Christmas Spice Cheesecakes

In my opinion no time of year is complete without it’s own cheesecake recipe. We really do love cheesecake in this household! I could have tried to include mincemeat, or clementine would have been nice but I know the younger members of the family are not fans of either of those. So what other Christmas addition could a cheesecake have? Well spice of course. Nothing says Christmas more than some warming spice whether in some gingerbread, mulled wine or even mince pies.

These cheesecakes we were a very big hit – the spice is on the form of ginger cookies in the base and Biscoff spread in the cheesecake layer. The result is delightful! In fact, by adding the Biscoff spread the cream cheese mixture gets a bit firmer, which is all the better for a no-bake cheesecake recipe. I find the addition of the yogurt is important to give a hint of sour that cuts through the sweet.

I’ve given the proportions for 4 individuals ramekins but I’d you want to make more, or one larger cake, just multiply as necessary.

Christmas Spice Cheesecakes

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes 4 individual ramekins

8 ginger biscuits, crushed

2 tbsp dairy-free margarine, melted

150g dairy-free cream cheese (I use 1 tub of Oatly cream spread)

1 tbsp dairy-free yogurt

2 tbsp icing sugar

3 tbsp smooth Biscoff spread

Christmas decorations of choice

Mix together the crushed biscuits with the melted margarine, divide between the 4 ramekins and press down to form a firm base. Place in the fridge to set.
Whisk together the cream cheese, yogurt, icing sugar and Biscoff spread until smooth and well combined. I find it easiest to use a food processor, but you can whisk it by hand.
divide the mixture evenly between the four ramekins and level off. Chill. When read to serve add Christmas themed decorations and a sprinkle of glittery icing sugar, if you have any.

No bake cookies and cream cheesecake

Cheesecake, albeit a dairy-free version is the most popular pudding in this household, in fact it’s always been one of my favourites ever since I was a child, however our preference is always a no-bake version. The close textured, some might say cleggy consistency of the baked version is less to my taste, whereas the no bake type has a freshness that I particularly like. It’s also a breeze to make which is always a bonus!

We always preferred Tofutti for cheesecakes as the texture and subtle sweetness was exactly right, but sadly we haven’t been able to buy any in the UK for a couple of years. We tried to make do with other brands for a while but they were never quite right, often with too much of a fake cheesy flavour for our liking. However, since Oatly have released their creamy spread we have a firm new favourite. In my opinion it’s a fantastic creamy cheese alternative, mild yet creamy and a brilliant spread to use in a cheesecake. Combine this with dairy-free whippable cream and you have a cheesecake with the texture of clouds – utterly divine.

Another fairly new find has been the Tesco free-from bourbons – Little S used to love Tesco bourbon biscuits so much but they sadly changed the recipe and they now have a sesame warning, which is too much of a risk for Little S so we have to avoid her favourite biscuits – sad days 😦

Luckily, Tesco have produced a new free-from version, they’re not quite the same but a pretty good substitute and they’ve made us very happy. Combined these crushed up chocolate cookies with the cloud like cheesecake mix and you have a heavenly dessert. Go on, make it this bank holiday weekend and you’ll have some very happy family or guests 🙂

No Bake Cookies and Cream Cheesecake

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, soya-free, sesame-free, vegan and vegetarian)

makes 1 cake

200g cookies, 150g finely crushed for the base 50g roughly crushed for the filling and topping

50g dairy-free margarine

4-5tbsp icing sugar, to taste

1 tub Oatly creamy spread

I carton whippable oatly cream

Crush the cookies, trying to keep some a little bigger for mine through the cheesecake. Place 150g of the crushed cookies into a bowl, add the melted margarine and stir. Press into the bottom of a tin (springform is easiest) and place in the fridge to set
Whip the Oatly whipping cream until it is the texture of whipped cream, add the icing sugar and creamy spread and whip until it’s all beautifully combined.
Take a few spoonfuls aside and place into a piping bag if you wish to decorate with rosettes.
Fold the remaining crushed cookies into the cheesecake. Spoon onto the chilled base and smooth over. Place in the fridge for at least half an hour to set.
Remove the tin and decorate with any remaining cookie crumbs and rosettes of whipped cream.
This cheesecake keeps in the fridge for about 3 days

Black Forest Cheesecake

I wanted to make a cheesecake for Sunday lunch last week and had all the necessary ingredients except for the icing sugar that I use to sweeten the cream cheese filling. It was nearly a case of no pudding for Sunday lunch – shock, horror! Luckily lurking at the back of the baking shelf was the remnants of a bag of Sugar and Crumbs black cherry icing sugar… could I use that? Then lightbulb moment, of course if it’s black cherry flavour then that goes perfectly with chocolate and we can have a black forest cheesecake. Bingo! What started as an experiment using what I had in the cupboard ended up as a complete hit. Everyone was wowing about it as a combination, so it’s certainly worth recreating 🙂

I urge you to seek out Sugar and Crumbs icing sugars and cocoa powders – they’re allergen free and flavoured with natural flavourings, and add an fabulous flavour to many a dish. If you don’t have the flavoured icing sugar then use either 1 tsp cherry essence, or maybe a tablespoon of cherry jam to flavour the cream cheese filling. Perhaps even a marble of cherry jam would be a nice addition?

Have you come across the Oatly ‘cream cheese’ yet? I’ve been emailing them for years to bring it to the UK as all their products are so good, I really hoped it would be a great cream cheese alternative. We always used Tofutti out of preference, as the creamy smooth spread was in our opinion the best you could buy. So many dairy-free cream cheeses are too ‘cheesy’ and no good substitution for a standard cream cheese which is smooth, creamy and mild tasting. So since the UK distributor of Tofutti disappeared we’ve had a sad lack of cheesecakes. These have been sad sad days as cheesecake is the favourite pudding in the household. But now with Oatly creamy spread is widely available in Tesco and Sainsbury’s, it’s back to cheesecake a go-go! The mild flavour works perfectly as a cream cheese substitute and carries additional flavours without any underlying cheesy aroma.

This black forest cheesecake will be the prefect Valentine’s day pud – i hope you enjoy as much as we did ❤

Black Forest Cheesecake

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, can be soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes one 20cm cake, serves 4-6

115g Biscuits, crushed (I used Lotus)

1 tbsp cocoa powder

3 tbsp dairy-free margarine, melted

1 tub of dairy-free cream cheese (150g)

1 tbsp dairy-free yogurt

2-3 tbsp black cherry icing sugar

30g dairy-free dark chocolate

fresh or glace cherries to garnish

Line a spring form cake tin with parchment.
Mix together the crushed biscuits, cocoa powder and melted margarine. Press into the bottom of the tin (and slightly up the sides if you’d like the biscuit crumb edge look). Place int he fridge to chill.
In a food processor (or with a whisk), whisk together the cream cheese, yogurt and 2 tbsps icing sugar. Taste and add more icing sugar if desired. Pour over the chilled base and level off. Leave in the fridge for at least a couple of hours to set.
Melt the chocolate and drizzle over the cheesecake. Garnish with glaze or fresh cherries.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

So needs must and we have had to make do with Violife which is probably the next best choice after Tofutti (although using it in a bagel like we did with Tofutti is maybe best avoided!).

I have made a delicious Ottolenghi white chocolate and honey cheesecake a few times and have really wanted to make the recipe ‘friendly’. In fact, the addition of white chocolate not only tempers any cheesiness but also gives a fantastic set cheesecake texture. All in all the combination of white chocolate and tart yogurt with the dairy-free cream cheese gives a wonderful finish and I’d thoroughly recommend giving it a go.

It may be January and the time for resolutions and health, but everything is so grim and bleak right now that a celebratory decadent white chocolate cheesecake is just the ticket! I’ve served mine with homemade blueberry compote but a drizzle of honey, or any fruity sauce would make a wonderful finishing touch.

White Chocolate Cheesecake

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, can be soya-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

serves 6-8

125g ginger or biscoff biscuits, crushed

40g dairy-free margarine, melted

170g dairy-free cream cheese

50g dairy-free greek style yogurt

20g icing sugar, sifted

zest of 1/2 a lemon

100g dairy-free white chocolate, melted

Mix the melted margarine with the crushed biscuits and press into the base of a spring-form tin. Place in the fridge to firm up
Whisk together the cream cheese, yogurt, icing sugar and zest until totally smooth
Stir in the melted white chocolate until fully combined
Pour over the biscuit base and level off. Place in the fridge for a least an hour to set
Remove the tin and serve in slices drizzled with fruit compote, sauce or a honey

Lime and Ginger Cheesecake

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Cheesecakes have always been one of my favourite puddings, and that remains the case since cooking dairy and egg-free. I’ve tried many, many truly awful recipes, but this ‘no bake’ recipe works an absolute treat.

Tofutti is the only dairy-free cream cheese that I rate, but this particular recipe can use any brand of vegan cream cheese to great effect. I find most dairy-free cream cheeses unpleasant and often rather pasty, but this recipe transforms even a disappointing ‘cheesy’ spread into a luxurious, zingy, creamy cheesecake. It’s luscious, cheesy, zesty and sings with flavour. A great way to end a rich or spicy meal. The combination of ginger and lime works really well and if you didn’t mention it to them, I’m fairly certain not many people would call it as a vegan cheesecake.

Lime and Ginger Cheesecake

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan) N.B. contains soya

This recipe makes 1 small cheesecake (enough for 4 small portions or 2 large)

100g ginger biscuits, crushed

1 tbsp dairy-free spread, melted

5 tbsps soya cream cheese

2-3 tbsps soya yogurt

Juice and zest of 1 lime

2-3 tbsps icing sugar

Mix the crushed biscuits with the melted spread. Press into the bottom of the pie tin, or into individual ramekins. Place in the fridge to set.
Whisk together the other ingredients until they are smooth. Taste and add more lime juice or icing sugar according to taste.
Pour onto the biscuit base, and level off the top.
Leave to set in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
Remove the tin prior to serving and garnish the top with a little more zest.

Baked Caramel Cheesecake (dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free)

Are you a baked or unbaked cheesecake fan? I definitely prefer unbaked one but they seem almost distinct desserts to me, more like siblings than twins. So it’s probably a good thing to have a wonderful baked cheesecake in your repertoire as well. In fact, I did some cheesecake research before devising this recipe and it seems that cheesecakes are popular throughout much of the world, with subtle variations but the baked version is more traditional.

There are many vegan recipes for baked cheesecakes but most seem to be made of soaked cashews. Clearly that’s not going to fit with my requirements of being nut-free but also I personally think people are deluding themselves with cashews. To me the resulting concoctions taste like cashew nuts funnily enough – like all nuts they have a strong pervading flavour. It seems like that’s just me as people rave about cashew-based puddings, but I have never come across a cashew product which isn’t inherently nutty. So, yep you guessed it, there are no nuts in my baked cheesecake!

This cheesecake recipe is made using tofu and in my opinion gives amazing results, the texture is completely spot on to replicate the dense, slightly cloying nature of a baked cheesecake, with the bonus prizes of a bit of wobble and squidge. I have to admit that while the results were really authentic, nobody in the family liked it as much as an unbaked cheesecake – I guess we’re just a family that prefers that fresher taste.

To add flavour to tofu which is essentially very bland, I’ve incorporated a few dollops of Lotus caramelised spread, giving a wonderful caramel taste which works so well with a fruit syrup. I’m thinking that chocolate spread or Wow Butter would work well too.

Baked Caramel Cheesecake

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan) N.B. contains soya

Makes an 8 inch cheesecake

15 ginger nuts or 18 Lotus biscuits

3 tbsp dairyfree margarine

300g silken tofu

1 tbsp cornflour

1 tbsp dairyfree milk

4 tbsp lotus caramelised spread

4 tbsp icing sugar

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Centigrade
Turn the biscuits into crumbs by either placing in a bag and thumping with a rolling pin or whizzing in a food processor
Melt the margarine and combine with the biscuit crumbs. Press firmly into a springform cake tin and bake for 10 minutes. Cool.
Mix together the cornflour and milk to make a thin paste and set aside.
In a food processor, blend together the tofu cornflour paste, lotus spread and icing sugar until totally smooth.
Pour on top of the biscuit base and level off. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until set with a little wobble in the middle and slightly browned around the edges.
Leave to cool fully in the tin.
Serve with blueberry couli or caramel sauce.

Dairy-free Chocolate Cheesecake

Now, obviously you can’t make a really authentic cheesecake if you don’t eat dairy – you do need plenty of cream cheese after all! I’ve made plenty with soya cream cheese which makes a fantastic fruity cheesecake. This chocolate based recipe is pretty inspired as it’s made made using silken tofu, which was kindly supplied by Mori-Nu. It’s a particularly versatile and good quality tofu and my preferred brand of choice when either making savoury dishes such as salt and pepper tofu, or a sweet dish as found here.

The tofu base is quite a revelation, on first reading it doesn’t sound good does it? Tofu cheesecake, it sounds bland and a bit meh. But in fact the results are inspired and delicious. The texture is as smooth and creamy as a cheesecake should be and the chocolate flavour is happily soaked up by the tofu to make a wonderfully rich and decadent filling. All this from six simple ingredients, you can’t go wrong with that!

Dairy-free Chocolate Cheesecake

(dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes one 12 inch cheesecake, enough to serve at least 8

200g crushed biscuits, I used Lotus Caramalised Biscuits

50g dairy-free spread, melted

350g pack firm silken tofu

170g dairy-free chocolate, such as Kinnerton

4 tbsps golden syrup/maple syrup (or use honey if you’re not vegan)

1 tbsp sunflower oil

grated chocolate to decorate

Melt the dairy-free spread and stir into the crushed biscuits. Press into the bottom of a loose base tart tin. Place in the fridge to set.
Meanwhile, in a blender pulse the silken tofu with the syrup/honey until smooth.
Melt the chocolate and oil together either over a bain-marie or in a microwave. Stir until smooth.
Carefully stir the chocolate into the tofu mix until well combined.
Pour over the biscuit base. Smooth over the top and then leave to set in the fridge for at least a few hours.
Decorate the top as desired, I used shaved white chocolate.

Disclaimer: Mori-Nu sent me a pack of tofu which I used to create this recipe.

Oreo Cheesecake

I saw a pin of an Oreo cheesecake on Pinterest and felt inspired to make my own version – there was something so appealing about the contrasting creamy white cheesecake mix sandwiched between the almost black crumb layers. Besides my girls love cheesecake over any other pudding so I always relish an opportunity to make a new variety!

Oreo Cheesecake (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

200g Bourbon biscuits (check they’re dairy-free), crushed
1 tbsp dairy-free spread, melted
1 tub tofutti better than cream cheese
3 tbsp icing sugar
2 tbsp vanilla or plain dairy-free yogurt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

– Place 1/3rd of the crushed biscuits in a bowl and set aside
– Add the melted spread to the remaining crushed biscuits
– Press into the bottom of a flan or cake tin
– Thoroughly beat together the cream cheese, yogurt, icing sugar and vanilla
– Spread over the biscuit base, level off neatly and place in the fridge to firm up
– Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the top of the cheesecake and return to the fridge until ready to serve

Strawberries and Cream Pie

The fruity theme continues! This recipe evolved from a total experiment – I was going to make a traditional strawberry cheesecake for pudding, but wondered how it would work if the strawberries were combined with the cheesecake mix rather than as a topping.

Truth be told, this was also an attempt at being cunning! Little S isn’t the greatest berry fan, and she’s be known to scrape off any recognisable berry, so I reckoned in combining them with the cream cheese mixture she wouldn’t have the option! Good plan it was too! By adding the strawberry purée to the cream cheese mix the filling becomes more mousse like, the flavour is spot on ‘strawberries and cream’, and it looks rather elegant too!

Strawberries and Cream Pie (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan)

1/2 pack Bourbon biscuits, crushed
1 tbsp dairy-free spread, melted
1 tub tofutti cream cheese
1 cup chopped strawberries
1 tsp vanilla
1/4-1/2 cup icing sugar, depending on taste

– Mix together the crushed biscuits and melted spread and press into the bottom of a loose leaf cake tin
– Place in the fridge to set
– Meanwhile, whizz up the strawberries in a food processor until they become a smooth purée
– Add the cream cheese, vanilla and 1/4 cup of icing sugar
– Pulse until it has formed a smooth mixture that’s well combined
– Taste and add more icing sugar if desired
– Pour over the biscuit base and leave to set in the fridge for a couple of hours

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

Cheesecake is a big favourite in our household – probably the most requested pudding/dessert, even above chocolate brownies! This version is is reminiscent of those chocolate cheesecakes you get in supermarkets and certainly will please anyone who prefers chocolate to fruity flavours. It also has the magic of being able to fool any dairy-eater into enjoying the pudding without realising they’re eating some ‘funny food’ – always a most satisfying result! 😉

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, vegetarian and vegan) N.B. contains soya

This makes 2 small or 1 medium sized cheesecake

100g Lotus biscuits, crushed
2 tbsp dairy-free spread (I use Pure)
1 pack (225g) of dairy-free cream cheese (I prefer Tofutti)
3 tbsp dairy-free yogurt
4 tbsp icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/3 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
1 tsp cocoa powder

– Melt the dairy free spread and mix into the crushed biscuits.
– Tip into a springform or loose bottomed tin and firmly press down
– Place in the fridge to firm up
– In a food processor, or with a hand held whisk, beat together the cream cheese, yogurt, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
– Taste, adding more vanilla or sugar as desired
– Stir in the chocolate chips
– Pour onto the biscuit base, level off the top and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours
– Dust with cocoa powder and remove from the tin.