Vegan Cheesecake Bars
Light, tangy, and creamy vegan cheesecake filling on top of sweet and buttery homemade graham cracker crust makes the most delicious dessert bars ever!
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and easy: Making the crust and cheesecake layers are easy. They are ready for the oven in less than 20 minutes. The hardest part is waiting for it to bake and chill!
- Flavor: including lemon and vanilla.
- Texture: rich and creamy, even without dairy.
- A crowd favorite: One batch yields 16 bars, making them the perfect dessert for your next gathering with friends and family.
- Customizable: Add chocolate, peanut butter, fruits, and berries for variation.
- Goes well with these other bar recipes: Vegan Blueberry Crumble Bars, Fudgy Vegan Brownies, and Vegan Buckeye Brownies.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Vegan Graham Crackers – some brands of graham crackers are made with honey, which is unsuitable for vegans. Look for brands that are honey-free. Or make them yourselves using my homemade graham cracker recipe. Make them gluten-free by using a gluten-free graham cracker brand.
- Vegan butter – helps bind the ingredients for the crust together and give it a richer flavor.
- Sugars – granulated and light brown sugar will give the crust a crisp texture with a caramel-like flavor.
- Vegan cream cheese – Softened at room temperature for easy mixing. I used and recommend Tofutti for this recipe. It’s very similar in texture and flavor to the dairy stuff.
- Vegan yogurt – makes the filling super creamy and deliciously tangy! I used Yoplait Oui Vanilla Dairy-free yogurt.
- Lemon – for a refreshing punch of citrusy goodness and to balance the flavors, I used both the juice and the zest. Lemon zest is optional, but highly recommended.
- Cornstarch – this is used as an egg substitute to stabilize the cheesecake filling.
How To Make Vegan Cheesecake Bars
Make the Crust
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with two sheets of parchment paper placed perpendicularly, ensuring they overhang. This will make it easy to pull the cheesecake out of the pan without breaking it.
- Break up the graham crackers and add them to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until they become fine crumbs. Do not leave any big chunks, or the crust will break or crumble.
- Add the melted vegan butter and sugars and pulse to combine. Make sure that the mixture is evenly moistened and there are no dry patches left.
- Add the crumbs to the prepared pan and press with the back of a measuring cup to create an even, compact layer.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned. Set the crust aside to cool completely on a rack.
Make the Cheesecake Filling
- In a large bowl, add the vegan cream cheese and sugar. Beat together with an electric mixer until smooth and lump-free. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure it’s thoroughly mixed.
- Mix the cornstarch with the vegan yogurt in a small bowl to remove any lumps. Pour it into the cream cheese mixture with the vanilla, lemon juice, and zest. It is important to remember not to use cold ingredients because they are harder to mix. Mix only until combined. Do not overmix or it will puff in the oven and then sink because of too much air.
- Pour the filling onto the crust and spread it evenly.
- Bake for 1 hour or until the edges are set, the top is browned and the center jiggles slightly. Add up to 15 minutes of extra time if needed. The cheesecake will not be firm at this point, which is fine.
- Cool at room temperature for about 2 hours. Cover the pan and place it into the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight until the cheesecake is set.
- Remove the cheesecake from the pan and slice into 16 squares before serving. Use a hot knife to cut the bars cleanly and wipe it with a clean cloth for every slice.
Storage Tips
Make sure that you do not let the cheesecake bars sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours. It is best to store them in the fridge to keep them fresh.
Place the bars in an airtight container or wrap them tightly in plastic or foil. They can stay in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to three months.
Thaw frozen cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
More Bars & Brownie Recipes
Vegan Cheesecake Bars
Calories:283
Servings: 16 bars
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Light, tangy, and creamy vegan cheesecake filling on top of sweet and buttery homemade graham cracker crust makes the most delicious dessert bars ever!
Recipes: For more accuracy, use Metric measurements & measuring spoons.
How To Measure Baking Ingredients Correctly
Ingredients
Crust:
- 8 oz (226 g) vegan graham crackers, homemade or store-bought, about 15 whole crackers
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) vegan butter, stick or block form, not unsalted, melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
Cheesecake Filling:
- 24 oz (680 g) vegan cream cheese, I used Tofutti, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated cane sugar
- 5 oz (140 g) vegan yogurt, I used Yoplait Oui Vanilla Dairy-free yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, from 2 lemons, optional
- 4 tablespoons (32 g) cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Crust:
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Line a 8-by-8-inch baking pan with two sheets of parchment paper placed perpendicularly, ensuring they overhang.
- Break up the graham crackers and add them to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until they become fine crumbs.8 oz (226 g) vegan graham crackers
- Add the melted vegan butter and sugars and pulse to combine.5 tablespoons (70 g) vegan butter ,2 tablespoons granulated sugar ,2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- Add the crumbs to the prepared pan and press with the back of a measuring cup to create an even, compact layer.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.
- Set the crust aside to cool completely on a rack.
Cheesecake Filling:
- In a large bowl, add the vegan cream cheese and sugar. Beat together with an electric mixer until smooth and lump free. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure it’s thoroughly mixed.24 oz (680 g) vegan cream cheese ,1 cup (200 g) granulated cane sugar
- Mix the cornstarch with the vegan yogurt in a small bowl to remove any lumps. Pour it into the cream cheese mixture with the vanilla, lemon juice, salt and zest. Mix until combined.5 oz (140 g) vegan yogurt ,1 teaspoon vanilla extract ,1 teaspoon lemon juice ,1 tablespoon lemon zest ,4 tablespoons (32 g) cornstarch ,⅛ teaspoon salt
- Pour the filling onto the crust and spread it evenly.
- Bake for 1 hour or until the edges are set, the top is browned and the center jiggles slightly. Add up to 15 minutes of extra time if needed.
- Cool at room temperature for about 2 hours. Cover the pan and place it into the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight until the cheesecake is set.
- Remove the cheesecake from the pan and slice into 16 squares before serving.
Notes
- Some brands of graham crackers are made with honey, which is unsuitable for vegans. Look for brands that are honey-free.
- Try gluten-free graham crackers for a gluten-free alternative.
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Nutrition Facts
Vegan Cheesecake Bars
Serving Size
1 bar
Amount per Serving
Calories
283
% Daily Value*
Fat
17
g
26
%
Saturated Fat
5
g
31
%
Trans Fat
0.02
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
2
g
Sodium
306
mg
13
%
Potassium
30
mg
1
%
Carbohydrates
33
g
11
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
21
g
23
%
Protein
4
g
8
%
Vitamin A
167
IU
3
%
Vitamin C
2
mg
2
%
Calcium
52
mg
5
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.