If Christmas had a flavor all to itself, it would be this Vegan Cranberry Cheesecake!
But since it’s now February and the weather still wants to play frozen tundra, why not keep the cranberry theme going right into Valentine’s Day!?
Cranberry cheesecake is a recipe that I make every year during the cold winter season when cranberries are aplenty.
Somewhere along the line though, I started to modify the recipe and /or the look and it.
And it has become sort of “a thing” that I do now every year with this recipe.
Not to say that one is better than the last but for some reason the versatility of the cheesecake recipe lends itself to easily changing up the way I use the compote and what kind of base I choose to bake the cheesecake on.
Sometimes I use a pressed cookie crust, like in my original gingersnap crust for my 2016 version, and other times I use a cake base like this cranberry sponge here.
It all really depends on what you prefer!
I am in love with this combination of tart and sweet cranberry compote spiked up with anise, cinnamon sticks, orange and vanilla; all marbled through the creamiest New York Style Cheesecake you will ever meet!
My original rendition of my very first vegan cranberry cheesecake is below; but as you can see since 2016 I have come a long way!
2016 VERSION
Especially in the vegan cheesecake game!
My recipe for homemade cranberry compote for the topping has not changed.
However my base recipe for vegan cheesecake has been perfected and I cannot say enough about it!
This is the perfect rendition of a New York Style Cheesecake is right here!
This time on a base of spongy cranberry cake with a decorative topping of mocha buttercream!
2019 VERSION
For a lighter and less fat cheesecake I use a blend of vegan cream cheese & tofu together (*See notes in recipe section).
But for a firmer cheesecake that is closer to a truly dense NY Style Cheesecake I go 100% vegan cream cheese!
I always use Tofutti Brand Cream Cheese (not sponsored) for my baking since that was the only one readily available to me since my start into vegan baking.
But this time I opted for the more expensive Violife brand cream cheese with disastrous results!
All caught on camera as you will see if you watch the full Youtube video tutorial.
CRANBERRY COMPOTE
Believe it or not, the homemade cranberry compote is actually the showstopper here!
Without that, well you have an amazing cheesecake but the cranberry compote spiked up with orange, anise, cinnamon and vanilla is really what makes this cake a winner!
Below I have listed both recipes.
The original 2016 version, where admittedly I did not know half about vegan baking as I know now, but it does have much less ingredients and tastes great!
For me, my 2019 version much better!
It is definitely more in line with the dense NY Style Cheesecake I keep yammering on about! LOL
For more amazing recipes using my homemade Cranberry Compote check out these links!
CRANBERRY MOCHA FUDGE BROWNIES
WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY CAKE
As noted in the blog post I use Tofutti Brand Cream Cheese- watch the video for WHY!!
I like adding that small addition of The Plant Based Egg by Freely Vegan for added structure and creaminess, but you can leave it out with no changes for fine results
- For the Cheesecake Batter:
- Vegan Cream Cheese 2-8oz packages (454g)
- Melted Vegan Butter 2 tablespoons (28g)
- Granulated Sugar or Maple Syrup ¾ cup (150g)
- Cornstarch 3 Tbs (30g)
- All Purpose Flour 2 Tablespoons (15g)
- The Plant Based Egg egg replacer 1 teaspoon (2.4g) *see note above
- Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon
- Plant Milk scant1 cup - 7 fluid ounces (207ml)
- Vegan Lactic Acid 1½ teaspoons (or 1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar)
- For the Cranberry Compote:
- 1 -16ounce Bag Cranberries (fresh or frozen) (454g)
- Granulated Sugar 1½ cup (300g)
- Cranberry Juice or Cranberry Moscato Wine or White Wine 1 cup (237ml)
- Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons
- Star Anise Pods 4
- Cinnamon 1 teaspoon
- Orange Zest and Juice from 1 large orange
- Mocha Buttercream optional recipe for decor
- ½ Recipe Your Favorite Buttercream
- 1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon Instant Coffee Granules
- 2 Tablespoons hot water
- Cranberry Cake Recipe *optional for the cake base
- First decide what kind of crust you want to use for your cheesecake, if it is the same Cranberry Cake as I am using CLICK HERE for that recipe and bake ½ recipe into 1-7"X2" cake pan rather than the cupcakes as shown on that blog post.
- Next prepare the cranberry compote: In a heavy bottom sauce pot, combine all the liquids with the sugar and spices and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Squeeze in the juice of that orange and the zest
- Add the cranberries and then return to a boil.
- Lower the temperature to a simmer for 15 -20 minutes, the sauce will begin to thicken and the berries will begin to pop.
- Discard the anise pods and add the vanilla extract, then with a stick blender (or carefully transfer to a regular blender) puree to desired consistency. I like to leave my chunky.
- Refrigerate to cool and it will thicken as it gets cold and you can prepare the rest of the cheesecake
- For the cheesecake combine all the ingredients together in a food processor and process smooth, scraping the sides and making sure that is is ultra smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared crust in a 7"X3" cake pan that has been greased & parchment lined, and then take approximately ¾ cup of the pureed cranberry compote and swirl through the batter.
- Bake in preheated 350°F oven in a water bath for 1 hour.
- After 1 hour turn the oven off and let it cool inside the oven for another hour.
- Cool on the counter the rest of the way, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before un-molding.
- Prepare the optional buttercream recipe and add the cooled mocha paste at the last stage of mixing. (Cocoa paste is made by combining 1 Tbs cocoa powder + 1 tsp coffee granules & 2 Tbs hot water then whisk smooth)
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO FOR THE MAKING OF THE 2016 CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE
- ½ Recipe Gingersnap Cookies
- 3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
- For the Cranberry Compote
- 1 16ounce bag Cape Cod Select Premium Frozen Cranberries
- Granulated Sugar 1½ cup (300g)
- Juice or Wine ¾ cup (180ml)
- Water ½ cup (120ml)
- Vanilla Bean or Extract 1 bean or 2 teaspoons
- Star Anise Pods 5
- Cinnamon Sticks 2
- Orange Zest and Juice from 1 large orange
- For the Cheesecake
- Vegan Cream Cheese 12 ounces (336g)
- Vegan Sour Cream ¼ cup (56g)
- Granulated Sugar ¾ cup (150g)
- EnerG Egg Replacer 4½ teaspoons (18g)
- Warm Water 6 Tablespoons (90ml)
- Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons (10ml)
- Crush the gingersnap cookies to make 1½ cups total
- Add the melted coconut oil and combine well
- Press into the bottom of the prepare cake pan and freeze while you prepare the other recipes
- For the Cranberry Compote
- In a heavy bottom sauce pot, combine all the liquids with the sugar and spices and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add the cranberries and then return to a boil.
- Lower the temperature to a simmer for 15 -20 minutes, the sauce will begin to thicken and the berries will begin to pop.
- Discard the anise pods, vanilla bean pod and cinnamon sticks.
- Squeeze in the juice of that orange and add the vanilla extract if you are using that instead of a bean
- For the Cheesecake:
- Melt the coconut oil and combine with the crushed gingersnaps
- Mix and then press into the bottom of a greased and parchment lined 7" cake pan
- Whisk the egg replacer with the warm water
- Cream the vegan cream cheese smooth with the granulated sugar
- Add the vegan sour cream and mix smooth
- Add the vanilla extract and the egg replacer mixture mix smooth
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake in a preheated 335°F oven for approx 35- 45minutes
- Remove from oven to cool completely and then cool to cold overnight in the refrigerator.
- Un-mold the cheesecake and top with cranberry compote
Gretchen,
Do you have a separate channel on Youtube titled: “Gretchen’s Vegan Bakery”? Or is everything still on your original channel?
Thanks!
Hi Sue, I did not create a new channel on youtube, it will be the same. I have not uploaded any new videos recently though since I am still settling in with my move back to New jersey! Im going to get started this week though! Thanks!
Man Gretchen. I grew up watching you since I was little. And I learned so much from you, when you were in Woodland Bakery, till now. I have a lot of your old recipes screenshoted because I would always use them. And now I can’t even view any of those videos anymore. I had even messaged you once saying how when I grow up I was going to visit you at Woodland Bakery and buy a whole bunch of treats. I would often binge watch your videos a lot because I loved watching them. You are such an inspiration, but I’m really disappointed that I can’t view or see any of the old content anymore. I understand that your vegan. But not all your viewers are vegan. I just wish you would’ve left all the content up.
Hi Jenny thank you so much for the support over the years, you like many others are quickly ASSUMING the reason the videos are no longer available is because I went vegan like.. yesterday?? and decided I didn’t want to share the NON vegan recipes anymore. Not true, as I have been vegan for almost 5 years now so if that was the case I would have shut it down then.
Truth is I couldn’t keep up the cost to host it on the internet and maintain it monthly anymore
I had always said I would continue to share my recipes for free & give free tutorials on YouTube for as long as I could afford to do so, and well.. I just can’t anymore.
The cost to host such a huge database was close to $400 a month (with the maintenance cost, I needed to hire a tech guy to help keep it running smoothly)
So that cost was severely outweighing any small profits I had been making though running ads on the videos & blogsite.
I have not kept any of the non vegan recipes, since for over 4 years now I have been strictly vegan;
so for me they are of no use. They were all housed in the database and that has shut down.
This blog is much smaller in size and costs me about $30 a month to run, which is why it is still up although I have not made any new videos in several months as I am now working full time to restore all the savings I exhausted keeping the blog(s) open all these years in an attempt to make this a viable business.
At any rate, thanks for your support and encouragement though the ages.
~Gretchen
i had the same disastrous, translucent experience with trader joes vegan cream cheese. has anyone ever baked with kite hill cream cheese?
Hi Gretchen. I learned so much today as to the costs of running a recipe site. Due to your wonderful information, I never bake cheesecake in a springform pan!
Because of this, I do have a question. How do you deal with a baked sourcream topping? Can you bake it after removing the completely chilled cheesecake from the pan?
Thank you for all you have taught me over the last few years and good luck in all your future endeavours.
i had the same disastrous, translucent experience with trader joes vegan cream cheese.
I can’t wait to see what you find in your testing with other brands of vegan cc. The tofutti brand has been my go-to for years but is more and more difficult to find.