Sometimes I dreamed about a cheesecake: tangy, sweet and creamy, but when it came to look for a vegan recipe to make it, I felt discourage and overwhelmed about the amount of ingredients that I should have to make it. Such as agar-agar, vegan cream cheese, tapioca starch, tofu, aquafaba, soaked cashew nuts just for the filling!
For a while I thought it was impossible to make a vegan “cheese”cake using few simple ingredients and that it still resemble the original. Until a memory crossed my mind, while I was vegetarian in Chile: I found a recipe to make a “diet” cheesecake using plain yogurt and preserves, but as a vegetarian recipe had condensed milk on it.
When it came to look for a vegan recipe to make it, I felt discourage and overwhelmed about the amount of ingredients that I should have to make it.
“A downer” I thought, but… nooot really! first of all, there is coconut condensed milk, but it wasn’t the milk the factor that makes that filling set as a cheesecake without the eggs, cheese and others…“It must be the yogurt” I thought.
I kept thinking about this, until one day I did a giant amount of soy yogurt that was so thick, like Greek style. So I felt motivated enough to try my theory, and guess what? It works at the first attempt! I was so happy and delighted with the results, everything sets, the flavor was exactly what I was expecting: tangy, sweet and so simple to make, I couldn’t believe it. So tried the recipe several times using different flavors and fruits.
It works at the first attempt! I was so happy and delighted with the results, everything sets, the flavor was exactly what I was expecting: tangy, sweet and so simple to make, I couldn’t believe it.
No-Cheesecake from Yogurt
Ingredients:
1.5 Cup of oats
1/3 Cup coconut oil
1/2 Cup almonds or walnuts
8 a 10 Pitted dates (soaked)
a pinch of salt
Filling:
1 LB (big container) plain soy yogurt
1 Tsp lemon juice
1 Tsp Apple cider vinegar
4 to 6 Tbsp maple o agave syrup (depending on your taste buds)
1 Cup preserve of your choice.
Process:
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- In a food processor place the oats and nuts and make a coarse flour, then add the oil, salt and dates. This will form a dough.
- On a lined springform pan spread the dough over the bottom and with a fork make little holes all over it.
- Bake it for about 8 minutes at 350, or until golden brown.
- meanwhile make the filling using the food processor: Place the yogurt, lemon juice, maple syrup and ACV and mix it very well.
- Pour the mixture on your baked crust and spread evenly.
- Bring it to the oven at 350 F for about 45 minutes. The edges naturally will separate from the baking tray and the over all will look set and firm. Remove from the oven.
- Top the cake with your preserve, and let it cool completely before refrigerate for one hour.
I highly recommend using very thick Greek vegan yogurt, and if you make you own yogurt at home better! Because you can make it really thick by letting it sit for 12 hours on a mesh to drain until your preferred consistency, that will make your yogurt not only thicker but more tangy. I haven’t test this recipe with other than soy yogurt. Using a thicker yogurt you wont need any other ingredient for your base, and will not add moist to your crust. Also a more liquid yogurt will be harder to set in the oven.
As I’m sure you already know, but the temperatures vary from oven to oven and zone to zone. I’m in Florida, so you should be checking your “cheese”cake starting at 40 minutes, to see how set the filling is, by shaking the tray. It must be firm and the edges start to separate from the tray. If your filling show some “cracks” on the top is definitely set and you should remove it from the oven. If still is kind of liquid, let it go for 45 to 50 minutes, checking every 5 minutes or so.
Hope this idea will encourage you to make this simple version of a vegan cheesecake, without any cheese, If you have any question, please contact me here, on Instagram or Facebook. I will be happy to answer 🙂
Vegoralia 