Description
This No-Bake Vegan Apple Butter Cheesecake is a luscious, creamy dessert perfect for autumn or any time of the year. Made with a crunchy vegan cookie crust and a smooth, spiced apple butter-infused filling, it requires no baking and is entirely plant-based. The cheesecake features a rich cashew and vegan cream cheese blend, topped with a generous layer of homemade apple butter for extra sweetness and depth of flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Apple Butter
- 1 batch vegan apple butter (prepared up to 2 days ahead)
Crust
- 150 g vegan cookies (such as Biscoff)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 45 g vegan butter, melted
Filling
- 150 g cashews (soaked ahead of time for at least 4 hours or quick-soaked for 30 minutes in boiled water)
- 350 g vegan cream cheese
- 80 g vegan Greek-style yogurt
- Approx. 250 g apple butter (â…“ of the batch, for the filling)
- Optional: 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar or coconut sugar (to taste for sweetness)
Topping
- Approx. 250 g apple butter (for topping)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Make the vegan apple butter up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate. Soak the cashews in water for 4 hours, then rinse and drain. For a quicker method, soak soaked cashews in boiled water for 30 minutes. Line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, covering the base and sides.
- Make the Crust: Place the vegan cookies, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and melted vegan butter in a food processor. Blitz until the mixture resembles wet sand and is finely ground.
- Form the Crust: Transfer the crust mixture into the lined loaf pan. Press firmly and evenly into the base using fingers or the back of a spoon to compact it. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.
- Prepare the Filling: Add 250 g of vegan apple butter, soaked cashews, vegan cream cheese, and vegan Greek-style yogurt to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy with no lumps. Taste and, if needed, add 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar or coconut sugar and blend again for extra sweetness.
- Assemble and Chill: Pour the filling over the crust in the pan, smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight to allow the cheesecake to set firmly.
- Add the Topping: Once set, spread the remaining 250 g of apple butter evenly over the top of the cheesecake using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Return the cheesecake to the fridge for 1 hour to set the topping or place it in the freezer for 30 minutes if you want to speed up the process.
Notes
- Apple butter can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept refrigerated.
- Cashews need to be soaked to soften them, either overnight or with a quick-soak in boiled water for 30 minutes.
- Choosing vegan Greek-style yogurt adds creaminess and tang to the filling.
- The cheesecake must be refrigerated for at least 6 hours to set properly before adding the topping.
- Adjust sweetness of the filling with brown sugar or coconut sugar depending on your preference.
- Lining the pan well with parchment helps to easily remove the cheesecake after chilling.
