Lemon-Raspberry Swirl Cheeze-Cake (dairy-free vegan cheesecake)

This amazing dairy-free vegan cheesecake tastes incredibly creamy and delicious. It’s a fruity, lemony sweet dessert that makes a gorgeous presentation to impress your family and guests!

Make it gluten free: If you are cooking gluten free, make certain to purchase certified gluten-free tofu and vegan, gluten-free cookies, available in many supermarkets.

Recipe from Vegan For Everyone: 160 Family Friendly Recipes with a Delicious, Modern Twist by Laura Theodore. Published by Scribe Publishing Company, ©2020. Reprinted by permission.

After partially baking the crust (made easy by using vegan cookie crumbs), the lemony filling, made with soaked cashews and tofu, are poured over it in a springform pan.

Long thin lines of seedless raspberry jam are carefully poured over the surface.

Using a sharp implement, the jam is gently swirled to make a pleasing pattern.

The cheeze-cake takes 35 to 40 minutes to bake and firms up as it stands, making it easy to cut.

Photos (finished cheesecake) Laura Theodore. Prep photos: Andy Ebberbach.

Explore more …

• Easy tofu recipes
• Silken tofu recipes — savory and sweet

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Yield: 8 to 10

Lemon-Raspberry Swirl Vegan Cheeze-Cake

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This amazing dairy-free vegan cheesecake tastes incredibly creamy and delicious. 

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped or halved raw cashews
• 1/2 cup water

Crust

• 2 rounded tablespoons vegan buttery spread, plus more to coat pan
• 1 ½ cups vegan lemon or ginger cookie crumbs (about 20 to 25 cookies, see note)

Filling

• The soaked cashews
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 medium lemons)
• 14- to 16-ounce tub extra-firm regular tofu
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free, quick cooking rolled oats
• 1 cup vegan cane sugar or raw cane turbinado sugar
• 1/16 rounded teaspoon ground turmeric

Raspberry swirl

• 3 rounded tablespoons seedless raspberry jam
• Scant 1/2 tablespoon water

Instructions

1. Put the cashews and 1/2 cup water into a small bowl. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 375º F.
3. Generously coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round springform pan with vegan buttery spread. 
4. To make the crust, put the cookie crumbs in a medium-sized bowl and add 2 rounded tablespoons vegan buttery spread. Combine using a dough blender until the mixture resembles wet sand.
5. Evenly press the mixture into the prepared pan, using the bottom of a measuring cup to flatten the crust into an even layer. Pre-bake the crust for 5 to 6 minutes. Put the pan on a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes while you make the filling.
6. To make the filling, drain the cashews (that have been soaking) and rinse thoroughly in cold water. Put the drained and soaked cashews, tofu, lemon juice, oats, sugar and turmeric in a blender container. Process for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until completely smooth. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust and smooth out the top using a rubber spatula.
7. To make the raspberry swirl, put the raspberry jam and water into a small bowl and vigorously stir to combine. Carefully spoon long, thin lines of the raspberry jam mixture over the top of the cheeze-cake, about 5 to 6 “lines” in all. 
8. Then, using a wooden skewer or the tip of a knife, gently swirl the raspberry jam into the top of the cheesecake in a pleasing, marbleized pattern. 
9. Put the cheeze-cake on a rectangular sheet pan (to catch any drips) and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until the center is almost firm to the touch. (The raspberry filling will be very soft at this point, but it will firm up once the cheeze-cake chills in the refrigerator).
10. Put the cheeze-cake on a wire rack. Immediately and gently run a table knife around the perimeter of the cheeze-cake. Let the cheeze-cake cool for 30 minutes, and then carefully remove the springform rim. 
11. Serve warm (the cheeze-cake will still be very soft); or to serve cold, loosely cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours or overnight. The cheeze-cake will firm up nicely when chilled.

Vegan For Everyone is available wherever books are sold
or directly from Laura Theodore (signed copies!)

More about Vegan for Everyone

Easy weeknight suppers, classic weekend menus and festive holiday family fare make VEGAN FOR EVERYONE the perfect book for anyone looking to “jazz up” mealtimes by adding easy-to-prepare and delicious, plant-based food into their weekly menu plans.

In addition to featuring over 100 new recipes, award-winning vegan chef Laura Theodore (PBS’s Jazzy Vegetarian) includes updates on 60 fan-favorite recipes from her first four books, making this new cookbook a complete and fun way to make family meals kinder, healthier and – most of all – tastier! Over 135 of the recipes include a gluten-free option, making VEGAN FOR EVERYONE sure to please . . . well . . . just about everyone!

Laura Theodore is a recognized public television personality, 3-time TASTE award winning vegan chef, cookbook author, and award-winning recording artist.

Listen to Laura’s weekly podcast on Unity Radio every Thursday at 3pm EST. Tune in for Season Eight of Laura’s vegan television show, Jazzy Vegetarian, airing nationally on many public television channels (check local listings). Visit Laura at Jazzy Vegetarian. 

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