Vegan Caramel Cheesecake
258 Comments
Updated Nov 27, 2021
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This vegan cheesecake recipe is a showstopper! It’s a gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan vanilla cheesecake drizzled with the most amazing salted caramel sauce.
The middle cheesecake layer is made from cashews that have soaked overnight and it’s unbelievably creamy and decadent.
If you’ve been following this website for a while, you know that I love vegan cheesecake recipes. They’re creamy, smooth, decadent and perfect for those who are gluten-free and dairy-free. Bonus, they’re also paleo-friendly.
So think of this as a delicious, healthy dessert that’s perfect for everyone. Because even if you’re not vegan and have no dietary restrictions, I think you’re gonna love it!
Oh, did I mention the salted caramel sauce? Yep, this version of my vegan cheesecake is drizzled in the most amazing salted caramel sauce. A sauce that you’ll want to drink like its liquid gold. No exaggeration.
Watch this video of my Vegan Caramel Cheesecake Recipe
There’s no baking with this vegan cheesecake, but it does help to watch the quick step-by-step video tutorial below. You can also subscribe to my YouTube Channel for weekly cooking videos.
Vegan Cheesecake Recipes are my Favorite
Now, this isn’t my first rodeo with vegan cheesecakes. I’ve also made this Raw Mixed Berry and Vanilla Bean Cheesecake, Raw Coconut Macadamia and Mango Cheesecake, Mint Chocolate Vegan Cheesecake and Raw White Chocolate and Pumpkin Cheesecake (hint: this is also great for the holidays). These are perennial reader favorites.
So I didn’t alter too much with this version. Just a little tweak here and there. But let’s be honest, it’s the salted caramel drizzles that really steal the show.
How to Make This Vegan Cheesecake
It’s quite easy to make this vegan cheesecake recipe, but you do need to plan ahead by soaking your raw cashews overnight. I’d also recommend making your salted caramel sauce the day before, then storing in the refrigerator (and I like to store in these cute tulip jars). By prepping the sauce ahead of time, it’ll make your life easier in the kitchen.
The cheesecake recipe is really three components, the crust, the middle layer and the sauce. With your sauce done and out of the way, all that’s left is the crust and creamy center.
To make the crust: add the almonds, shredded coconut, Medjool dates and coconut oil to a food processor. Process it for a minute or so, until you have a crumbly texture that resembles coarse sand. Then, line a 9″ springform pan with parchment paper and transfer the crust mixture to the pan and press it down with your fingers until it’s flattened.
To make the cheesecake filling: add the water, maple syrup or honey, coconut oil, lemon juice, scraped vanilla beans and drained cashews to a high-powered blender. I love my Vitamix, but any high-powered blender should work. Blend it on high for 2-3 minutes or until super creamy. Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the crust, give the pan a shake to eliminate any air bubbles and pop it in the freezer for at least 5 hours.
When you’re ready to serve (and eat!) this cheesecake, remove it from the freezer about 20-30 minutes beforehand to let it thaw. Pour your salted caramel sauce on top and use a spatula to smooth the top, pushing little bits of the caramel sauce over the edge to create those drizzles.
And there you have it! A wow-worthy Vegan Caramel Cheesecake that is sure to impress and satisfy the bellies of your guests.
More Delicious Vegan Dessert Recipes
- Salted Caramel Apple Pie Ice Cream
- Chocolate Avocado Pudding
- The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Pumpkin Spice Coconut Macaroons
- Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies
- Chocolate Covered Bananas
Vegan Caramel Cheesecake Recipe
Description
Video
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 10 Medjool dates
- 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, liquified
Cheesecake
- 4 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 2/3 cup coconut oil, liquified
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 vanilla beans, scraped
Topping
- 1 recipe Salted Caramel Sauce
Instructions
- Make the caramel sauce either the night before or a few hours before the cheesecake, so that it has time to cool.
- Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place all crust ingredients into a food processor and process until it's the texture of coarse sand.
- Pour the crust mixture into the springform pan and use your fingers to flatten it. You can also use parchment paper to help flatten if your fingers get sticky.
- To make the cheesecake filling, add all ingredients to a high-powered blender. Blend on high for two to three minutes or until creamy.
- Pour the cheesecake onto the crust and gently tap to flatten and remove any air bubbles. Freeze the cheesecake for at least 5 hours before serving.
- When you're ready to eat the cheesecake, take it out of the freezer at least 30 minutes before serving to thaw. Drizzle the salted caramel sauce on top and use an offset spatula to completely cover the top and push a little bit over the edges. You'll only need about 1/2 to 3/4 of the salted caramel sauce, so save the rest for a future indulgence.
Lisa's Tips
- Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan while it's still frozen to prevent the sides from sticking to the pan. I also recommend pouring the caramel sauce while it's still frozen, as the cheesecake will be firm while spreading the sauce. Then, thaw the drizzled cheesecake on a cake stand.
- Once the cheesecake is thawed, it's best to keep refrigerated until serving. The cake will stay firm in a cool room, but remember that coconut oil liquifies at 76 degrees. So if it's hot where you're serving this, the cheesecake could definitely go soft faster. As an example, I removed this cake from the freezer at Thanksgiving and had it on a serving table for 2 hours no problem. But each person's home may be different.
Nutrition
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Is it best to soak cashews in the fridge or at room temperature?
Thanks!
Hi Trisha – I have done both, so I don’t think it matters much. Enjoy!
This is my go to recipe for vegan cheesecake. My very picky husband loves it and requests it frequently.
I’m glad you both love it!
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was absolutely delicious! So creamy and not too sweet. It also looked gorgeous!
Hi Allison – Happy to hear this cheesecake was a hit for Thanksgiving!
Is the oil necessary? Can I make it without the oil?
Yes, it’s necessary.
This was a big hit for our Christmas dessert. The cheesecake is very easy to make, although I had to add several more dates to get the crust to be sticky. Also, the caramel sauce took a lot longer to get it thick, but once it did, I put it in fridge and it got nice and thick. Got it to room temp before putting it on the cheesecake. I will definitely make this agin! Loved it. In fact there some left over in the fridge and I know it will be gone by this evening.
Thank you so much for your website I’ve made many recipes of yours and have loved them all, especially your chocolate cake! Everyone loves that!
Hi Shelly – I’m happy you loved this vegan caramel cheesecake! And other recipes as well. :) Enjoy!
Hi Lisa! I loved this recipe! Is it ok to re-freeze leftovers in the freezer for this cheesecake? I’d hate for this to go to waste! Thanks, Jess
Yes, absolutely!
Is there any substitute/s for the cashews that I can try? Unfortunately, I’m allergic to cashews. But ok with most other nuts! Would love to give this recipe a go 😍😋
I haven’t tried this with another kind of nut as cashews are what helps to make this creamy. But will do some experimenting in the future!
I was really surprised by how delicious this dessert is. You should totally give it a shot.
Happy you loved it!
Great cheese cake! I am not a big fan of caramel, so made the cheese cake and ended up adding sliced strawberries and chocolate drizzle to each slice instead and it was so good!
This was amazing!!! My family that is not gluten free loved it as well. Thank you so much Lisa 🥰
Glad this was a hit with your family Lorena!
I’ll be making this for a party next week and I can’t wait; it looks delicious! Is the coconut oil 2/3 c solid, then melted or 2/3 c melted? Thanks!
It’s melted :)
Hi Lisa,
I’ve been following you for a while on social media and have tried a few of your recipes. Made this cheesecake once before and did a half and half chocolate and caramel version, which you saw on Instagram. We loved it so much that this will be our dessert for New Year’s Eve tomorrow!
Thank you for all your great, easy to follow, no fuss and no one million weird ingredients, foolproof recipes!!!
Made this for a party… delicious 😋
The calories shown after the recipe is that per slice if you cut it into 16 pieces?
Yes, the nutritional information is per slice.
This is a super easy recipe to follow. It was pretty tasty but I have a very hard time calling it a cheesecake. The flavor was great with lots of coconut and vanilla and the cashew center was very creamy and had a great texture. Overall a great dessert but not anything like cheesecake. I would absolutely make it again but I’d call it what it is, a cashew cream pie with coconut and vanilla.
Made this one over the weekend. Took me a couple tries on the sauce but the rest was easy. I love your cheesecake recipes. I think this is the 3rd one I’ve tried.
What a delicious cake. Yum! And that caramel sauce is too divine
Love this recipe. Wanting to make this for a friend who can’t have coconut flakes. Is there something else I could add to the crust?
You could try adding more dried fruit to the base instead. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much Lisa for this recipe!! It has given me more confidence after making this! I modified a little based on what I had. I didn’t have raw almond so I put some melted butter into the crust. And I didn’t have vanilla beans. Is it ok to use vanilla extract instead next time? I am so happy how it turned out! Thank you again!
Glad you enjoyed this cheesecake recipe! Yes, you can use vanilla extract instead of vanilla beans.
How much vanilla extract would you use to replace the two scraped vanilla beans?
I would probably add 1 to 2 teaspoons.