recipe using their almond milk yogurt, it was met with a resounding YES.
I had been wanting to tinker with my vegan cheesecake recipe for a while now, knowing that there was a better recipe out there than the ones I had found or already tried. Mine had either resulted in a super dense cheesecake (all cashew base) or something that never set up (coconut milk base). A few months back, I had a chocolate chip cookie dough cheesecake disaster that I will never try to re-visit again, mainly because I sunk 3 hours into making and chilling it, tried it, then promptly threw it away because it was not good, at all. This time, I knew I could use almond milk yogurt as a base, combined with cashews and lots of good vanilla bean (these are so good). The ingredient list for the cheesecake filling ended up being much shorter than I anticipated, proving that the yogurt really was the key here, especially to get that signature cheesecake tang and taste to it. My husband is a huge fan of chocolate chip cheesecake, so I had a flavor profile locked in already, along with the signature chocolate cookie crust. I topped mine with whipped coconut cream and a few extra chocolate chips, bringing the whole thing home. Just a note, I had been looking for Kite Hill yogurt at my Whole Foods the last few months (before they even approached me!) and it was always sold out. Proof that this stuff is really quite good (I can vouch for all of the flavors, they are delicious) and if you do see it in your local grocery store, you should snatch it up, STAT.
Chocolate Chip Vegan Cheesecake with Chocolate Cookie Crust
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Total Time: 150 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Cheesecake
Description
Vegan cheesecake is made perfectly with yogurt and cashews, with a hint of vanilla bean and plenty of chocolate, all atop a vegan chocolate cookie crust.
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 2/3 cup whole wheat flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- For the cheesecake filling:
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
- 15 ounces vanilla or plain almond milk yogurt (This is about 3 small containers of the yogurt. I used a combination of both vanilla and plain)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean (scraped)
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 8 or 9 inch springform pan with a parchment paper circle, spray with nonstick spray and set aside.
- To make the crust: Stir together all of the crust ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Press into the bottom of the springform pan and set aside until ready to fill with the cheesecake filling.
- To make the filling: Combine all of the filling ingredients in a high powdered blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour the filling into a large bowl and fold in the inside of the scraped vanilla bean and chocolate chips. Pour the filling into the prepared pan with crust.
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the middle does not jiggle when shaken. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
thenomadicvegan says
Hi Abby, this looks and sounds amazing! I know this post is sponsored by Kite Hill, but unfortunately their yogurt is not sold where I live. The only plant-based yogurts I can get here are soy and coconut. Do you think either of those would work? The coconut one (CoYo) is quite thick but has a very strong coconut taste.
The Frosted Vegan says
Hi Wendy! I think soy yogurt would be a perfect substitute for this! The coconut might have too strong of a flavor. Enjoy!
veg4life says
Do you think this would work in a mini muffin pan to make little bite-sized cheesecakes? Say for a Christmas cookie tray???
The Frosted Vegan says
Hi there! I think it could! Reduce the bake time by half and keep checking them until they aren’t jiggly in the middle 🙂
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
Definitely looks like you nailed it, Abby! I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for Kite Hill! I am obsessed with yogurt and love trying new to be varieties!
The Frosted Vegan says
Thanks boo! It’s so good, but I fear that everyone keeps buying it up so no one else can have it, ha!
Jan Thompson says
We will look for this yogurt so you can make one of these when you come for a visit!
The Frosted Vegan says
Sounds good mom!
Amber says
Uhh YOU ARE AMAZING! And also I love Kite Hill so this is a MUST try! XOXO
The Frosted Vegan says
Girrrrl please! It’s so so good! xoxo
Kelsey @ Appeasing a Food Geek says
Wow this looks amazing! I’m always down for anything with a cookie crust 😉 And I’ve never heard of Kite Hill! I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled for their yogurt!
The Frosted Vegan says
They are pretty amazing, so grab some if you see it!
whiskandshout says
These cheesecake is awesome! Loving the chocolate chips and chocolate cookie crust! Pinning 🙂
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
Oh my gosh that looks incredible! I must try this. The chocolate cookie crust is killing me 🙂
The Frosted Vegan says
The crust is SO good, you have to try it June!
Laura says
I wish I could get Kite Hill way up here. I tried the yogurt on a road trip in the US a little while ago and I pretty much haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Also in this cheesecake? Even though I love a high-vibe cashew cheesecake, sometimes that can be waaaaay too rich for my mood. This sounds like it would be pretty bang-on texture wise. Love it, girl.
The Frosted Vegan says
Oh shoot girl, I wish you could get it too! Thanks for the kind words friend, I would share cheesecake with you any day 🙂
Ec says
Wauw, this look AMAZING!!
This make me seriously wanna become vegan
(since I’m already experimenting a lot lately)
I wish I could eat this from the screen. Now.
Damn 🙂
Eva @ foodbasedonemotions.com says
I’m such a clutz! Anyway, beautiful pictures too.
The Frosted Vegan says
Thanks Eva, I appreciate the kind words! If only I could ship some to you!
betty stardust says
Oh wow! This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing 🙂
The Frosted Vegan says
Thanks betty!
Nina says
Hi can’t get that yoghurt here in UK – is it a non fat yoghurt like Total Non Fat, or is there fat I. It if so how much per 100g thanks
The Frosted Vegan says
Hi Nina, coconut yogurt or soy yogurt might work as well. There is some fat in it, it would need some to make the texture creamy and to properly set up!
Dana @ FoodieGoesHealthy says
Thanks so much for this recipe. I look for vegan recipes without soy and coconut, and this fits perfectly for me. Can’t wait to try this. I like the commenter’s idea of mini muffin bites. Pinning to make soon!
The Frosted Vegan says
Hi Dana! I hope you enjoy these, they are my favorite! 🙂
ebeccia1 says
Goodness my mouth is watering!! Thanks for such a great recipe !!
The Frosted Vegan says
Enjoy! xo
Edith Urban says
Making this today. Let you know how it is
The Frosted Vegan says
Hope you love it!
Avi says
Looks really good. Thanks for sharing. I run an Italian bakery that specializes in vegan cheesecake. http://www.vegancheesecake.net. We are always trying to come up with new versions. However NY style is always the first choice for many.
Dorrie says
Kite Hill at Whole Foods is always out around here, must be very popular. But Silk just introduced an almond milk yogurt in vanilla flavor and dark chocolate flavor, which might work well and are found in the regular grocery stores
Heart of a Baker says
I bet that would work well, I need to try it!