This recipe nailed it.

I have made vegan cheesecakes in the past. Some were raw versions, which are a bit runny. To solve that texture issue I could add coconut oil, but I don’t like coconut. I scoured baked examples and found other ingredients I wasn’t interested in, such as cornstarch.

So, the search for the perfect cheesecake continued until I got very, very creative. I combined ideas from just about every vegan cheesecake recipe I found. And it worked.

My chocolate chocolate cheesecake is rich, but not too dense. It’s got chocolate filling and a chocolate crust, so the taste is amazing. And it is baked in the oven so the texture has the firmness I remembered from non-vegan cheesecakes. Also, the presentation is gorgeous. (Hubby said I could sell it in restaurants.)

The process it took to get to this treat took a winding path, from varying ingredients to changing baking pans. At least I looked at vegan recipes so I didn’t have to make alterations for that. Luckily, I also didn’t have to adjust for high altitude.

Here is my creation, in all of it’s restaurant-worthy glory. I hope you enjoy it for Valentine’s Day, Galentine’s day, or just when the mood strikes you.

Vegan Chocolate Chocolate Cheesecake

for the crust

vegan shortening or vegan butter to grease the pan

1-1/2 cups vegan oreo-style cookie crumbs

1/4 cup vegan butter, melted

for the filling

2/3 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

7 ounces vegan cream cheese, at room temperature

12.3 ounces extra firm silken tofu

3/4 cup organic granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the decorations

vegan white chocolate chips, melted

vegan oreo-style cookies, whole or crumbs

Preheat oven to 350F. Place a parchment round on the bottom of a 9” round springform pan, then grease it and the sides of the pan.

In a bowl, combine cookie crumbs and melted butter, and mix until the crumbs resemble wet sand. Pour the crumb mixture into the prepared springform pan, pressing it down with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set it on a wire rack to cool a bit while you prepare the filling. Leave the oven on.

Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips to the top of a double boiler. Allow them to melt almost fully, then stir the chips until they are completely melted.

In a food processor, combine the cream cheese, tofu, sugar, vanilla, and melted chocolate, and process until smooth. Spread the filling evenly onto the crust. Bake until just firm and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 23-27 minutes.

Transfer the springform pan to a wire rack and let the cheesecake cool completely, about 2 hours. Refrigerate the cheesecake in the pan for 3 hours, cover it with plastic wrap, then refrigerate it for 4 hours or more.

Remove the cake from the fridge. If the top of the cheesecake collected moisture, then blot it gently with a paper towel. Carefully release the springform pan and transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate. Decorate the cake with melted vegan white chocolate and additional cookies.

Until next time, happy baking!