Have I been converted to a No Bake Cheesecake lover?
I’ve always been a staunch no bake cheesecake h@ter but ever since the creation of this Lemon Cheesecake recipe I’ve been converted!
Perhaps because of the triple dose of intense lemon is what gives it a creamy cheesecake-y zing!
Creamy & zingy is what lemon cheesecake is known for!
This is not a frozen dessert!
Probably my biggest pet peeve when it comes to no bake vegan cheesecakes that are cashew based,
Is the fact that they have to remain frozen to serve otherwise they collapse into a pool of nutty cream
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Notes for Success:
The prep time listed reflects the time needed to set in the freezer before serving which is about 3 hours
You will need an 8″ springform pan for this recipe
I don’t want to use agar!
If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, that’s okay too
I’ve left the agar out on one test and the resulting cake is slightly less stable
So if you do decide to leave it out I would recommend to keep the cheesecake in the freezer until you’re ready to serve
Pay attention to the strength of agar you are using
I use 900 Strength agar in my recipes CLICK HERE FOR THE EXACT BRAND *not sponsored
Do I have to make the lemon curd custard?
No because there is a large addition of custard in the actual cheesecake, you really can’t skip that part!
The custard addition is what sets my no bake cheesecake apart from the others!
Any vegan cream cheese brand will work great for No-Bake Cheesecakes!
The main key to success in a cashew cream based cheesecake is using a high speed blender to get it smooth!
I have tried in the past to use just a food processor and it does not do the trick!
Cornstarch is a very difficult ingredient to measure consistently with a volume spoons measure
So while I list both measures below I cannot stress enough how the grams measure with a scale is going to give you the best results.
The cashew amount listed in the recipe below is raw cashews, not yet soaked
Yield: serves 12ppl
No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
Please read the instructions 2X to understand the process before beginning!
Prep Time
4 hours
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
4 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
For the Lemon Curd Custard
- Plant Milk 1 cup (240ml)
- Water ¾ cup (177ml)
- Lemon Juice ½ cup (118ml)
- Granulated Sugar ¾ cup (150g)
- Cornstarch 3 Tablespoons (24g)
- Lemon Zest 2 teaspoons
For the Crust
- Lemon Cookies approx 1½ cups crushed cookies (160g) *MAKE IT GLUTEN FREE BY USING A GF COOKIE!
- Vegan Butter melted 4 Tablespoons (56g)
For the Lemon Cheesecake
- Raw Cashews 2 cups (300g)
- Lemon Custard (from above recipe) 1 cup
- Lemon Juice 1/3 cup (80ml)
- Sugar ½ cup (100g)
- Agar ½ teaspoon
- Vegan Cream Cheese 12 ounces (336g) *see notes above
Instructions
- If you have acetate cake strips, I like to line the inside of my springform pan with it.
- If you don’t have it, it’s not imperative
- First prepare the crust by crushing the vegan cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs
- Add the melted vegan butter and combine until it resemble wet sand.
- Press this into the bottom of an un-greased springform pan and refrigerate until needed
- Next prepare the lemon custard by whisking the sugar with the cornstarch in a small bowl, then add it to a medium sauce pot along with the water, lemon juice and plant milk
- Bring it up to a rolling boil whisking constantly to prevent scorching on the bottom
- Once it boils fully add the lemon zest and then pour 2 cups of the custard into a heatproof container and reserve in the refrigerator to set and cool for later~ this becomes the topping
- The remaining custard in the pot will get the sugar and lemon juice listed from the cheesecake portion of the recipe as well as the agar
- Return this to the stove and cook over medium heat until it boils once again, stirring constantly then take it off the heat & reserve at room temperature
- Next prepare the cheesecake batter by boiling the cashews in about 1 cup of water.
- Once it boils turn off the heat and let them soak for 30 minutes
- Drain the cashews and place them into a high speed blender with the remaining cheesecake ingredients including the lemon custard with the agar addition that you just re-boiled
- Blend on high until the mixture is smooth
- Pour into the prepared crust & freeze the cheesecake for at least 3 hours or overnight then unmold it from the pan and spread the remaining lemon custard over top
Notes
Lemon Cheesecake must be kept refrigerated at all times.
It will stay fresh for up to 1 week
For longer storage freeze for up to 2 months ~ wrapped well
See notes in the text article for those not using the agar addition, as this may require freezing in order to set properly
