This vegan caramel apple cheesecake is made with brown sugar caramel, roasted peanuts, and a creamy cashew-based cheesecake filling, all layered over a graham cracker crust. It's all topped with tender cinnamon-simmered apples for a decadent dessert that's perfect for fall!
My favorite desserts are the kind that are just... a lot. What can I say? I love dessert! So when you can roll several dessert concepts into one delicious recipe, I'm in. This is definitely one of them. It's inspired by at least four other treats — classic vegan cheesecake, vegan caramel, vegan apple pie, and caramel apples. There may be more that I'm not even thinking of! But can you imagine a more delicious, more perfect-for-fall combination? Nope! Because this is the winner!
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Making this one might seem like a lot, but if you're going to make a vegan cheesecake, you're probably going all in anyway. So that's where this one starts, with a pretty basic vegan cheesecake and graham cracker crust. The caramel is much easier to make than you'd think (it's a cheat code — not legit caramel), and if you want a fruity topping for your cheesecake, I can't think of a more delicious one than these juicy, cinnamony apples.
This is the ultimate fall cheesecake, and I especially love it for holidays and special dinners where a lot is exactly what you want when it comes to dessert.
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Vegan graham cracker crumbs. Check the ingredients on your graham crackers, since many brands contain honey.
- Brown sugar. We're using organic brown sugar to keep the recipe vegan, since conventional brown sugar may be bleached with animal bone char.
- Cinnamon.
- Vegan butter. Look for this near the regular butter at the grocery store, in the refrigerated case.
- Salt.
- Coconut cream. This is normally sold in cans, near the coconut milk. Make sure you're buying coconut cream and not cream of coconut, which is a completely different product.
- Vanilla extract.
- Raw cashews. Make sure you're using raw cashews for your cheesecake base, and not roasted ones, which will make it taste like nut butter rather than cheesecake.
- Non-dairy milk. Any unsweetened and unflavored variety you normally like to drink or cook with is fine, such as soy, almond, or oat. Read my guide to dairy-free milks if you need help choosing.
- Maple syrup.
- Coconut oil. Coconut oil solidifies around room temperature, so it helps the cheesecake to set. Other oils won't work, so no substitutions. You can use unrefined coconut oil though, if you'd like (the recipe calls for refined), but you may get some subtle coconut flavor in the cheesecake — not necessarily a bad thing if you don't mind it!
- Lemon juice.
- Peanuts. We're using roasted and salted peanuts, just like you would for a caramel apple.
- Apples. Any variety you like will do, and feel free to mix and match. Personally, I like to use a couple of Granny Smiths.
- Cornstarch.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Combine the crust ingredients. Stir your graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon together, then stir in melted vegan butter.
Shape and bake the crust. Press the mixture into the bottom and a bit up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake it at 400°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Place it on a cooling rack when it's done.
Tip: I like to use a dry measuring cup to press the crust mixture into the springform pan. It helps to create a nice, even layer. Just make sure not to pack it too firmly, or it will be difficult to remove from the pan.
Make the caramel. Melt some vegan butter in a pot, then whisk in brown sugar and salt. Let it simmer for two minutes, then take it off of heat and whisk in the coconut cream and vanilla. Let it cool.
Blend the cheesecake. Place soaked raw cashews, non-dairy milk, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt into a blender or food processor, then blend until smooth.
Assemble the first layers. Spread the caramel over the crust, but save a few tablespoons for topping. Spread chopped peanuts over the caramel. Optionally, chill everything for a bit at this point to partially set the caramel.
Add the cheesecake. Spread the cashew mixture over the peanut layer. Be very gentle if you didn't chill the bottom layers. Once the cheesecake is added, cover everything and stick it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, until completely set.
Make the topping. Simmer diced apples, brown sugar, vegan butter, cinnamon, and salt for a few minutes, until the apples are soft. Combine a bit of cold water and cornstarch, then add it to the apple mixture and continue to simmer until it thickens. Let it cool.
Top the cheesecake. Once the cheesecake is set, spread your cooled apple topping over it. Chill the cheesecake until serving time, then drizzle it with reserved caramel topping, slice, and enjoy!
Tip: Every component of this recipe can be made in advance. The crust will keep for about 2 days at room temperature (cover the entire pan tightly). The caramel, cheesecake filling, and apple topping can all be refrigerated for about 3 days. Gently warm the caramel and cheesecake filling to soften before using. If you made the filling in a high-powered blender, you can simply refrigerate it in the blender container, then blend it again to warm and smooth it out before assembling.
Variations
- Caramel pear cheesecake. I know, it doesn't have the same ring to it. But replace the apples with pears, and it will be delicious.
- Nut swaps. I like peanuts here because I always loved those peanut-coated caramel apples growing up. But walnuts, pecans, cashews, and hazelnuts would all be delicious.
- Peanut drizzle. And if you really love peanuts, skip that final drizzle of caramel on top and combine some creamy peanut butter with a bit of maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Thin it with water and drizzle it over the finished cheesecake.
- Add spices. Try adding ginger, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and/or cardamom to the apple topping. Start with super small amounts (think ¼ teaspoons), taste-test, and build from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
I'm sure it can! The crust is where you'll find gluten in this recipe. You can try vegan gluten-free graham crackers if you can find them, or just replace the entire crust with any vegan gluten-free crust that works in a 9-inch springform pan.
You can! Make sure you're using a springform pan. If it's a larger one, the cheesecake won't be as tall. If it's smaller, you may end up with extra filling/caramel/topping. Don't throw them out! Snack on them, or layer them in parfait jars.
You can absolutely simplify this recipe by skipping any of these components, and it will still be delicious, even if it is no longer a caramel apple cheesecake.
This cheesecake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4 days. You can also freeze the cheesecake without topping for up to 3 months (the topping can release a lot of water when it thaws).
More Vegan Fall Desserts
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Caramel Apple Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups vegan graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup organic granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup vegan butter, melted
For the Brown Sugar Caramel
- 6 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 cup organic brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 tablespoons coconut cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cheesecake Layer
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water 4-8 hours, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup refined coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Peanut Layer
- ¾ cup roasted and salted peanuts, roughly chopped
For the Apple Topping
- 2 medium apples, peeled and diced
- ¼ cup organic brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
Make the Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Stir the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Add the melted vegan butter and stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Press the mixture into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Bake the crust until it has lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Place it on a cooling rack when it comes out of the oven. Let it cool completely.
Make the Brown Sugar Caramel
- While the crust bakes, melt the vegan butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar and salt, then bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking frequently. Allow the mixture to cook at a low simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from heat.
- Whisk in the coconut cream and vanilla. Let the mixture cool.
Make the Cheesecake Layer
- Place all ingredients into a high-powered blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Blend until smooth.
Assemble the Cheesecake
- Spread the caramel over the bottom of the graham cracker crust, reserving about 3 tablespoons for topping. Sprinkle the peanuts over the caramel layer.
- Optionally, you can chill the crust at this point to help firm up the caramel layer. If you skip this step, just be gentle when adding the cheesecake layer. In either case, spread it in an even layer over the caramel and peanuts.
- Cover the cheesecake and chill until fully set, at least 4 hours.
Make the Apple Topping
- While the cheesecake sets, stir the apples, brown sugar, vegan butter, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium saucepan, then set it over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Let it simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, until the apples are very soft.
- While the apple mixture simmers, stir the water and cornstarch together in a small cup. Once the apples have softened, stir in the cornstarch mixture. Bring the mixture back to a simmer briefly, just until the liquid thickens slightly.
- Remove the pot from heat and let the apple mixture cool. It will thicken as it does.
Top the Cheesecake
- Once the cheesecake feels set, spread the apple topping evenly over the cashew layer. Chill until ready to serve.
- Drizzle with the reserved caramel topping immediately before serving. You can warm the caramel up a bit if it has gotten too firm.
- Slice, serve, and enjoy.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on ingredients, brands, portion sizes, and preparation methods.
Hello recipe looks awesome but I dont eat cashews Can I use Brazil nuts and would I have to do anything different besides soak them ?
Thank you! I haven't tried Brazil nuts in vegan cheesecake, so I'm not sure how well they'd work. My first choice would be raw macadamia nuts, which you should be able to substitute in equal amounts, soaking them just like the cashews. I haven't tested that substitution in this particular recipe, though, so I can't guarantee the results!
This looks absolutely delicious. Any advice for substituting the cashews? A cashew allergy as a vegan is just unfair ðŸ˜.
Can you have macadamia nuts? I think they would be your best bet! They generally work well in vegan cheesecakes, and you should be able to substitute them for the cashews in equal amounts. I haven't tested them in this particular recipe though, so I can't guarantee the results.
Are there 622 calories per serving or per cheesecake?
Per serving. I wish it were per cheesecake! :)
I made the pie! It’s currently in my freezer right now. I combined some of the layers though (mixed the dates straight in with chunky peanut butter in the blender) but it has turned out great. Also used molasses instead of maple syrup because it was all I had. Lends a different flavor profile, but not a bad one at all.
I'm so glad you liked it! And now I'm super curious to try this with molasses myself! Thanks Blair!
Love this! Is there anything cashews can't be used for?! :)
They really are pretty amazing! I have them stockpiled in the freezer because I do so much cooking with cashews. :)