Vegan Chai Spice Cheesecake Recipe
Like the rest of the world, I am in love with cheesecake! At my wedding, I even ditched the traditional cake and had mocha cheesecake and plain cheesecake served up for my guests. And with the holidays quickly approaching, I wanted to take my love of cheesecake and create a vegan alternative. Not only did I want to make a healthier cheesecake that was accommodating for many people’s dietary restrictions, but I wanted to bake something with a unique autumn flavor, apart from pumpkin (don’t get me wrong though, I do love pumpkin)! I’m excited to share with you my homemade creation of a Vegan Chai Spice Cheesecake! And I must say, it’s just as delicious as it sounds!
This cheesecake has three components: The crust, the cheesecake filling, and the chai spice swirl/topping.
The Ingredients
Crust:
- 1.5 cups vegan graham crackers (or 6 graham crackers). I used Annie’s vegan graham crackers.
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons Vega Vanilla Chai powder (optional substitute is chai spice)
- 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
- 3 Tablespoons coconut oil (solid)
Filling:
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 package of medium tofu
- 1 container of Tofutti cream cheese
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp Vega Vanilla Chai powder (optional substitute is chai spice)
Chai swirl/topping:
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2.5 T melted coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp Vega Vanilla Chai spice powder (optional substitute is chai spice)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Preparation
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap your tofu in cheesecloth or a towel to soak up all excess moisture.
2. Put all of your crust ingredients into a food processor or blender until blended very well. Breaking apart your graham crackers will help with this.
3. Spray a cake tin very well with coconut oil, and with your hands line and press down the graham cracker crust along the bottom and sides of tin.
4. Place in oven and bake for 6 minutes.
5. Now it’s time to make your cheesecake filling! Blend all of your filling ingredients together well in blender or food processor. Pour half of your batter into your cheesecake crust.
6. Now we will make our chai swirl. Mix up all of your ingredients in a small bowl with a whisk, adding the brown sugar last (since if you don’t stir right away it tends to clump up). Mix very well, and drizzle half of the mixture across your cheesecake.
7. Now pour on top the second half of your filling batter, and top again with the rest of your chai swirl topping.
8. Place in the oven for 40-45 minutes (check at 40). When you remove from the oven, the texture should feel spongey but not liquidy like a pudding.
9. Place in the refrigerator for 5-6 hours, then enjoy!
What I love about this vegan chai spice cheesecake is that it doesn’t feel as heavy as a regular cheesecake, but still has a deliscious, crumby crust with a rich chai and cinnamon taste! I taste tested it with family and friends who weren’t vegan, and they rather enjoyed it! Although this cheesecake does have maple syrup and a little sugar, it still is a great, healthier alternative to many other holiday desserts since the vegan cream cheese, tofu, and Vega plant-based protein vanilla chai powder pack it with protein, and not purely empty calories.
I can’t wait to share with my readers more holiday treats as we get further into September, and if you make my vegan chai spice cheesecake I would love to see pictures! You can tag me on Instagram @thehealthymouse . Happy healthy eating!
For my recipe making vegan chocolate frosting using Vega, click here.
