Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

This non-dairy chocolate cheesecake has a thick, creamy, pudding-like texture and isn’t cloyingly sweet. Though unlike a traditional cheesecake in many ways, it’s baked similarly: at medium-low heat for an hour, then left in the oven with heat off for another hour. Admittedly, it takes some time to prepare, but the actual steps are very simple and the clean-up is easy — important when you have a barely there kitchen. For my celiac friends: Use gluten-free cookies or cereal for the crust, and this recipe will fit your bill.

Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

Recipe developed by Cara Anselmo, MS, RDN, CD

Ingredients

For the crust:
2 cups crushed graham crackers, other cookies or cereal (I used a combination of Ezekiel Almond Sprouted Whole Grain cereal and Barbara’s oatmeal Snackimals cookies)
3 tablespoons + 1 tablespoon butter replacement spread, such as Earth Balance, melted

For the filling:
1 pound silken tofu, drained
1 pound tofu cream cheese (I used Daiya brand)
1 ¼ cups vegan chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1 ¼ cups sugar
¾ cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons agave
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon corn starch
¼ teaspoon salt

For the coconut cream glaze:
1 can coconut cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease 9″ round springform cake pan with 1 tablespoon butter spread. Combine crushed cookies and/or cereal with 3 tablespoons melted butter spread. Press mixture into the base of pan and set aside.
3. Mix tofu and cream cheese in food processor until smooth.
4. Add remainder of filling ingredients and process until smooth.
5. Pour filling into cake pan over crust. Tap pan firmly against countertop to remove air bubbles.
6. Bake for 60 minutes. Turn off heat, and keep cake in oven for another 60 minutes. The cake will be wobbly inside and shiny outside. Remove and cool at room temperature, then cover loosely and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 10 hours) to set. At the same time, place can of coconut cream in refrigerator.
7. When ready to serve cake, make coconut cream glaze: Scoop solid part of coconut cream and a small amount of remaining liquid out of can. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip coconut with powdered sugar and vanilla for 3-4 minutes or until smooth and thick. Drizzle coconut cream glaze over cake slices immediately before serving.

Note: Cake and extra coconut cream glaze may be stored in the refrigerator for four days.

Cara Anselmo, MS, RDN, is a nutritionist and certified yoga instructor in New York City. Read her blog atCaraAnselmo.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.