Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake
This vegan strawberry cheesecake is a no-bake summer dessert built on a crunchy biscuit base, a soft-but-creamy strawberry cheese layer set with agar agar, and a fresh strawberry topping. It comes together in a food processor and needs only a few hours in the fridge to set, so there is no oven and no fuss. If you want a crowd-pleasing dessert that happens to be completely dairy-free, this is the one to make.
Be honest, have you ever had a cheesecake you didn’t like? I find it highly curious. I think cheesecake can be good even when it’s pretty bad, because the ingredients that go into it usually end up delicious even if the person making it isn’t paying much attention. I have pretty much enjoyed every cheesecake I’ve made until today, but now I can say for sure that I’ve got a knack for it. And so can you, with a little practice.
This is also my favorite kind of vegan cheesecake, with a simple biscuit base, a soft but creamy cheese mix on top, and some kind of fruit topping, usually strawberries. I’ve seen this type of cheesecake served at many festivals in the food court, and another cool trend I’ve seen is semi-frozen cheesecakes on a stick. Today’s recipe can be customized that way too, but for consistency’s sake I would advise you make it as written first and see how you like it.
The ingredients that make it work
The base is nothing more than crumbled digestive biscuits bound together, so reach for a good-quality biscuit you enjoy on its own, and use gluten-free biscuits if you need the cake to be gluten-free. Poppy seeds, flax seeds and crushed almonds go into that base too, adding a little texture and nutty flavor that keeps it from tasting like a plain crust. The melted coconut oil is the glue: as it chills in the fridge it firms up and holds the pressed base together, which is why this crust sets without any baking.
For the filling, use vegan cream cheese at room temperature so it stirs smoothly into the warm strawberry mixture without seizing into lumps. The strawberries should be ripe and fragrant, since fresh strawberries carry this cake and there is nothing to hide behind. Maple syrup keeps the sweetness gentle, and the agar agar is what turns a loose fruit-and-cheese mix into a sliceable cheesecake layer. Save your best-looking berries, a spoonful of strawberry jam, shredded coconut and a few mint leaves for the top.
Why agar agar sets this cheesecake
Agar agar is a plant-based gelling agent from seaweed, and it is what lets this no-bake cheesecake hold a clean slice without eggs or gelatin. The important thing is that agar only activates with heat: it has to be brought to a simmer to dissolve fully, then it gels as it cools. That is exactly why the recipe has you simmer the blended strawberries and agar flakes for about five minutes before anything else happens. If you skip the simmer or pull the pot off too early, the flakes never fully dissolve and the filling stays soft instead of setting firm.
Because agar sets as it cools, you also want to work fairly quickly once you stir the warm strawberry mixture into the room-temperature cream cheese. Combine it, pour it over the base, and get it into the fridge so it sets evenly rather than starting to gel in the bowl.
How to get a clean, creamy result
- Press the base firmly and evenly into the dish so it holds together when you slice; a flat-bottomed glass makes this easy.
- Let the vegan cream cheese come to room temperature first so it blends into the warm strawberry mixture without lumps.
- Give the agar its full simmer, roughly five minutes, until you no longer see undissolved flakes. This is the step that decides whether your cheesecake sets.
- Line the cake dish with plastic foil, as the recipe suggests, so you can lift the whole cheesecake out cleanly once it is chilled.
- Chill for at least four hours, or overnight if you can, before adding the fresh topping and slicing.
Make it your own
I also happen to like blueberry cheesecake, and generally any kind of berry topping or jam goes well with cheesecakes, so once you are comfortable with the method you can swap the strawberries for another berry you love. If you want to lean into that festival trend, you can portion the set cheesecake into bars and semi-freeze them on a stick. Just remember my one piece of advice: make it as written the first time, then experiment. If you like building a dessert repertoire, browse more vegan no-bake desserts or, for a richer version, my vegan chocolate cheesecake.
I would recommend giving this to your kids as well. Even though I don’t recommend forcing a vegan lifestyle on them, you can safely reward your children with this cheesecake, and it fits right in with other vegan recipes for kids. I know I loved cheesecake as a kid, but I didn’t know it could be vegan back then, and I feel grateful for having been shown these cruelty-free alternatives that are as delicious as the original.
Storing and making it ahead
This is a make-ahead dessert by design, since it needs four hours or an overnight chill to set anyway. Keep it covered in the fridge and add the fresh strawberries, jam, coconut and mint just before serving so the topping stays bright and the biscuit base does not soften. An agar-set filling holds its shape well in the fridge over a couple of days, which makes this a good choice to prepare the day before guests arrive. For more no-oven ideas to plan around, my collection of vegan sugar-free desserts pairs nicely with this one.
I have to admit I’ve done a little experiment with this recipe in the past. I’ve made it a few times for different people without telling them it was vegan, and not only did none of them notice, some even asked for the recipe and were mildly surprised when I told them there is no actual cheese in this cake. It has been a fun experiment, and I think it is a pretty good way to get people curious about vegan food.
If you make this vegan strawberry cheesecake, I would love to know how it turned out, so please rate the recipe and leave a comment below telling me whether your agar layer set the way you hoped, or which berry you reached for on top. As always, I can hardly wait to hear your thoughts.
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Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups strawberries fresh, hulled
- 2 cups vegan cream cheese
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 4 Tbsp agar agar flakes
For the base:
- 3 cups digestive biscuits crumbled – use GF if needed
- 2 Tbsp poppy seed
- 1 Tbsp flax seeds
- 2 Tbsp almonds crushed
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
For the topping:
- 1 cup strawberries fresh
- 2 tbsp coconut shredded
- mint leaves
- strawberry jam
Instructions
- In a food processor, add all the ingredients for the base, except for the coconut oil. Pulse until well combined.
- Add the coconut oil and pulse a few more times until incorporated.
- Discard in a cake dish covered with plastic foil and press to form a layer of the base.
- Using a food processor, add the strawberries and syrup and blend until smooth.
- Add the mixture to a pot and bring to a simmer.
- Add the agar and stir to incorporate. Simmer for about 5 minutes until the agar flakes dissolve.
- Add the vegan cream cheese (room temperature) into a bowl and stir in the strawberry mixture. Mix until incorporated.
- Pour over the base and set into the fridge for about 4 hours or overnight.
- Top with strawberries, jam, shredded coconut and mint leaves and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. It uses vegan cream cheese, maple syrup, coconut oil, digestive biscuits, seeds, almonds, fresh strawberries and agar agar, with no dairy, eggs, gelatin or honey. The filling is set with agar agar, a seaweed-based gelling agent, so nothing animal-derived is needed. Choose a plant-based vegan cream cheese and check that your biscuits are dairy-free to keep it fully vegan.
No, this is a no-bake cheesecake. The biscuit base sets in the fridge because melted coconut oil firms up when chilled, and the filling sets thanks to the agar agar. You only need a food processor, a pot to simmer the agar, and about four hours in the fridge or overnight.
Blend the strawberries with maple syrup, bring the mixture to a simmer in a pot, then stir in the agar flakes and keep simmering for about five minutes until the flakes fully dissolve. Agar only activates with heat and then gels as it cools, so this simmer is essential. Stir the warm mixture into room-temperature vegan cream cheese, pour over the base, and chill until firm.
Yes. The only ingredient to watch is the digestive biscuits, so simply swap in your favorite gluten-free biscuits when making the base. The rest of the recipe, including the strawberries, vegan cream cheese, coconut oil and agar agar, is naturally gluten-free.
This dessert is designed to be made ahead, since it needs at least four hours or an overnight chill to set. Keep it covered in the fridge and it holds its shape well for a couple of days thanks to the agar-set filling. Add the fresh strawberries, jam, coconut and mint just before serving so the topping stays fresh and the base stays crisp.
Yes. Any berry topping or fruit jam works well with this style of cheesecake, so blueberries or another berry you love make a natural swap. Keep the method the same and just change the fruit you blend into the filling and use for the topping. Try the recipe with strawberries first, then experiment once you know how the agar behaves.
Wow, so good! The strawberry jelly is a nice extra, it goes perfectly with the cheesecake!
Thank you!
Sounds lovely but how fo you make vegan cream cheese
Hi, Ruth! For this recipe, I bought it from the store, but I will make a homemade vegan cream cheese recipe soon and post it on the blog. 😉