Whipped & Layered Classic Strawberry Vegan Cheesecake
This strawberry vegan cheesecake tastes exactly like the traditional cheesecake you are probably used to, but with a twist. Because there are already a billion recipes out there for basic vegan cheesecake, I decided to take mine up a notch by making it a little fluffier and layering it.
This recipe is fun, straightforward, and of course, delicious.
It’s buttery, sweet, creamy, thick, and fluffy, with a tiny bit of crunch and chew. This vegan cheesecake is a friend and family favorite. It’s a phenomenal recipe that I think you’ll want to save.
And, it was not rocket science to create, so I’m kicking myself in the butt for waiting so long to make it! It does involve four recipes, but do not let that fool you. All of the recipes are straightforward to make, and they’re 100% worth the time and effort!
Layered vegan cheesecake, what’s not to love???
First of all, I chose to layer this cheesecake because I think it looks stunning. We oftentimes eat with our eyes the moment we see the food, so my goal is to make the most mouthwatering dish!
Biscoff cookies and cheesecake. The ultimate love match.
The base of this cake is a super buttery Biscoff cookie crust. I top it with layers of whipped cream/cream cheese filling and sweet strawberry pie filling. I sprinkle it with a bit more of the cookie crust to finish it off for good measures.
In this recipe, I fold coconut whipped cream into the cream cheese filling. This gives it a slight fluffiness, all while still fulfilling that classic, thick, traditional texture.
“But, does it taste like coconut? Because I hate coconut!”
Despite the filling having coconut cream in it, it does NOT taste like coconut whatsoever, I promise! I did not want this to taste like coconut whatsoever. So, go ahead and rest your pretty, little heart, my friend.
There is something special about a homemade, summertime pie filling.
I adore fresh, in-season strawberries! This pie filling is TOO easy to make to be buying that store-bought stuff. So, do not cheat. Do not skip making this. You will want to thank me later!
Want another bomb vegan dessert!? Check out my Better Than Sex Vegan S’mores Chocolate Chip Cookies! They’re INCREDIBLE.
Keep in mind; you can give my YouTube video a peep if you need any assistance along the way! And, MAKE SURE to check out my “tiparooskis” section of this post. It is written below the recipe, and I’ve provided a TON of essential tips and substitute suggestions.
If you make this vegan cheesecake, don’t forget to post a picture to Instagram, tag me @chefsummerstorm, and #gardengrub so I can see your recreation!
Whipped & Layered Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake
Ingredients
Cookie Crust
- 1 1/2 packages Lotus Biscoff cookies (Each package yields 8.8 ounces of cookies, so you will need 13.2 ounces.)
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp vegan butter, melted
- Tiny pinch kosher salt
- Vegetable oil spray, for greasing pan
Strawberry Pie Filling
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, mashed
- 4 cups fresh strawberries, quartered
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Whipped Cream
- 2 cans coconut cream, unsweetened & chilled
- 1/4 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, 100% pure
Cream Cheese Filling
- 1 8 ounce container vegan cream cheese, plain (I use and recommend the brand Kite Hill.)
- 1/2 cup organic powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, 100% pure
Instructions
Cookie Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spray a 9×9 inch springform pan with vegetable oil spray.
- Add the Biscoff cookies into a food processor and blend into fine crumbs.
- Pour in the melted vegan butter and salt, and pulse to combine very well. Stir with a spoon if necessary.
- Remove 1/2 cup of the mix and set it to the side for later. Dump the rest of the mixture into the springform pan and press it down evenly onto the bottom. Pack it down as flat and tight as you can.
- Bake it for 15 minutes, turning the pan halfway through.
- Allow to cool down completely before filling.
Strawberry Pie Filling
- Add the mashed strawberries and water to a medium-sized saucepot. Place over medium-high heat and boil for 3 minutes.
- Pour into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour it back into the saucepot along with the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT for the quartered strawberries.
- Place over medium-high heat again and cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove it from the heat as soon as it is the correct thickness (see video for reference).
- Add the quartered strawberries into a large bowl and once the mix in the pan has slightly cooled down, fold it into the strawberries.
- Place this into the refrigerator to thoroughly chill before using it.
Whipped Cream
- Place the cans of coconut cream upside down in the refrigerator for 2 hours before using them! Tip them right side up and use only the fatty cream that sits at the top. Discard the water. Sometimes there is a harder, thin piece of coconut fat that sits at the very top. You can peel this off and discard it as it won't really break down with the mixer.
- Add the chilled coconut cream, sugar, and vanilla to a standing mixer and beat on high for 15 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed throughout the beating.
- Scrape the whipped cream into a bowl and place it in the refrigerator to keep cold until ready to use.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Add all of the ingredients into the standing mixer and beat on medium-high for 3 minutes, or until super smooth.
- Remember to scrape around the sides of the bowl as needed throughout the beating.
- Scrape this filling into the whipped cream and gently fold the two together until evenly combined.
- Hold the filling in the refrigerator until ready to use.
How to Assemble the Cheesecake
- Place a little under half of the whipped cream cheese filling onto the baked cookie crust. Spread across flat and evenly.
- Then spread across all of the strawberry pie filling flat and evenly.
- Spread across the rest of the whipped cream cheese filling flat and evenly.
- Finally, sprinkle all over the reserved 1/2 cup cookie crust crumbs you saved from earlier.
- Gently wrap the top of the pan with tin foil and place in the refrigerator to chill it overnight or for at least 12 hours to firm up.
TIPAROOSKIS
Welcome to my tip section of the layered vegan strawberry cheesecake! Here I provide my top tips to help you perfect the dish. Sometimes, I also give substitute suggestions that I think you may find helpful.
- Skip the layering. To save yourself a couple of minutes, feel free to skip the layering of the cheesecake. First, pile down the entire batch of whipped cream cheese filling and spread it around evenly. Then, spread across the strawberry filling. If you prepare it this way, I recommend not sprinkling on top any of the cookie crust. Leave it all in the actual crust base, instead!
- Leave the strawberry pie filling out. If you don’t think you will eat your cheesecake within a couple of days, I recommend leaving the strawberry filling out. Place it in a separate container. The strawberries break down over time, and their juices will make the crust soggy after a couple of days. When you’re ready to serve a slice, spoon a bit of the strawberry filling on top. Easy-peasy!
- You must use canned coconut cream, not coconut milk, for the whipped cream. Canned coconut cream is much creamier, thicker, and whips up nicely. Whereas canned coconut milk is quite the opposite.
- Chill the cans of coconut cream. A couple of hours before the whipped cream is going to be made, place them in the refrigerator upside down to chill. Once ready, turn them right side up and scrape out all of the fat that will have solidified together.
- Skip the whipped cream. If you would like this cheesecake to be traditional instead of whipped, skip making the whipped cream. Then, quadruple the cream cheese filling, instead!
- Freeze the cheesecake for a couple of hours. Refrigerate it overnight, or for at least 12 hours, and then pop it into the freezer for another 2-3 hours. This will firm it up, make it feel less whipped, and more like a traditional, thick cheesecake. It’s your preference!
- Use the strawberry pie filling, for, well, a pie! It’s pretty self-explanatory, but the strawberry pie filling can be used elsewhere other than in this cheesecake. Use it to make a classic strawberry pie. Swap out some of the strawberries for rhubarb and make strawberry rhubarb pie. Yum!
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