Vanilla Coconut Cream "Cheesecake" (dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan)

Ali Segersten Jan 16, 2014 13 comments

Hello dear readers! I have a special treat for you today....literally! A dairy-free, grain-free "cheesecake" made from my Soured Coconut Cream recipe. This no-bake recipe is so simple to make and will delight your friends and family. I've tested it many different ways to get the perfect ratio of ingredients, in fact maybe too much, because now I want nothing to do with coconut milk!

The secret little ingredient in this recipe that helps hold it together and lighten it up is....agar powder! Agar is a gelatinous substance derived from red algae. When it is mixed with a liquid and heated it forms a gel. You can actually make vegan "jell-o" with it using fruit juice. I use this brand of agar powder. Make sure you don't use agar flakes, as the amount needed is different as well as the fact that they need to be soaked in a liquid before using them. You may be able to substitute grass-fed gelatin but I'm not sure on the amount. You would need more than a teaspoon for sure, maybe 1 tablespoon?

If you don't want to use the raspberry topping, try drizzling each slice with warm chocolate sauce and topping with fresh berries. You can use the Chocolate Ganache recipe here if you like.

ALI-2023-PHOTO-VERTICAL-2

About the Author

Ali Segersten

Alissa Segersten holds a Bachelor's of Science in Nutrition from Bastyr University and a Master’s of Science in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States. She is a Functional Nutritionist, the mother of five children, a whole foods cooking instructor, professional recipe developer, and cookbook author. She is passionate about helping others find a diet that will truly nourish them. Alissa is the author of two very popular gluten-free, whole foods cookbooks and guidebooks: The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook and Nourishing Meals. She is also the co-author of The Elimination Diet book. Alissa is the founder and owner of Nourishing Meals®.

See More

Nourishing Meals Newsletter

Email updates.

Add Comment

Comments

I was trying to figure out how to emulate a coconut-based (versus cashew-based or tofu-based) vegan cheesecake I bought at the store once, but I really appreciated finding this recipe! Now I don't have to guess at the ratios (which is a good thing, believe me haha).

Have you tried using all coconut cream rather than 0.5 cups coconut cream and 2.0 cups of soured coconut cream? I imagine the soured coconut cream is for flavor (the tangy quality would cut the richness) and texture (because it's cooked first), was that the rationale?

Can't wait to try it out!

NO THATS NOT VEGAN. TRY TAPIOCA STARCH. NOT SURE HOW THAT WOULD WORK BUT I SAW IT IN MANY VEGAN CREAM DESSERTS

Do i have to use the agar powder?

This cake is worth every penny!
I used caramelised buckinis as the base... Ran out of maple so used rice malt syrup ...
Added kiwi fruit to the top because my sister decided her birthday was pink and green themed haha
And let me tell you, my three and five year old nieces devoured it (not unusual, but symbolic none the less). This is THE ULTIMATE nut free, dairy free and almost raw cake.
Fabulous!

I bought an agar powder at an Asian market, and realized, only after I got home, that it is agar powder AND vanilla powder mixed. Obviously it doesn't give any hint about the ratios used, (other then the fact that vanilla powder is last) so I was wondering, has anyone else ran across this? And if so, did you just use 2 teaspoons (as the combined amount in the recipe would be) or...? Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated!

Molly, I've found agar powder very cheap ($1.49 for nearly 1 oz) at local Asian markets. It's "Telephone Brand" and is no different quality, that I can tell, than the expensive stuff at Whole Foods.

Made this over the weekend for my husband and his sister and her husband who were visiting (they are omnivores). They all loved it, and my husband at first was suspicious that I had used dairy for the recipe. It was fantastic. I used dehydrated almond pulp with maple syrup and a little coconut oil for a "graham cracker" crust. Thanks, Kim...this is sooo good!

Gorgeous! I've been wanting to try either coconut milk "cheese" or a vegan cheesecake for a long time and always get scared off by the price of agar. Sometime soon, I need to just bite the bullet!

Do you think gelatin could be used in place of the agar?

I just thought I'd mention that if you're sensitive to seaweed, don't use Agar.

So excited to see a dairy free cheesecake recipe that is also nut free!!! Sounds delicious!

Thank you for sharing this awesome alternative :D

Have you ever tried using the little cans coconut cream?

https://www.azurestandard.com/shop/product/13954//

This looks delightful! Perfect ingredients for our family. I cannot wait to try it!

Related Posts

Oct 19, 2012

Slow-Cooked Chicken Curry

The days are getting shorter, colder, and busier! Having simple, nourishing meals ready to eat when you get home from work or school is so important. Now that the weather has changed, I've been using my slow cooker more often. This chicken curry recipe is so simple that I almost didn't post it!

Read More
Dairy-Free Hot Cocoa Recipe
Nov 21, 2010

Dairy-Free Hot Cocoa

The wintery blast that hit us last night brought snow and hot cocoa too. I had some vegetable side dish recipes to post for Thanksgiving....but hot cocoa calls when the wind is whipping and the snow is falling! We woke up this morning to a couple of inches of snow on the ground and the kids decided to go out early to play.

Read More