Dairy-Free Cheesecake

DAIRY-FREE CHEESECAKE

Although the concept of dairy-free cheesecake seems absurd, we’ve discovered the recipe! This cheesecake is the ideal balance of creamy and light, making a wonderful base for whatever fruit or chocolate toppings you choose.

You can make Sarah’s glazed strawberries or use any other fruit of your choice instead of the oranges and lovely orange syrup I’ve included in the recipe.

All of this without the gastrointestinal mayhem that dairy may cause in us less fortunate lactose-intolerant people!

CHEESE CAKE’S BEST DAIRY-FREE CREAM CHEESE

The urgent query on everybody’s mind! Tofu products, in my opinion, are the best available for baking without dairy. My go-to recipe for baking without dairy is silken tofu or tofu cream cheese. The mild flavors are more durable than nut milks and cheeses.

I also love oat milk, so I substitute it for the dairy milk in this recipe. Without the strange separation that might occur with almond or soy milk, oat milk has all the body and taste you miss in milk. In light of this, try your favorite plant-based milk, and let us know what you think in the comments!

NOTE: I used it for the crust because butter has a very low lactose content. Although I don’t mind, if you want a cheesecake that is genuinely free of dairy, follow the recipe’s instructions and use vegan butter, margarine, or coconut oil.

IS THIS RECIPE VEGAN?

This recipe is not vegan because it calls for eggs and butter. However, you may simply convert this dish to veganism by using flax eggs and vegan butter, margarine, or coconut oil. As you watch the baking times, keep in mind that it can bake up a little bit different without the assistance of conventional chicken eggs.

I had planned to create a vegan cheesecake, but I much prefer this version because it is sweeter and more reminiscent of a conventional cheesecake, for those who have been following the conversation from my Spicy Hunan Steamed Tofu and Mushrooms. No-bake variations are available, but they require a lot of work and taste overly healthy because they rely on the freezer and difficult (and pricey) nut crusts.

Two eggs were accidentally added to this recipe, but if we’re talking about the carbon/health impact of two eggs, that’s a whole lot better than two eggs plus three packages of cream cheese, so I’ll take little victories whenever I can, thank you.

Baking time!

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST:

• 16 graham crackers
• 6 tablespoons of vegan butter

FILLING:

• 2 eggs
• 675g of tofu cream cheese
• 135g of granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup of oat milk
• 2 tablespoons of all purpose flourtract
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla ex
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• zest of 1 lemon

TOPPINGS AND ORANGE SYRUP:

• 35g of granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon of cornstarch
• juice of 1 mandarin orange
• 1-2 supremed mandarin oranges (cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices)

INSTRUCTIONS:

CAKE:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Since you’ll be placing the cheesecake in a water bath, you don’t want the water to leak into the pan from the bottom. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan with foil. The graham crackers should be broken into smaller pieces and placed in the food processor’s bowl. Pulse them until they resemble coarse crumbs. When the mixture resembles wet sand, add the melted butter and pulse. As securely as possible, press the crumbs into the bottom of the springform pan.
3. The tofu cream cheese should be added to the bowl of a mixer with the paddle attachment and should be blended on low speed until light and creamy. Mix on low speed while adding the sugar until smooth. On low speed, including the oat milk as well. One at a time, add the eggs and stir just until combined. Add the flour, lemon zest, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla after that. Avoid over-mixing the mixture or introducing too much air.
4. The filling should be added to your prepared crust. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet with 1 cm of water after tapping the pan against the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles.
5. Place the entire device in the oven, bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 275F and bake for 50 minutes. Keep the oven door closed. After the allotted baking time has passed, turn off the heat and allow the oven to cool for two hours.

GLAZE AND TOPPINGS:

1. Make the mandarin orange syrup in the interim. Add the sugar and water to a small pot. Stirring continuously, bring to a simmer. 3 minutes of simmering is required to dissolve the sugar completely.
2. One mandarin orange juice should be used to dissolve the cornstarch before adding it to the pot while stirring regularly. Transfer back into the pot after straining through a fine-mesh strainer to eliminate any big chunks of pulp or seeds. Simmer the syrup until it is foam-free, bubbling, and thickened. After taking the syrup off the heat, let it cool fully.
3. Apply the chilled syrup to the cheesecake’s top once it has totally cooled. Place the orange slices on top and drizzle with additional syrup liberally.