This vegan cranberry cheesecake is a total showstopper and yet so easy to prepare! It has a tangy, rich, and creamy filling that even non-vegans love. The authentic cheesecake flavor pairs perfectly with a spiced pecan and graham cracker crust. This is your must-make vegan Christmas dessert! No tofu.
It's pretty clear that I've developed a (healthy) obsession with this tart, unique berry over the past couple of years.
From maple-sweetened Easy Vegan Cranberry Sauce, which gives today's cheesecake its perfect pink hue, to this stunning No-Bake Cranberry Tart, every fall and winter I get so much joy from cooking with cranberries.
Here are a few more cranberry recipes to try:
- Vegan Cranberry Cream Pie
- Lower-Fat Cranberry Oat Gelato
- Sweet Orange Ricotta With Cranberry Compote
- Apple-Cranberry Baked Oatmeal
Until today there was only one vegan cheesecake recipe on the blog, this Meyer Lemon version. So even though we're just days away from Thanksgiving, I decided to indulge my cranberry obsession and create this easy cheesecake to share with you while fresh cranberries are abundant.
And I'm so glad I did because, friends, this turned out to be one of the best vegan cheesecakes I've ever tasted.
Thanksgiving is really all about pumpkin, pecan, and apple, anyway. I'd say this cranberry cheesecake is is PERFECT for Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations!
UPDATE: check out this new easy vegan cheesecake!
Equipment Needed
To make dairy-free cranberry cheesecake you'll need a 9-inch springform pan, a food processor, and a blender. A high powered blender like a Vitamix is best for preparing vegan cheesecakes, but if the cashews are soaked in advance, a standard blender can also get the job done!
Ingredients for Vegan Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs - This is equal to 7 full graham crackers. Finding graham crackers that don't contain honey can be difficult. Nabisco is a widely available brand this is vegan.
- ⅔ cup raw pecan halves
- 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala or ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Ingredients for the Filling
A combination of cashews, coconut cream, and vegan cream cheese work together to create the best flavor and consistency in this cheesecake.
- 1 ½ cups Vegan Cranberry Sauce - I recommend making that recipe as written, using maple syrup as the sweetener. However, you can also sweeten it with regular cane sugar (you'll need more sugar than maple syrup, though, for the same level of sweetness). *I tested this cheesecake once with store-bought whole-berry cranberry sauce (365 brand), and while it worked fine, both the color and tartness of the cheesecake were much more muted than when made with homemade cranberry sauce.
- 1 ¾ cup raw cashews
- 1 cup coconut cream - This is not the same as coconut milk. Many stores now sell cans of coconut cream (I use the Whole Foods 365 brand). You can also refrigerate 2 cans of full-fat coconut milk for 48 hours, then scoop out 1 cup of solid cream. The liquid can be used in another recipe such as soup, muffins, or pancakes.
- 16 ounces plain vegan cream cheese
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- Organic sugar, to taste - This will depend on the sweetness of your cranberry sauce.
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How to Make the Crust
- In a large food processor pulse graham crackers into crumbs, and transfer to a bowl. (I use this 14-cup Cuisinart.)
- Pulse the pecans into crumbs, and return the graham cracker crumbs to the food processor. Add the spices, sugar, and salt, and pulse to combine.
- Drizzle in melted coconut oil, and pulse until the mixture is well incorporated.
- Press into an oiled, non-stick 9-inch springform pan. The flat bottom of a ramekin is a great tool for this. Then use the top of your index finger to press the crust down around the edges.
- Refrigerate the crust while you blend the filling.
How to Make the Filling
This is the ONLY part of the entire process that can be a bit challenging, because the filling is very thick.
It's important to use patience and stop as needed to scrape down the sides of the blender. If your blender comes with a tamper, definitely use it.
- First, blend the cashews with the liquid ingredients (lemon juice, vanilla, maple syrup) until incorporated but still chunky.
- Once the cashews are mostly broken down, add the coconut cream and blend until smooth.
- Now add the cranberry sauce, salt, and cream cheese. Blend again, gradually increasing speed.
- Taste the filling, and add ¼ to ½ cup sugar. I used ⅓ cup, but if you opt for store-bought cranberry sauce, which is sweeter, you won't need as much sugar.
- Blend until velvety smooth, and pour into the chilled crust.
- Place cheesecake in freezer for 3 ½ to 4 hours before slicing and serving.
Decorating the Cheesecake
Simple, stove-top candied pecans are the perfect garnish for this cranberry cheesecake. These can be prepared in minutes, while the cheesecake is in the freezer.
For the candied pecans you'll need a non-stick skillet and these ingredients:
- 1 cup raw pecan halves
- 1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
- heaping ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
These are so good! You may even want to double the recipe so there are some available for snacking.
Tips and Substitutions
- If preparing the same day you plan to serve the cheesecake, start early in the morning so there's plenty of time for it to chill and set, which takes about 4 hours.
- Another way to save time is to prepare the cranberry sauce in advance.
- The cheesecake and crust hold up well in either the refrigerator or freezer if you'd like to make it in advance. After 4 hours in the freezer it will be the perfect texture for slicing. If frozen overnight, the cheesecake will be very firm, so you'll want to move it to the refrigerator a few hours before serving.
- For a gluten-free cheesecake, feel free to substitute your favorite crispy GF cookie for the graham crackers. Ginger snaps would be fantastic (no need to add extra spices if you use ginger snaps)! You can also pair this with any other suitable gluten-free crust that fits a 9-inch springform pan.
More Vegan Holiday Desserts:
Vegan Pumpkin Pie (OF, GF)
Healthy Sweet Potato Pie (OF, GF)
Vegan Chocolate Pecan Pie (GF)
Healthier Pecan Pie (GF)
Vegan Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Vegan Trifle With French Toast
Vegan Apple Layer Cake
I hope you enjoy this Easy Cranberry Cheesecake! As always, if you try the recipe I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment and a star rating below to let everyone know how it turned out.
Recipe
Vegan Cranberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (7 full sheets) - Nabisco is vegan; most others contain honey. See Notes for GF.
- ⅔ cup raw pecan halves
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves or ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
- 4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
For the filling:
- 1 ½ cups vegan cranberry sauce - For best flavor and color, homemade is recommended. See Notes.
- 1 ¾ cups raw cashews - Soak overnight if not using high-powered blender. Then drain and pat dry.
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup coconut cream - Not coconut milk; see Notes
- 16 ounces vegan cream cheese - I like Tofutti for cheesecakes.
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ to ½ cup organic cane sugar (depending on sweetness of cranberry sauce)
For quick candied pecans, optional garnish:
- 1 cup raw pecan halves
- 1 tablespoon organic cane sugar
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- If you haven't already, prepare the cranberry sauce, then set aside to cool. Lightly oil a non-stick, 9-inch springform pan, and clear enough space in the refrigerator and freezer for the pan.
Make the crust:
- In a large food processor pulse graham crackers into crumbs (you should have 1 cup). Transfer to a separate bowl. Pulse the pecans into crumbs.
- Return the graham cracker crumbs to food processor with the pecans, and add the spices, sugar, and salt. Pulse to combine. Drizzle in melted coconut oil, and pulse several times to distribute the oil.
- Press mixture into the prepared pan. The flat bottom of a glass or ramekin works nicely to tamp down the crust. Use your fingers to neaten and compact the crumbs around the edges. Refrigerate crust while blending the filling.
Make the filling:
- First, blend the cashews with the liquid ingredients (lemon juice, vanilla, and maple syrup) until incorporated but still chunky. Once the cashews are mostly broken down, add the coconut cream and blend until smooth, gradually increasing to high speed. Stop as needed to scrape down the sides of the blender, and use a tamper if your blender comes with one.
- Add the cranberry sauce, salt, and cream cheese. Blend until smooth.
- Taste the filling for sweetness. Depending on the sweetness of the particlar cranberry sauce used, you may need anywhere from ¼ to ½ cup sugar. I used ⅓ cup (my cranberry sauce was sweetened only with ⅓ cup maple syrup). If you opt for store-bought cranberry sauce, which is sweeter, you will likely need less additional sugar. Blend until velvety smooth, and taste again. Pour into the chilled crust.
- Place cheesecake in freezer, uncovered, for 3 ½ to 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before carefully releasing the sides of the springform pan. Transfer to a cake plate, garnish with pecans, slice and serve.
Make the candied pecans garnish (optional):
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet or large plate.
- Preheat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Toast the pecans, shaking pan occasionally, for 5 to 6 minuters or until fragrant.
- Add the sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and stir to combine. Immediately add the maple syrup, and stir again.
- Remove from heat. Transfer pecans to the parchment paper, using your hands to separate them if stuck together. Let cool.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and ingredients used.
Katey says
Can this be made using your cream cheese recipe?
Lori Rasmussen says
Hi Katey - Possibly, but since it's lower in fat than commercial vegan cream cheese and uses agar to help it set, I suspect you would need to make the cream cheese at the same time, and let it set as part of the cheesecake. In other words, if you make the cream cheese first and chill it, once you blend it with this filling it won't set again. And the cream cheese is a large part of what makes the cheesecake firm. I hope that makes sense!
Stacey says
Outstanding! This was a hit for the Holidays! The homemade cranberry sauce is amazing! Perfect blend of tart & sweet. I will definitely be making the sauce for Thanksgiving next year.