Creamy Dairy Free Cheesecake
Ready to satisfy your sweet tooth with this ultimate creamy dairy free cheesecake? It's sweet, tangy & delicious! No one will believe that it's made without any dairy!
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crumb Crust
- 1½ cups graham crackers crumbs crush in a food processor or by hand to fine crumbs
- 4 tablespoon dairy free butter, melted (half a stick)
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Dairy Free Cheesecake
- 32 ounces dairy free or vegan cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 4 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 ⅓ cups dairy free plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Make sure an oven rack is in the middle of the oven. Tightly wrap the outside of a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan with several large sheets of aluminum foil, so water doesn't get into the pan when it's submerged halfway in a water bath. Fold the foil so it covers the bottom and up the sides, so water doesn't go inside the pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the graham cracker crust ingredients together. It should mostly clump together when you press some in the palm of your hand. If it's too dry and just falls apart, add another 1 tablespoon melted butter.Spread the crust mixture into the springform pan and press it down in an even layer.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until it is golden brown. Let cool while the cheesecake filling is prepared.
- Reduce the oven heat to 325°F.
- In a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl with an electric whisk, beat the room temperature cream cheese for 4 to 6 minutes, until it is smooth and creamy. If there are any lumps, you'll end up with a lumpy cheesecake. Scrape the sides of the bowl during this process, to make sure all the cream cheese gets whisked.
- Mix the granulated sugar and salt into the cream cheese for another 4 minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix everything until it's fully combined.
- While mixing on low speed, add the whole eggs and then the egg yolks one at a time. Make sure each egg is fully mixed in before adding the next egg.
- Add the dairy-free plain Greek yogurt and continue to mix on a low speed until it's smooth, creamy and fully combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and give the mixture a few last stirs by hand, to ensure there are no pockets of ingredients that aren't fully mixed.
- Pour the batter onto the cooled crumb crust. Smooth the top with a small spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Bring a full kettle of water to a boil. Place the springform pan in the middle of a large Dutch oven or roasting pan with sides that are at least as tall as the springform pan.Add the boiling water so the water level comes about halfway up the sides of the aluminum foil-lined springform pan. Now you have a water bath! Carefully transfer the water bath into the oven.
- Bake for 1 hour, then begin checking the cheesecake to see if it's done. Give the pan a gentle jiggle. The cheesecake is done once only the center is jiggly, and the outer edge is set and doesn't move. It it's still too jiggly, bake for another 10 minutes and check it again. (My oven runs cool and my cheesecake took close to 2 hours to finish baking.)
- Once the cheesecake is done baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the water bath for one hour.
- Remove the springform pan from the water bath and remove the aluminum foil. Let it continue to cool to room temperature.
- Loosely cover the top of the cheesecake with aluminum foil and chill in the fridge to fully set it for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
- To serve, run a knife around the edge of the springform pan to loosen it. Release the sides of the pan and transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate or cake stand. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Use a springform pan to get the cheesecake out of the pan much more easily, since this type of pan releases the sides from the bottom.
- For the best results, use a quality cream cheese. I use Tofutti, which is a little tangy and really thick.
- Make sure all your ingredients, especially the eggs and cream cheese, are at room temperature. This helps them whip up creamy and smooth.
- Regularly scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl to ensure everything get mixed evenly.
- Refrigerate your baked and cooled cheesecake overnight (8 hours) to set fully. it will be a little jiggly in the center when it comes out of the oven, but it firms as it cools.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 467kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 11gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 568mgPotassium: 63mgFiber: 6gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 254IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 108mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below - I love hearing from you!