Vegan Cheesecake Recipe

By definition a vegan is one who makes the choice not to consume animals or make use of any animal by-products for food, clothing, or otherwise. It is many times considered a tough lifestyle, but for those who live it, it is very rewarding.

Many times, people may assume that a vegan cannot enjoy the tasty foods we all get to have. In some instances, it’s true… no ice cream, no fried chicken, etc.

On the other hand, they have their own yummy favorites. I have a vegan friend who loves tofu (obviously) and shared her favorite cheesecake recipe with me.

She loves the simplicity of this recipe, not to mention there are no animal products! For this vegan cheesecake, it doesn’t hurt that it tastes pretty good too.

Ingredients:

• 1 (12 ounce) package soft tofu
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2) In a blender, combine the tofu, soy milk, sugar, vanilla extract and maple syrup. Blend until smooth and pour into pie crust.

3) Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool; refrigerate until chilled.

While this vegan cheesecake recipe doesn’t necessarily turn out tasting the same as that cream cheese cheesecake, it is a fun twist on an old favorite. For some added flavors, try slicing some berries and topping your cheesecake with them. It’s a delicious way to add color to this simple vegan cheesecake. Enjoy!

Simple Cheesecake Recipe

A simple cheesecake recipe can sometimes be hard to find. You want a cheesecake recipe which is delicious yet, simple…easy, but flavorful. It’s a tough balance; at least it was until I found this simple cheesecake recipe. It’s so easy!

While the flavor is simply plain, it gives you so many options as to what to use for topping. Want a cherry cheesecake? Try this recipe with a can of cherry topping (better yet, some fresh cherries!)

Maybe chocolate cheesecake is more “your speed”. This recipe with a hot fudge glaze or sauce is a great addition. Experiment with it. Have fun, bake limitlessly, and love every inch of this simple, simple cheesecake recipe!

Yield: 8 slices

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 prepared graham cracker pie crust

Topping Ideas

• 1/2 cup sour cream (mixed with 2 tbsp sugar)
• 1 cup cherry pie filling
• 2 cups fresh strawberries
• prepared Jello gelatin
• a thin chocolate sauce

Directions

1) Mix cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and eggs.

2) Pour into premade pie crust.

3) Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until a 3 inch circle in center jiggles when you “give it a shake”.

4) Cool 3 hours or overnight.

5) Serve with desired topping…enjoy!

My personal favorite topping is a drizzle of chocolate sauce with some freshly sliced strawberries atop this delicious cheesecake. This recipe is perfect for any occasion where a cheesecake is needed in a short amount of time or when ingredients are running low… but cheesecake cravings are running high.

Any time, any day, any reason, any occasion, any slice, any way—it’s a yes to this simple cheesecake recipe. Give it a try for yourself.

Banana Split Cheesecake Recipe

Wow… this banana split cheesecake recipe is insane. The day I ran across this recipe was also the day I baked it; it just sounded so delicious! Who would have thought that you could take two completely different desserts and make one super supreme snack.

The trick is that this recipe is basically a banana cheesecake. The banana split part comes in the topping. What an overflow of toppings…but how tasty!

I’m sure you’re just dying to try this recipe out, just as I was, so why wait any longer. Go ahead… get started now.

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients:

Crust:

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1 cup packaged chocolate cookie crumbs (such as Oreo)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted

Filling:

• 4 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups banana; mashed and ripe
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

Toppings:

• 1/3 cup canned crushed pineapple in juice, drained
• 1/3 cup strawberry sundae syrup
• 1/3 cup chocolate syrup
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 16 maraschino cherries, drained

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325°.

2) To prepare crust, combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl; toss with a fork until moist. Press into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray.

3) To prepare filling, beat cheeses and sour cream at high speed of a mixer until smooth. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, banana, flour, and vanilla; beat well. Add eggs, 1 at a time; beat well after each addition.

4) Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan; bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until almost set. Cheesecake is done when the center barely moves when pan is touched. Remove cheesecake from oven; run a knife around outside edge.

5) Cool cheesecake to room temperature. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours. Top each serving with 1 teaspoon pineapple, 1 teaspoon strawberry syrup, 1 teaspoon chocolate syrup, 3/4 teaspoon pecans, and 1 cherry.

Yum! This delicious (yet unique) cheesecake recipe showcases all the delicious flavors a classic banana split in a new and exciting way. Your friends will be so shocked to see the cheesecake you made them and everyone will be just dying to know the recipe! It can be our little secret!

Marbled Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe

Strawberry cheesecake is one of my favorite cheesecake recipes of all time. I love strawberries and I could eat them all day long! This recipe for marbled cheesecake is a new twist on an old favorite and although traditional strawberry cheesecake is good, this recipe had me at the word “marbled”.

I remember my grandma was the first person to ever give me a taste of strawberry cheesecake. She had made it for a holiday dessert one year and it was fantastic. From then on I began experimenting with different variations of strawberry cheesecake. Some recipes added kiwi, some added banana, and some just took new stances on the strawberries.

I don’t know how many recipes I went through, but this one definitely took the cake… the cheesecake! It’s smooth, it’s creamy, it’s strawberries—it’s perfect!

Yield: serves 12 guests

Ingredients:

Crust:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar

Cheesecake:
24 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
10 ounces frozen strawberries (thawed), in syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

1) Puree strawberries and cornstarch in blender. Heat in a saucepan over medium heat until thickened, then cool. Combine melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and sugar; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.

2) Bake at 350 F. for 10 minutes. Combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

3) Pour half of the batter over the crust then add half of the strawberry mixture by spoonfuls to the batter. Pour remaining batter into the pan then add the remaining strawberry mixture by spoonfuls. Swirl the mixture with a knife until it resembles a marbled effect.

4) Bake at 300 degrees (F) for 50-60 minutes or until set. Allow cheesecake to cool then remove from rim of pan. Chill overnight before serving.

I absolutely love this recipe and the fact that it is swirled just adds an extra little fun effect. This recipe is especially fun for younger kids who tend to love swirling the batter! It’s a delicious cheesecake recipe for the whole family and I give it two big thumbs up!

New York Style Cheesecake Recipe

New York Style Cheesecake is a delicious classic and while I may not be from New York this fantastic recipe really does make you feel like you’ve just jumped right into Town Square! Okay, so that may be a slight exaggeration, but I really do love this recipe. I’ve even got a hunch that if you tried it, you’d love it too.

It’s creamy, it’s thick, it’s original (so you can top it with ANYTHING), and it’s so easy. I, personally, love it with either strawberries or a warm caramel drizzle. It’s great any season and any time of the day.For all the beginner bakers out there and those who just like a little cake every now and them– this recipe truly is amazing!

Yield: 9 or 10 inch cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Graham cracker crumbs
• 3 Tbsp. Flour
• 3 Tbsp. Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 3 Tbsp. Butter; melted
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 pk (8-oz) cream cheese
• 1 Tbsp. Vanilla
• 1 cup Sugar
• Topping of your choice (optional)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix crumbs, sugar, and butter. Press onto bottom of 9 or 10-inch spring-form pan Bake 10 minutes.

2) Beat cream cheese, sugar, and flour at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. Pour over crust. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes. Turn oven off and let cake sit in oven with the door propped open until oven has cooled.

3) Loosen cake from rim of pan. Rim can be removed when completely cooled. Best flavor is developed if refrigerated. Any kind of crumbs can be used.

Yum! This New-York cheesecake recipe is just so tasty. Also, with this recipe there are many variations you can try to see what you like best! I’ve substituted nuts, Nilla wafers or even Oreo cookie crumbs for the grham cracker crust. Also, you could try using margarine instead of the butter. I personally, think it skimps down on the flavor, but again, its all about what YOU like.

Even the cream cheese and sour cream can be altered…more or less depending on what you prefer.
That is the great thing about this recipe. It is so hard to mess up and for me, that’s a good thing! I remember that this was one of the first recipes I used when I started baking on my own. It’s delicious and looks lovely, but really– when would New York style cheesecake NOT be good? Never!

Brownie Twist Cheesecake Recipe

If you are like me, then when dessert time rolls around, you have a hard time choosing just one…will it be a brownie or cheesecake?

Well, fellow dessert-lovers, have no fear! I have just the dessert for you! This chocolate cheesecake, with a brownie twist, is a wonderful compromise to your dessert dilemma. Read more

German Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

German chocolate cheesecake is a new twist on the old favorite, German chocolate cake.

This cheesecake has a rich chocolate crust and a smooth chocolate filling. The top has a traditional coconut mixture with the added crunch of pecans.

For those chocoholics in the family, this German chocolate cheesecake is only a few steps away from being in your very own kitchen. It is a cheesecake like no other. It is truly unforgettable.

This German chocolate cheesecake recipe is one that, undoubtedly, will quickly become a new favorite in your very own kitchen.

Yield: 9-inch cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chocolate wafers, finely crushed
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
• 3- 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1- 4 oz. pkg. German Sweet Chocolate, melted
• 2 ½ tsp. vanilla, divided
• 4 large eggs, divided
• 1/3 cup canned evaporated milk
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350°F if using a silver 9-inch spring-form pan or to 325°F if using a dark nonstick 9-inch spring-form pan. Mix chocolate wafer crumbs, 2 tbsp. sugar and butter; press firmly onto bottom of pan. This is your crust. Bake 10 minutes.

2) With electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and the flour in large bowl, until well blended. Add chocolate and 2 tsp. of the vanilla; mix well.

3) Add 3 of the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

4) Bake 45 to 50 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight to allow the cake to completely cool and set up.

5) Combine milk, remaining sugar, 1/4 cup butter, remaining egg and remaining 1/2 tsp. vanilla in small saucepan; cook on medium-low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in coconut and pecans. Cool. Spread over cheesecake just before serving. Remember to store any leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

The cheesecake is a delicious way to satisfy that sweet tooth of yours and it can also be a fun addition to a large gathering or a party. It is definitely a recipe that your guests will not soon forget. This German Chocolate Cheesecake is bound to knock their socks off and probably will knock your own socks off too!

History of Cheesecake Making

There are not many other things which can compare to cheesecake history. It traveled across countries and had a role in other historical events. Even now-a-days, people continue to try to perfect their favorite cheesecake recipes.

They alter cheese types; usually between cream cheese (most popular), ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, and Neufchatel. They also use different mix-ins to flavor the cake, like chocolate, fresh fruit, or special liquors.

But beyond the changes we make in our cheesecakes today, what about the changes people made in the ancient times; especially ancient Greece. The first appearance of cheesecakes came in 2,000 B.C. when anthropologists found cheesecake molds in ancient Greece. From there cheesecakes moved into the Olympics.

In 776 B.C, on the Isle of Delos, it has been recorded that cheesecakes were served to the first Olympic athletes during competition. As times changed so did the cheesecake.

Soon the fall of ancient Greece came, and the secret of the cheesecake fell into Roman hands. The Romans then took Greece’s recipe for the special cake and gave it a new name…placenta or libum. These forms of cheesecake were usually baked on a pastry base or in a pastry case. The cakes were then used as temple offering to the gods. Slowly the cheesecake was spread across Europe by Romans.

Again, the times would change. Immigration became popular, especially to America, and the traveling of the cheesecake began continuing to create the cheesecake history. The cake followed immigrants into America where it became popular. Americans took the recipes and altered it even more, changing the cheese type from Neufchatel, to cream cheese thanks to Mr. James L. Kraft.

In 1912, Kraft invented cream cheese, which led to the creation of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, the most popular cheese used for making cheesecake today.

So from ancient Greece, to Rome, to America, and beyond; the adventures of the cheesecake are far from over.

Restaurants continue to develop new ways to enjoy the special cake, and who knows where the cheesecake history will go from here.