I made this no-bake gluten-free vegan salted caramel cheesecake for a friend's mini surprise birthday party this past weekend and I am happy to report it was all gone within all of 15 minutes :) . It's like a is a very decadent version of a classic caramel cheesecake, and who could resist that? ;)
This recipe calls for non-dairy dulce de leche. I used this recipe easy-to-make homemade version, but you can also use a store bought one if you can find it.
Note I made this in a taller 6" springform pan. You can double the ingredients to make it in an 8 or 9" springform pan.
PrintGluten-Free Vegan Salted Caramel Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 6" cake
Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- 1 cup almonds
- ⅓ cup vegan dulce de leche
Cheesecake Layer Ingredients:
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 454 g container cultured vanilla coconut yogurt (I used So Delicious)
- ½ cup cashews, pre-soaked (for at least 1 hour) and strained
- ½ cup coconut butter, warmed OR ½ cup liquified coconut oil
- 1 tbsp vegan dulce de leche
- ⅛ tsp raw ground vanilla (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)
- 2 tbsp non-dairy milk (optional — only add if the mixture is too thick for your blender to blend through)
Caramel Layer Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups vegan dulce de leche (or more or less to taste)
- a few pinches of salt flakes
Instructions
- To make the base, place nuts into a food processor and grind until it’s finely crumbled (though not as a fine flour — you still want to see little almond granules). Add the dulce de leche and pulse until combined. Transfer mixture into a springform pan. Press down until a thin uniform layer covers the base. Place in the freezer while working on the next part of the recipe to let it harden up a bit.
- To make the cheesecake, place all ingredients, except non-dairy milk, into a blender in the order listed (liquids first — I find it blends better this way). A good blender, like a Vitamix, works best for this type of recipe, though a regular blender should work too. Blend until a smooth mixture is formed. You may need to pause and scrape down the sides a few times to help the mixture blend better, as it will be quite thick. Note: only add the milk if necessary — do not add more milk than that as it’ll make the cake melt down later on when it’s at room temperature.
- Remove springform pan from the freezer. Pour cheesecake mixture over the base layer. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to even the cake out and to get rid of any air bubbles. Place the pan back into the freezer and allow it to chill for a 3-4 hours to set {after that the cake can be kept in the fridge or freezer}.
- For the caramel layer, there are 3 ways this can be done: a. Remove cake pan from the freezer. Pour or spread (depending on consistency) the vegan dulce de leche on top. Place back in the freezer to harden up. This will make a solid even caramel layer. OR b. You can also keep the cake frozen and when you are ready to serve, remove from freezer and spread or drizzle room temperature dulce de leche on top. This will result in a thinner and perfectly runny caramel layer. OR c. If you prefer a thicker but more gelatinized caramel layer (as you see in the pic above), then make a thicker version of the dulce de leche by using arrowroot (see notes here). Keep the dulce de leche at room temperature. Before you’re ready to serve the cake, remove from freezer and spread the caramel layer on top, and using a spatula lightly pushing it towards the edges until it begins to droop down a little off the sides. --> Regardless of the method you’re using, sprinkle the caramel layer with some salt flakes right before serving and serve right away.
Notes
If you want, allow cake to thaw out a little in the fridge for about 30 minutes to an hour before serving (so that it’s a little softer — that’s how I like it personally). If you leave it in the fridge for longer than that or at room temperature it’ll become softer, and while it’ll still hold its shape it will be a little harder to cut gracefully, but it’ll still tastes amazing — so up to you.
Marie says
Hi! I am in the process of making this cake....i hope it turns out right. the filling has a lot of bubbles unfortunately but i hope the taste and look will be just fine. I feel like i want to add something more ..... but not sure....maybe more crunchy nuts on top of the dulce de leche and some raspberries? would you stick to almond ( maybe roasted) or could i mix with hazelnuts and maybe quinoa pops?......do you have any ideas please??Thank you!
Audrey says
Hi Marie, sorry for the delay in responding. I think all the toppings you described would work well. Hope it turned out ok :)
P.S. to get rid of bubbles, in future you can just tap the pan lightly on the counter to get the bubbles to come out. It is generally an airy and creamy cake though, so the bubbles shouldn't be a big deal.
Chiara (@veggieventures) says
hi there! what can i use in place of the coconut yogurt? i can't find any non-dairy yogurt where i live, sadly :(
Audrey says
Hi Chiara, if you want to exclude the yogurt, I recommend going with a similar but slightly different but very similar recipe for the filling: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/raw-vegan-caramel-cheesecake-gluten-free-paleo/ (you can swap the crusts and topping as you prefer). Enjoy!
Kaya Stein says
Hello! Is it possible to make this without cashews? I am,, sadly, allergic :(.
Audrey says
Hi Kaya. You can use macadamia nuts in place of cashews -- they can be used interchangeably. They have a bit of a stronger flavor but still work great in raw cheesecakes. Enjoy it!
vegetarianmamma (Cindy) says
Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays Party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :) I can't wait to see what you share next time!
-Cindy
Audrey says
Awesome! Thanks Cindy :)