This Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake has a velvety smooth dark chocolate filling with a delicious cookie crust! Perfectly rich, chocolatey and creamy.
This Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake is a must-try. Its velvety smooth chocolate filling and cookie crust are not overly sweet or heavy, yet so delectable. Leaving it to set overnight in the fridge will create a creamy texture that dreams are made of.
The true authentic cheesecake flavor comes from vegan cream cheese, melted chocolate, and coconut cream. It’s so smooth and creamy you won’t even realize the recipe doesn’t contain any dairy.
This dairy-free chocolate cheesecake has:
- An Oreo cookie crust – or use Newman’s Own brand chocolate cream cookies.
- A luscious 6-ingredient dark chocolate filling
- Fresh vegan whipped cream and shaved chocolate on top
If your chocolate cravings know no bounds, then you have to try my Vegan Chocolate Cake recipe as well!
Equipment needed
This cheesecake recipe must be baked in a 9-inch springform pan. The amount of cake is too much for a regular 9-inch pie plate. If you don’t have a springform pan, refer to the notes in the recipe card for more options.
How to make Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
Wrap the outside of your springform pan with foil to prevent leaks before preparing the Oreo cookie crust in the food processor. Press the crumbs into the pan to form the crust, pushing it up the sides a little bit.
Make the cheesecake filling by melting the chocolate and combining it with the cream cheese, coconut cream, and the other ingredients. Spread the filling over the crust in the pan. It’s a little on the thick side, so use a spatula to spread it out.
Bake the cake for 70 minutes, then let it cool at room temperature for a full hour. Transfer it to the fridge to cool and set for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Helpful tips and substitutions
- If you don’t want to use Oreos, you can sub them out for chocolate graham crackers (without honey) or similar chocolate cookies instead.
- Let this cake chill for at least 6 hours in the fridge. For the best results, leave the cheesecake to set overnight. The longer it sits, the firmer each slice will be.
- To slice the cheesecake, run a large, sharp knife under hot water. Wipe it dry and then slice. Repeat this process with each slice for very clean cut pieces of cheesecake.
Optional cheesecake toppings
Serve each slice of cheesecake plain or with these toppings:
- Vegan whipped cream
- Coconut whipped cream
- Chocolate curls – see this tutorial on how to make easy chocolate curls.
- Fresh berries
- Chocolate ganache
- Chocolate cookie crumbles
Frequently asked questions
- Is cheesecake vegan? Classic cheesecake is not vegan, as it’s made with cream cheese, butter, and eggs. Luckily, there are plenty of vegan substitutes to help us replicate and even enhance traditional cheesecake!
- What kind of vegan cream cheese is best for vegan cheesecake? I find the Tofutti and Kite Hill brands provide the best results. Daiya cream cheese does not work. Violife is also not the best choice, though I love the brand.
- Should I bake the cheesecake in a water bath? Surrounding the springform pan in water while baking acts as insulation against the sides of the pan. You might see this step when making traditional cheesecakes but it isn’t necessary for this recipe.
- Is vegan cheesecake freezer-friendly? Yes! Keep the individual slices wrapped in foil to freeze. Thaw the cake in the fridge overnight or enjoy from frozen.
More vegan cheesecakes to try
Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust
- 25 Oreo cookies, or similar cookie
- 4 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
For the filling
- 10 ounces dark chocolate bars vegan friendly
- 32 ounces vegan cream cheese Tofutti works best
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Optional, for topping
- Vegan Whipped Cream
- Coconut Whipped Cream
- chocolate curls
- fresh berries
- Chocolate Ganache
Instructions
For the crust
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and wrap the outside of a 9 inch springform pan with foil. This is to prevent leaks, don't skip this part or your oven will smoke!
- Place the Oreo cookies in a blender or food processor, and pulse until they are fine crumbs. Dump the crumbs into a large bowl, then add the melted vegan butter and stir until the crumbs are moistened, but still crumbly.
- Pour the crumbs into the prepared springform pan, and press evenly over the bottom and partially up the sides of the pan. Set aside while you make the cheesecake filling.
For the filling
- Chop your chocolate bars into small pieces (or use chocolate chips), and place in a medium sized microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each time, until the chocolate melts and is completely smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a stand mixer, or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the vegan cream cheese until smooth, about 1 minute. Now add the coconut cream, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Now check the temperature of your melted chocolate. You want it to be warm, but not super hot. It also shouldn't be cool and too thick, or it will have trouble mixing. Drizzle the melted chocolate into the bowl with the cheesecake filling, and beat on low speed until well combined.
- Spread the cheesecake filling over the crust in the pan. It is a little on the thick side, so use a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible.
- Bake in the oven for 70 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature for an hour, then transfer to the refrigerator and let chill for at least 6 hours (overnight is best) before serving.
- When ready to serve, carefully remove the ring around the pan, slice and enjoy. Place the ring back on the pan to store the cheesecake and keep it in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen.
Notes
- Use Tofutti brand for best results. Don’t use Daiya brand here, it does not work. Violife is also not the best choice, though I love the brand. Kite Hill works as well.
- I used Theo chocolate bars, but you can use any vegan friendly chocolate. Dairy free chocolate chips work as well.
- For a graham cracker (honey free) crust, use the crust recipe from my other Vegan Cheesecake.
- For the coconut cream, you can use the thick white part from a can of full fat coconut milk, or simply purchase canned coconut cream and use 1/2 cup of it. The recipe might work with vegan yogurt or sour cream, but I haven’t tested it.
- For gluten free, substitute gluten free cookies for the Oreos.
Made this for dessert at Christmas, and it turned out beautifully! I did add a layer of ganache on top, then added raspberries and a few mint sprigs for a festive look. My only issue was that I used baking chocolate bars (100% cacao) instead of “dark chocolate.” I thought the cup of sugar would be enough sweetness, but it wasn’t. I personally like very dark chocolate and didn’t mind that it wasn’t sweet, but my husband said there was a bitter edge to it, which he didn’t particularly enjoy. Nevertheless, everyone ate every last bite on their plates so it couldn’t have been that bad! I think some clarification around “dark chocolate” in the recipe would be helpful–maybe a suggested range, e.g. 70% cacao. I used Tofutti cream cheese and the consistency was perfect as promised, but will try Kite Hill next time for something a bit healthier. Thank you so much, Nora!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the advice, I will clarify the chocolate for the recipe. 70% is what I use most often, and sometimes I just semi-sweet chocolate chips. 100% cacao bars would make the cheesecake too bitter for most people’s liking, but I’m happy you still enjoyed it. Thank you again!
Just made this and it was absolutely delicious! I’m telling myself that consciously deciding to have a second slice doesn’t count as overeating – that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! 😊 Froze the rest and I’m excited to have this amazing dessert waiting for me over the next few weeks.
Quick question – I’ve noticed that many vegan recipes call for coconut cream or the thick part from coconut milk cans, which totally makes sense. But lately, my local stores have started carrying all these new dairy-free heavy whipping creams that I didn’t even know existed before going vegan! Specifically, I’m seeing Silk Heavy Whipping Cream, Country Crock Dairy Free Heavy Whipping Cream, and Califia Farms Dairy Free Heavy Whip Substitute everywhere now.
Have you experimented with any of these newer products as substitutes for coconut cream? I’m genuinely curious since these seem to be relatively recent additions to the market (at least in my area), and they’re so accessible now. Would love to know if you think they’d work here!
Thanks for this incredible recipe! 🍫
Hi Pasha, I’m so happy you love the cheesecake! I’ve used them a few times and they usually work pretty well. They don’t seem to whip all that well, in my experience. And sometimes coconut milk/cream is still preferred because coconut milk hardens when it gets cold (so for this cheesecake, it helps it firm up). I don’t think I’d use them in cheesecake, but you could always try it and see what happens.
Oh wow, I didn’t even realize until you mentioned it – looking at them again, both the Silk and Country Crock have those pour spouts. Should’ve been a dead giveaway that these are meant to stay pourable, totally different from coconut cream that gets thick and solid! Yeah, definitely not going to work for a cheesecake where you need that firming action. Makes total sense now!
Thanks so much for taking the time to reply and set me straight! Really appreciate the insight. 😊
This looks like a perfect dessert for my vegan husband’s birthday. I’m curious, if I were to half the recipe, should I reduce the cooking time? If so, to what? Thanks!
Yes, you should only need to bake the smaller cheesecake for about 35 to 45 minutes. Check it around the 35 minute mark just in case! Happy baking 🙂
I used this recipe and used Trader Joe Cream cheese which is my opinion is the best vegan cream cheese and it worked excellent. I also used plant based yogurt instead of coconut cream and used one more tablespoon of corn starch. This is a great recipe …👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿
Hi Tavey . Thanks for sharing your positive review, as well as your experience with the recipe! Happy cooking to you!
Hello, I am wondering how many chocolate bars this recipe calls for? I can’t wait to make it! Thank you.
Hi there! It depends on the ounces in your particular chocolate bars, you need 10 ounces total. That’s usually 3 or 3 1/2 bars. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Nora,
I want to bake this cheesecake so bad, however, will the coconut cream taste be obvious?
Thank you.
I honestly can’t taste even a hint of coconut, because of all the other flavors. I suppose if you really hate coconut and are sensitive to it, you might taste it. But no one ever thinks it tastes like coconut, and I have some coconut hating family members. Hope that helps!
Yummmm!! This cheesecake is so decadent and creamy. Luxurious is a strange word for food, but this really is a luxurious cake. When I was baking it, it started rising so high it spilled over the top towards the end of baking, but it settled back down pretty nicely while cooling. Not sure why it did that, but it didn’t affect the flavor negatively.
Hi Melissa. Thank you for sharing your wonderful feedback about the cheesecake! I am so glad that you loved it!
Uk note I made half the recipe in 9in pie dish using Plant based Philadelphia I was pleased with the result. The philadelphia cream cheese stood up well to being cooked DH was delighted with a cooked cheesecake and non vegan friends asked for seconds always a good thing …I am going to try some other Nora cheesecake recipe when my nephew visits this month and will report further. Thank you Nora hope this is helpful
Hi Dosa. I’m glad the cheesecake turned out well for you! Thank you for sharing your positive words, and helpful information. I think you will enjoy the other cheesecake recipes! Happy cooking!
Hi I cooked my cheesecake…is it supposed to be jiggly when it comes out. I’ve never baked a cheesecake before, only used no bake method so I’m not sure what it’s supposed to be like.
Hi Morgan. When you first take it out it will still be jiggly, but it will firm up as it cools. It’s not ready to eat right away, it needs time to chill, just like regular cheesecake. Hope that helps! I also want to mention that the brand of vegan cream cheese you used is important. Some do not work well, such as Daiya brand and Violife. Hope this helps!
This looks amazing. Can this be made into mini cheesecake? If so, how many does it make (for dividing ingredients into muffin liners)?
Sorry, I haven’t tested it so I’m really not sure how many it would make, though I’m guessing a lot as it’s a big cheesecake!
I was just wondering where you normally buy Tofutti brand cream cheese from? I live in Canada and I’ve only ever seen their sour cream. Was wondering if your homemade cream cheese or any other recipe ones would work? Thanks!
Hi Kayla. Tofutti and Kite Hill are the best brands of cream cheese to use for this recipe. I would not use homemade cream cheese. I believe Tofutti can be found at Safeway, Albertson’s and Fred Meyer. I’m sure other grocery stores carry it as well. I hope this helps!
Is there something I can use in place of aluminum foil. Thanks
If you don’t have foil, you can place the springform pan in a slightly larger cake pan so the batter is caught if it leaks. Foil is always the best method though!
Treelinecheese.com ( cream cheese) ✅
Hello there, Thanks for your wonderful recipes! I’m thinking I want to make these into mini cheesecakes. Do you have any thoughts about how Kong they might take to bake in regular muffin size tins?
Hi. You are welcome! I’m glad you are enjoying my recipes! I think mini cheesecakes would work. I’d say to bake about 20-25 minutes in the oven. I have not made them as mini cheesecake, so am not 100% sure on the time. I hope this helps! Let me know how they turn out for you!
Looking to try this recipe for family dinner this weekend, is it possible using your cashew cream cheese recipe you have as a substitute for store bought?
Unfortunately, I don’t think it will work the same, sorry!
This was so tasty!! I have used a cashew cream cheese recipe in both this and the vanilla cheesecake from Nora’s recipes and it’s worked beautifully. I haven’t tried Nora’s cream cheese recipe but I’ve used thee burger dudes one for both these cheesecakes and it’s worked so well! I’m in Australia, there’s not many vegan cream cheese available from the shops where I am!
I love that guy! I’m glad to know his cream cheese recipe worked in the cheesecake recipes, thanks for sharing this option.
I made this for my brother’s birthday and it turned out so well! I used tofutti cream cheese as suggested and the consistency was perfect. It also keeps very well. 10/10 would make it again and recommend!
Hi Carolyn! I’m so thrilled to hear the cheesecake turned out great for your brother’s birthday! Thank you for sharing your terrific review!
I want to make this but can’t seem to source Tofutti here in the UK…everywhere is saying no stock. I’ve not seen the Kite Hill brand anywhere either so I’m wondering if you can suggest an alternative please?
Hi Julie! It’s a bit hard for me to suggest something I haven’t tried, so I’m not totally sure here. If you have a different brand of dairy free cream cheese, you could try that. Just do not use Violife or any product that melts super quickly when warmed.
I made my Mom a mini version for her birthday!! So good!!
Thank you!
Hi Nora, I am making this tomorrow and am curious would chocolate wafer cookies work as a substitute for Oreos or is it important to use the cookie sandwich that has the white filling? Thanks!!
I think that would probably work, yes, though I haven’t tried it. I don’t see why not though, it should work well. Hope you enjoy the cheesecake!
Hi! On that note, do I use the whole Oreo or just the cookie part? Thanks!
Both whole Oreos and just the cookie part work well.
Oh there, I made cheese cake , the flavour is perfect, …….but my only concern is the jelly consistency of the cake, is that normal?
Hi there! It should not be anything like a jelly consistency, no. The texture should be almost exactly like dairy cheesecake, light but also rather dense and creamy. When you first take it out it will still be jiggly, but it will firm up a ton as it cools. It’s not ready to eat right away, it needs time to chill, just like regular cheesecake. Hope that helps! I’m also wondering what brand of vegan cream cheese you used, because some do not work well, such as Daiya brand and Violife.
This is so delicious. I halved the recipe and used Trader Joe’s vegan cream cheese and it worked perfectly. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!!
Hi Julie. I’m glad the cheesecake turned out wonderful for you! Thank you for sharing!
Julie, what size pan did you use if you halved it? I was thinking six inch and plan on using half the recipe. Thank you so much!
I use my regular 9” springform pan!
When I make the chocolate ganache for the topping, do you think I should put it on the cheesecake after it has cooled in the fridge, or after i take it out of the oven?
Yes, I would wait to put the ganache on until the cheesecake has cooled all the way. Hope that helps!
Sorry about the typo on my previous message but I said baked not bait.
I haven’t made this yet but it’s refreshing to see somebody actually make a vegan cheesecake that’s bait because that’s how you make cheesecake. Pray that there might be some vegan cheese takes out there that are perfectly fine that aren’t baked, but I’d like to be more authentic.
I think you will love this recipe because it seriously tastes just like regular cheesecake! Thank you!