Vegan Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

Slice of Vegan Ricotta Cheesecake topped with berries and mint leaves.

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Vegan Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake

This vegan ricotta cheesecake is made with a lusciously creamy dairy-free filling flavored with a hint of lemon. It's baked up in a simple press-in shortbread crust for an elegant Italian-style dessert that's surprisingly easy to make.

Prep Time20

Cook Time55

Soak Time4

Total Time5 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings:

Calories: 350kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Equipment

1 Blender or food processor

Ingredients

For the Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour
⅓ cup organic granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup vegan butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Filling

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 8 hours, drained, and rinsed
½ cup organic granulated sugar
⅓ cup water
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ cup melted coconut oil (preferably refined)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce/397 gram) package firm tofu, drained

For Serving

Fresh berries, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
To make the crust, first stir the flour, sugar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl, then add the melted butter and vanilla. Stir until everything is combined and a sticky dough forms.
Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and about 1 ½ inches up the sides of an 8-inch springform pan.
Bake the crust for about 15 minutes, or until it's just set and no longer looks wet and doughy. Leave the oven on when you remove the pan.
Place the pan on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling.
To make the filling, place the cashews, sugar, water, cornstarch, coconut oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt into a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade. Blend until smooth.
Break the block of tofu into a few chunks and add them to the blender or food processor bowl. Pulse the machine until the tofu is blended in, but the mixture still has a tiny bit of texture to it.
Pour the mixture into the crust (it's okay if it's still warm), and smooth out the top with a spatula.
Bake the cheesecake until the top feels set, about 35 to 40 minutes. The filling may still be a tad wobbly, but make sure it doesn't slosh if you wiggle the pan.
Place the pan on a cooling rack and let the cheesecake cool completely before removing it from the pan, about 4 hours. The filling will continue to set as it cools.
Slice and serve, or cover and chill for up to 4 days. Optionally, top each slice with fresh berries before enjoying.

Nutrition