I’ve always been a staunch no bake cheesecake h@ter

But ever since the creation of this Lemon Cheesecake recipe I’ve been converted!

Perhaps because of the triple dose of intense lemon is what gives it a creamy cheesecake-y zing!

Creamy & zingy is what lemon cheesecake is known for!

This is not a frozen dessert!

Probably my biggest pet peeve when it comes to no bake vegan cheesecakes that are cashew based
Is the fact that they have to remain frozen to serve otherwise they collapse into a pool of nutty cream
NOT THIS ONE! See for yourself!

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Notes for Success:

The prep time listed reflects the time needed to set in the freezer before serving which is about 3 hours
You will need an 8″ springform pan for this recipe

I don’t want to use agar!

If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, that’s okay too
I’ve left the agar out on one test and the resulting cake is slightly less stable
So if you do decide to leave it out I would recommend to keep the cheesecake in the freezer until you’re ready to serve

Agar can be a tricky ingredient in No Bake Desserts such as this one a heavy hand ~ even a pinch too much
Can be the difference between creamy delicious and rubbery inedible!
Pay attention to the strength of agar you are using I use 900 Strength agar in my recipes

Do I have to make the lemon curd custard?

Yes because there is a large addition of custard in the actual cheesecake base so you really can’t skip that part!
The custard addition is what sets my no bake cheesecake apart from the others!

Any vegan cream cheese brand will work great since this a no bake recipe

The main key to success in a cashew cream based cheesecake is using a high speed blender to get it smooth!
I have tried in the past to use just a food processor and it does not do the trick!

Cornstarch is a very difficult ingredient to measure consistently with a volume spoons measure
So while I list both measures below I cannot stress enough how the grams measure with a scale is going to give you the best results.

The cashew amount listed in the recipe below is raw cashews, not yet soaked

No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

Please read the instructions 2X to understand the process before beginning!

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Prep Time 45

Cook Time 10

Inactive Time 3 30

Total Time 4 25

Servings

Ingredients

For the Lemon Curd Custard

1 cup Plant Milk 240ml
¾ cup Water ¾ cup 177ml
½ cup Lemon Juice 118ml
¾ cup Granulated Sugar 150g
3 Tbs Cornstarch *see notes 24g
2 teaspoon Lemon Zest

For the Crust

1½ cup Lemon Cookies crushed 160g
4 Tbs Vegan Butter melted 56g

For the Lemon Cheesecake

2 cup Raw Cashews 300g
1 cup Lemon Custard from above recipe
⅓ cup Lemon Juice 80ml
½ cup Sugar 100g
½ teaspoon Agar *see notes
12 ounces Vegan Cream Cheese 336g

Instructions

Soak your cashews overnight or with the quick boil method by boiling the cashews in about 1 cup of water. Once it boils turn off the heat & let them soak for 30 minutes then drain & reserve
If you have acetate cake strips, I like to line the inside of my springform pan with it this will produce a much cleaner unmolding of the cake later
First prepare the crust by crushing the vegan cookies in a food processor to fine crumbs add the melted vegan butter & combine until it resembles wet sand.
Press this into the bottom of an un-greased springform pan & refrigerate until needed
Next prepare the lemon custard by whisking the sugar with the cornstarch in a small bowl, then add it to a medium sauce pot along with the water, lemon juice, zest & plant milk
Bring it up to a rolling boil whisking constantly to prevent scorching on the bottom
Once it boils fully add the lemon zest then pour 2 cups of the custard into a heatproof container & reserve in the refrigerator to set and cool for later~ this becomes the topping
The remaining custard in the pot should be 1 cup & will now get the sugar & agar & lemon juice listed from the cheesecake portion of the recipe
Return this to the stove & cook over medium heat until it boils once again, stirring constantly then take it off the heat & reserve at room temperature
Drain the cashews & place them into a high speed blender with the remaining cheesecake ingredients including the 1 cup of lemon custard that you just re-boiled (it does not have to be cooled)
Blend on high until the mixture is smooth
Pour into the prepared crust & freeze the cheesecake for at least 3 hours or overnight then unmold it from the pan and spread the remaining lemon custard over top

Notes

The prep time listed reflects the time needed to set in the freezer before serving which is about 2-3 hours You will need an 8" springform pan for this recipe

If you don't have it or don't want to use it, that's okay too I've left the agar out on one test and the resulting cake is slightly less stable So if you do decide to leave it out I would recommend to keep the cheesecake in the freezer until you're ready to serve

Agar can be a tricky ingredient in No Bake Desserts such as this one a heavy hand ~ even a pinch too much can be the difference between creamy delicious and rubbery inedible! Pay attention to the strength of agar you are using I use 900 Strength agar in my recipes

Do I have to make the lemon curd custard? Yes because there is a large addition of custard in the actual cheesecake base so you really can't skip that part!
The custard addition is what sets my no bake cheesecake apart from the others!