Description
This No Bake Vegan Caramel Pecan Cheesecake is a luscious, dairy-free dessert that combines a crunchy spiced pecan and biscoff cookie crust with a creamy cashew-based filling. Topped with a rich homemade vegan caramel sauce and toasted pecans, this indulgent cheesecake requires no baking and is perfect for gatherings or special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 50 g pecans
- 140 g biscoff cookies
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 60 g vegan butter (melted)
Filling
- 200 g cashews (soaked)
- 500 g vegan cream cheese
- 80 ml pure maple syrup
- 120 g vegan Greek-style yogurt
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Caramel Topping
- 200 g organic granulated sugar
- 30 ml water
- 80 g vegan butter (cubed)
- 100 ml vegan heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon Bourbon (optional)
- 150 g pecans
Instructions
- Prepare: Line the base and sides of a 7.5-inch or 8-inch cake tin with removable base using parchment paper to prevent sticking and make removal easier.
- Make the Crust: Toast 50 g pecans in a skillet over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until browned and fragrant. Transfer the toasted pecans to a food processor and add biscoff cookies, cinnamon, sea salt, and melted vegan butter. Blitz until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press evenly into the cake pan’s base using a spatula or flat-bottomed glass. Place in the freezer while preparing the filling.
- Prepare the Filling: Combine soaked cashews, vegan cream cheese, pure maple syrup, vegan Greek-style yogurt, coconut sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice in a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy with no lumps. Pour filling over the crust in the cake tin and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight until set. For quicker set, freeze for 4 hours.
- Unmold the Cheesecake: Once set, carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin. If the edges need smoothing, run a knife or cake scraper around them. Place the cheesecake in the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour while preparing the caramel topping.
- Make the Caramel Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine granulated sugar and water. Cook until the mixture turns a deep caramel color, being careful not to burn. Whisk in the cubed vegan butter carefully as it bubbles up. Slowly drizzle in vegan heavy cream while whisking continuously until combined. Remove from heat, then stir in vanilla extract, sea salt, and bourbon if using. Stir in 150 g pecans. Let the caramel cool to room temperature.
- Assemble the Topping: Once the caramel pecan mixture has cooled, spoon it generously over the cheesecake. Spread evenly to cover the surface.
Notes
- Soak cashews for at least 4 hours or overnight for best blending results and smooth filling texture.
- For a lower cream cheese option, you can reduce the amount of vegan cream cheese and replace with additional vegan Greek-style yogurt.
- Use organic granulated sugar and a good quality vegan butter for the richest caramel flavor.
- If bourbon is not preferred or available, omit it without impacting the caramel flavor too much.
- The cheesecake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
