No-bake mini vegan cheesecakes
These no-bake mini vegan cheesecakes are proof that being dairy and egg free is no reason to miss out on delicious pudding! These are perfect as a special dessert when cooking for a crowd . We’ve made them for birthday celebrations, festive get togethers… and just to cheer up a mid week slump day!
Quick reference dietary information
Dairy, egg & soy free | gluten free option | nut free option | vegan
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Ingredients and dietary requirements:
These no-bake cheesecakes contain no eggs, dairy or soy. If you choose the right biscuits, it is also possible to make them free from nuts and gluten.
The three main ingredients of the cheesecakes are dairy free cream cheese, dairy free double cream, and vegan biscuits. Here are the products I like to use:
Dairy free cream cheese – I use Violife creamy for this recipe, after reading that it’s good for these kind of desserts due to the fat content. I can confirm that it does work well! As well as being vegan, it is also free from nuts and gluten.
Dairy free double cream – I use Elmlea plant, which is also gluten free and contains no nuts.
Vegan biscuits – You may be pleasantly surprised at how many biscuits are accidentally vegan! There are a good range to choose from and each will give a slightly different end result.
You can make these mini cheesecakes with many different types of biscuits, but my top favourites are bourbon creams. I buy the Sainsbury’s own brand which are vegan, as are Tesco and Waitrose own brand versions (I last checked on 16th June 2023). But, be aware that there are other brands of bourbon creams which do contain dairy, such as the M&S own brand version.
More biscuit options with no dairy, egg or soy in the ingredients:
- M&S plant kitchen cookies
- Hob nobs
- Ginger nuts
- Belmont caramelised biscuits (from Aldi)
Biscuits which are also gluten and/or nut free:
- Angelic allergen free cookies*, available in chocolate chip, double chocolate, or ginger and chocolate chip. They are free from all top 14 allergens, including dairy, egg, soy, nuts and gluten.
- Freee Organic Gluten Free Choc Chip Cookies are also top 14 allergen free.
- Rhythm 108 chocolate hazelnut biscuits are gluten free, but do contain nuts.
Biscuits with no dairy & egg in the ingredients, but which do contain soy:
- Oreos
- Lotus Biscoff biscuits
Whichever products you use, always double check ingredients as they can – and do – change without warning. Some of these products carry a ‘may contain’ warning for milk and other allergens, so always check if they are suitable for your own personal circumstances.
Equipment you’ll need to make no-bake mini vegan cheesecakes
Before you get going with making your no bake mini vegan cheesecakes, you will need to have all your equipment in order. You will be using:
- A large mixing bowl.
- An electric whisk. I use this Kenwood whisk*, which I love.
- A food processor to crush the biscuits (but equally a bash with the rolling pin will be just as effective, albeit with a bit more effort!). I use a Kenwood food processor*. It’s very reasonably priced and has stood me in good stead for many years. You can certainly get more high end food processors, but for me this more basic model has worked well.
- Individual portion sized small glasses or ramekins to serve the mini cheesecakes in. I either use leftover GU pots – which are very plentiful in our house – or our trusty Duralex Picardie glasses*. These glasses are great as they are toughened so you don’t need to worry about them getting smashed. We have them in loads of sizes, and the little ones are perfect for this kind of pudding. We also make dairy free yogurt sundaes and trifles in them.
Can no-bake mini vegan cheesecakes be frozen?
Yes! If you’ve got space then these are really handy to have in the freezer. They need only a few hours to defrost, so they can be taken out the night before, or even the morning you want to use them. Because they are already in individual portions you can easily get one or two out at a time.
Put the cheesecakes into the freezer before adding any toppings. When you freeze them just make sure to wrap in something like cling film to avoid freezer burn (If anyone has a more sustainable idea than cling film please get in touch and tell me!). And also check that the container you have used is suitable to go in the freezer.
No-bake cheesecake variations
You can use this recipe as a basis to make lots of different vegan cheesecakes, all of which are no-bake! Here are a few ideas:
- Top with fresh fruit and vegan whipped cream for a summery twist.
- Make one big no-bake vegan cheesecake instead of mini versions – it will just need a bit longer to set in the fridge.
- Change the flavour by varying which biscuits you use; see the ingredients section above for ideas on which biscuits don’t contain dairy or egg.
- Mix up your toppings – switch the crumbled biscuits for grated dairy free chocolate, desiccated coconut or rainbow sprinkles!
- Serve as a mousse by leaving out the biscuit base.
No-bake mini vegan cheesecakes
Equipment
- 8 individual portion sized ramekins or small glasses
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric hand whisk
- Food processor optional
Ingredients
- 280 g vegan biscuits (160g for the base and 120g for the filling) e.g. vegan bourbon creams; see above for more vegan biscuit options
- 50 g dairy free spread
- 450 g vegan cream cheese (I use Violife creamy)
- 90 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 190 ml vegan double cream (I use Elmlea plant)
Instructions
To make the base:
- Crush up 160g of the biscuits into small pieces (but stop before it becomes too fine – you want it to be crunchy). You can use a food processor, or bash with a rolling pin for more of a workout!
- Melt the dairy free spread and mix into the crushed biscuits, until well combined.
- Set out your 8 individual portion sized ramekins or small glasses. Divide the mix across the containers; you only want a thin layer as a base. Press down lightly (not too hard or it becomes too solid to get your spoon through!).
To make the filling:
- Next, get going with the cheesecake filling. Spoon your vegan cream cheese into a mixing bowl with the vanilla extract and icing sugar. Mix it up using an electric hand whisk, until it is well combined.
- Then add in the vegan double cream and whisk again until the mixture is thick and creamy.
- Crush up the remaining biscuits (120g). You want a mix of crumbs and some bigger chunks. Stir the crushed biscuits through the creamy mix, making sure you get an even distribution.
- Spoon the filling evenly across the 8 containers.
- Put in the fridge for at least 4 hours (but ideally overnight) to firm up.
- When ready to serve you can crumble some extra biscuits on top.
Notes
Looking for more dairy egg and soy free pudding ideas?
You might like to try:
- Oat and berry crumble (free from dairy, egg and wheat)
- Raspberry dairy free ‘nice cream’ or raspberry & coconut milk mousse
- Our favourite dairy free ice lolly recipes for babies and toddlers
- Healthy chocolate mousse, made with banana and avocado
- Easy & delicious allergen free cookie sandwiches
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