Vegan Cheesecake Filling

This vegan cheesecake filling is quick and easy to make with no baking required. All you’ll need is a bowl and a whisk! It’s creamy, thick and tastes exactly the same as the traditional version without any cashews in sight!

I’ve eaten my fair share of vegan cheesecakes over the years and I must say that my favourites are always the ones with a smooth, rich and creamy filling that tastes like traditional cheesecake filling.

I know cashew cheesecakes are popular in the vegan world and although they might be a bit healthier, they just do not hit the spot for me. I prefer to use dairy-free alternatives to the products you’d usually put in a cheesecake- double cream and cream cheese! In my opinion, these ingredients give a much more authentic texture and flavour than one that is made with nuts.

For the cheesecake base, I like to go traditional with a biscuit base and (not so traditional) vegan margarine. I’ve written a whole post about vegan cheesecake bases if you’d like to learn more. It includes recipes for Digestive, Hobnob, Gingernut, Biscoff and Oreo biscuit bases, with the correct amount of vegan margarine to go with each type of biscuit. Anyway, back to the filling! Let me show you how to make it.

Ingredients and equipment

Here’s what you’ll need to make a basic vanilla vegan cheesecake filling. Once you get this mastered, you can experiment with different types of flavours and/or toppings, which I’ll expand on further in this post.

• Vegan cream cheese. The best vegan cream cheese to use is Violife because it has the best texture and flavour. You shouldn’t just use any old vegan cream cheese for baking– some can be watery or have a super strong flavour.
• Icing sugar. This is also known as powdered sugar or confectioner’s sugar. We don’t need to use a lot but it helps to add a subtle sweetness.
• Vanilla extract. This adds a bit of extra flavour.
• Dairy-free double cream. Any dairy-free double cream (whipping cream) will work for this recipe, as long as you can whip it into peaks. I like to use Elmlea plant double cream and some of my readers recommend Oatly whippable.
• 9-inch Springform tin. This is the perfect tin size for the amount of filling the recipe provides. You can use a smaller tin if you prefer an extra thick filling.
• Electric whisk or stand mixer. This is essential to whip the cream into firm peaks.

How to make vegan cheesecake filling

Step 1:

Too a large bowl, add 400g of vegan cream cheese, 80g of icing sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix it all together with a wooden spoon until it’s combined.

Step 2:

Next, add 180ml of vegan double cream. Use an electric whisk or stand mixer to whisk it into the rest of the ingredients. Keep whisking until it becomes thick and forms stiff(ish) peaks. It should have the same consistency as a thick Greek yoghurt. It’s important that you whisk it enough at this stage or it won’t set properly.

Step 3:

Spoon your vegan cheesecake filling onto your base of choice and pop it in the fridge. It will need 8-12 hours to set fully so I recommend just leaving it overnight.

Flavour variations

The recipe above is for a classic vanilla cheesecake filling but if you fancy a different flavour, try one of the following vegan cheesecake recipes:

• Biscoff. This one is infused with creamy Biscoff spread for a rich, speculoos flavour.
• Oreo. A vanilla filling with Oreo cookie pieces throughout.
• Chocolate. Add melted chocolate to your cheesecake filling for a chocolatey flavour.
• White chocolate. If you prefer a super sweet filling, add melted white chocolate instead!
• ‘Mini Egg’. This Easter cheesecake has chunks of vegan mini chocolate eggs throughout.
• Lemon. This one has lemon zest in the filling and is topped with homemade lemon curd.
• Strawberry. A classic vanilla filling topped with strawberry jam and fresh strawberries.

I hope this post was helpful. If you make this vegan cheesecake filling, leave a comment to let me know what base you’ll be pairing it with. Enjoy! xo

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Vegan Cheesecake Filling (Just 4 Ingredients)

An easy, 4 ingredient, cashew-free cheesecake filling.

Course Dessert

Cuisine vegan

Keyword vegan cheesecake filling

Prep Time 5 minutes

Chill time 12 hours

Servings 1 cheesecake filling

Calories 148 kcal

Ingredients

• 400 g Vegan cream cheese (I highly recommend Violife for the best flavour and texture)
• 80 g Icing sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 180 ml Vegan double cream (I use Elmlea plant double cream)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla extract with a wooden spoon.

2. Add the double cream and use an electric whisk or stand mixer to whip it into the rest of the ingredients. It should be thick and hold firm peaks.

3. Spoon the filling over your cheesecake base of choice and spread it out evenly. Put it in the fridge and leave overnight, for 8-12 hours to set.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Cheesecake Filling (Just 4 Ingredients)

Amount Per Serving (1 /12th)

Calories 148 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Sodium 155mg7%

Carbohydrates 9g3%

Sugar 7g8%

* All values are an estimate only and will vary depending on the food brands used.