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A rich, dairy-free baked vegan Gingerbread Cheesecake with a gluten-free crust made from scratch, sweetened with wholesome Medjool dates and creamy coconut silken tofu filling. Creamy and tangy and full of warm holiday flavours.
This post is sponsored by Natural Delights Medjool Dates but all opinions are my own. For full disclosure, please read below at the end of the post.
Gingerbread is one of my favourite flavours to enjoy at this time of the year. And this holiday cheesecake has wholesome ingredients that don’t sacrifice on taste but actually make it especially delicious – the gluten-free gingerbread crust, the luscious and creamy cheesecake filling that’s naturally sweetened with Medjool dates, and fresh pomegranate topping for a refreshing bite.
Baked Vegan Gingerbread Cheesecake
Watch the step-by-step video for the process.
This baked vegan cheesecake does not call for any vegan cream cheese which makes it far more accessible to anyone wanting to make it.
Vegan cream cheese can be difficult to find depending on where you live. It can also be somewhat pricey, and I find that more often than not, it doesn’t have the most wholesome ingredients, being mostly starch-based with certain types of oils that may not be what everyone wants to consume.
The creamy cheesecake filling contains wholesome ingredients that makes this a healthful dessert. A friend of mine said it’s like she’s having a satisfying and filling meal in itself that’s filled with good nutritious ingredients like Medjool dates for natural sweetness, silken tofu for protein, coconut milk and coconut oil for the good fats. This is a cheesecake you could eat for breakfast and it will provide the sustained energy you need to power through the day.
Making the cheesecake filling with wholesome ingredients
Natural Delights Medjool Dates are a key ingredient in this cheesecake giving a most unique caramel flavour that accentuates and complements the gingerbread spices. Medjools are nutrient dense with 16 essential vitamins and minerals. Full of natural sugars, they not only contribute much to the sweetness, but also to the rich texture due to their fibre content.
I’m also using the Mini Medjools as topping or decoration for this cheesecake. They come in different flavours and I love snacking on them at any time of the day.
You may want to check out the Natural Delights website to read more about their full range of products and also see their store locator for a store near you.
Silken tofu provides smooth creaminess that makes this cheesecake really satisfying. You don’t actually taste the tofu at all, which is perfect as it’s mostly appropriate in desserts while boosting the protein content.
Coconut milk for the extra richness and needed liquid in this recipe.
Coconut oil (optional) to add to the luscious texture but also helps the cheesecake to set and firm up better.
Tapioca starch (or other starch — cornstarch, potato starch) to thicken the cheesecake filling.
The gluten-free cheesecake crust
The crust is made from scratch with gluten free flour mix, vegan buttery spread or coconut oil, a little sugar and gingerbread spices. If you don’t need the crust to be gluten free, just use all-purpose or plain flour.
Vegan Baked Gingerbread Cheesecake
A rich, dairy-free baked vegan Gingerbread Cheesecake with a gluten-free crust made from scratch, sweetened with wholesome Medjool dates and creamy coconut silken tofu filling.
Ingredients
Crust
- 200 g (1½ cups) gluten-free all-purpose flour mix (with xanthan gum)
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder, optional
- 50 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 120 g (½ cup) buttery spread, softened, or coconut oil, melted
- Pinch salt
- 1-2 tablespoons water
Filling
- 400 g, (2 cups) or about 22 pitted Natural Delights Medjool Dates, chopped
- 120 ml (½ cup) water
- 680 g (24 oz) silken tofu
- 120 ml (½ cup) canned creamy coconut milk
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 60 ml (¼ cup) lemon juice, 1 large lemon
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- 30 g (¼ cup) tapioca starch, or potato starch or cornstarch
Topping
- Fruits of choice (I used pomegranate seeds)
- Sliced Mini Medjools or chopped Medjools
Instructions
- Place the chopped dates to soak in 120 ml water overnight or for at least 2 hours ahead of time.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF.
- Line the bottom of a greased springform pan (23.5cm/9 inches) with parchment paper.
- Combine gluten-free flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger powder, cardamom powder, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk all ingredients well together.
- Add the buttery spread (or coconut oil) and work with your fingers until the mixture is a wet sandy consistency.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of water and continue to mix a little more.
- Press into the springform pan, covering the bottom and sides. Freeze for about 15 minutes.
- Then, bake for 15 minutes at 180ºC/350ºF, or until lightly golden around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 160ºC/325ºF.
- Blend all the filling ingredients except tapioca starch until smooth. Taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness with more dates or other sweetener if desired.
- Then, add the tapioca starch and continue blending until well mixed.
- Pour the mixture on top of the crust. Smooth out the surface and tap the pan to even out the batter.
- Bake at 160ºC/325ºF for 45-50 minutes until golden on the top and the centre is no longer jiggly.
- Let cool completely, then chill overnight.
- Top with fruit of choice (I used pomegranate seeds and sliced Mini Medjools) and serve. Keep leftovers in the fridge well covered for up to a week.
Full disclosure: This post is sponsored by Natural Delights Medjool Dates. We only endorse products and services that we like, enjoy, use and that we believe, based on our experience, are worthy of such endorsement. We value the trust of our readers, viewers and subscribers. We believe in honesty of relationships and opinions. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are 100% ours.
I made this for a family dinner last weekend. It’s delicious! My mistake…I didn’t read the instructions before the day it would be served. I struggled a bit with the dates that I hadn’t properly soaked, and didn’t get to chill it overnight. Although it tasted good, it was much more flavourful the next day.