This Vegan Cheesecake is easy enough to make anytime and delicious enough for special occasions! With a rich and creamy no-bake filling and a buttery graham cracker crust, this simple vegan cheesecake recipe is versatile, too! Include sprinkles for a funfetti birthday cheesecake, or go with spices, citrus zest, a drizzle of chocolate, or fruit toppings.

no bake vegan cheesecake on a cake stand with several slices removed.

I made the first test batch of this vegan cheesecake last month for my birthday, which is how I had the idea to use sprinkles for a celebratory birthday cheesecake.

Initially I didn't use enough vegan butter in the crust, though, which led to a crumbled mess of graham cracker after slicing. But it was only the two of us celebrating, anyway, and we didn't care. We broke out our spoons and enjoyed every bite!

Why You'll Love My No-Bake Vegan Cheesecake

If you're a fan of easy-yet-special vegan desserts that taste AMAZING enough to serve the picky eaters in your life, you're going to love this one.

This dairy-free no-bake cheesecake is:

decadently creamy with a truly authentic cream cheese flavor
versatile - try it without sprinkles and with spices, citrus zest, or fruit toppings
perfect for prepping in advance for a party or event
and so easy it's basically foolproof!

close up of the creamy filling with a bite of cheesecake resting on a fork.

Ingredients

Similar to my Vegan Cranberry Cheesecake, the filling is made with a combination of vegan cream cheese, raw cashews, and coconut cream.

This combination works well because each ingredient contributes to the overall texture and flavor without any one ingredient overpowering the others.

ingredients for vegan cheesecake and graham cracker crust on a wood cutting board.

Here's a list of everything you'll need to make this vegan cheesecake.

For the graham cracker crust:

As an alternative, you can use a store-bought graham cracker crust.

vegan graham crackers - Nabisco Original grahams are widely available and are "accidentally" vegan.
organic cane sugar - or your favorite brand of vegan sugar (meaning it hasn't been processed with bone char)
vegan butter - you want buttery sticks, not whipped varieties. Earth Balance or Country Crock's plant-based butter are usually pretty easy to find in stores.

For the filling:

raw cashews - see notes below about soaking in water, or get fancy and soak them in champagne! Details below.
vegan cream cheese - any unflavored vegan cream cheese you like will work here. For cheesecakes I like Tofutti brand.
coconut cream (see photo below) - this is the solid portion in a can of full-fat coconut milk. You'll need to plan ahead and place a can of full-fat coconut milk in the refrigerator 1 to 2 days in advance. Open the can and scoop out ONLY the solid portion. Reserve the liquid for use in another recipe or freeze it.
fresh lemon juice - bottled is okay if that's all you have, but fresh lemon tastes best.
pure vanilla extract
organic cane sugar
non-dairy milk - some additional liquid helps with blending, especially if you didn't soak the cashews.
optional vegan sprinkles - I use these vegan sprinkles by Sweetapolita.

See recipe card below for amounts and full instructions.

Step By Step Instructions

2-photos showing texture of graham cracker crust in food processor and pressed into pan.

Use a food processor to turn the graham crackers into crumbs. Add the sugar and melted butter, and pulse to combine.
Press the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. A large ramekin works well to press the crust in evenly. Use your fingers to compact the crust around the edges. Bake the crust at 350 degrees for about 9 minutes. Set aside to cool.

blending the vegan cheesecake filling until smooth.

Now blend the filling: combine the cashews and liquid ingredients in a blender. Blend until chunky and mostly broken down. Add the sugar, salt, and coconut cream, and blend until smooth.
Add the cream cheese, and blend again. Refrigerate until cool.

layering sprinkles into the cheesecake as filling is poured into springform pan.

Once the filling is cool, add about 1 tablespoon sprinkles onto the cooled crust. Pour half of the cheesecake filling onto the sprinkles.
Scatter another heaping tablespoon of sprinkles, then pour in the rest of the filling. Decorate the top of the cheesecake with as many sprinkles as you like. Now freeze the cheesecake, uncovered, for 2 to 4 hours before slicing.

Helpful Tips

Use a good quality non-stick 9-inch springform pan. There's no need to oil the pan. The butter prevents the crust from sticking, and the sides of the cheesecake will easily separate from the pan once chilled.

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Make sure you use only the solid portion of a chilled can of coconut milk, and measure out 1 cup. If it's a little bit less than 1 cup that's okay.

Adding the ingredients to the blender exactly as described helps prevent prolonged blending, which will warm up the filling. So blend it just enough to make sure it's 100% creamy. If the mixture does get warm, and you're using sprinkles, refrigerate the filling until cool so it doesn't melt the colors.

Vegan cheesecake topped with colorful sprinkles on a white cake stand.

Substitutions

Nuts: For the best results I recommend making the filling exactly as written. It's possible you could use a different nut or seed instead of cashews, but keep in mind that nuts that have skins, like hazelnuts or almonds, will alter the color of the cheesecake. Blanched almonds are an option.

Gluten-free: For a gluten free vegan cheesecake, feel free to use a different crust recipe. This oatmeal pie crust is perfect! Unfortunately, I don't think vegan gluten-free graham crackers exist. The gluten-free brands often include eggs for binding.

Variation: Champagne-Soaked Cashews

This is totally optional and only slightly impacts the flavor of the cheesecake, but it can be a fun twist, especially if you're making the cheesecake for someone who loves champagne!

To do it:
Place raw cashews in a large, shallow bowl. Cover with about 1 cup sparkling wine or champagne (find vegan options on Barnivore.com), and soak for 1 hour. Refrigerate ¼ to ⅓ cup of the remaining champagne (do whatever you want with the rest). 😉

Drain the cashews, and replace the milk called for in the recipe below with the reserved champagne. Now you have a no-bake champagne cheesecake! How fun is that?

Serving Suggestions

Fresh fruits like strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries are always beautiful and delicious with cheesecake. Make a simple fruit sauce on the stovetop by following the basic blueberry sauce instructions in this Vegan Trifle recipe.

Or go the chocolate route with an easy vegan chocolate sauce and chocolate chips or shavings.

And finally, a dollop of So Delicious non-dairy Coco Whip or homemade vegan whipped cream is always welcome!

Make Ahead Tips

Freeze the cheesecake for at least 2 hours, and preferably 3 to 4, before slicing and serving. To test whether the cheesecake is cold enough, lightly press the center with a finger. The filling should feel very firm.

The cheesecake is fine at room temperature for an hour or so, depending on how cold it was before serving. Otherwise, keep it refrigerated.

It can be frozen overnight, but if you use sprinkles there's a chance their color may fade. After extended time in the freezer the cheesecake needs 2-3 hours in the refrigerator to soften before serving.

If making for a special event it's best to prepare the cheesecake about 5 hours in advance. This allows for prep time and the 3 to 4 hours chill time.