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If you’ve been on the lookout for a dairy-free cheesecake recipe that not only looks but tastes fabulous then this vegan pomegranate cheesecake is for you. This recipe comes from chef Danielle Maupertuis’ cookbook Vegans Deserve Better Than a Fruit Salad. With an aim of offering vegans more options when it comes to tasty and well-crafted desserts, this pomegranate cheesecake is a must-try.
The best part about this dessert? It looks incredible but it’s really easy to make and doesn’t use overly complicated ingredients. Serve this to friends or family after a nice dinner, or just make for yourself for a tasty treat.
Read more: 15 Vegan Dessert Ideas: From Pancake ‘Cereal’ To A Chocolate Croissant Tearer
Presented in a layered cheesecake pyramid and make with completely plant-based ingredients, you won’t find a recipe like it. The use of six pyramid-shaped molds make the dessert stand out and seem far more complicated than it is. The layers are quite simple to achieve.
You simply keep your mold upside down, pour in your pomegranate seeds, cover with jelly, then your cheesecake mix, and top with your base. Moreover, all you’ll really be spending time on is chilling your layers to get that distinct and beautiful pink, red, and brown color scheme. If you can’t find pyramid baking molds online, opt for whatever is accessible as it will still be impressive.
Read more: 6 Vegan Pasta Salad Recipes
Vegan pomegranate cheesecake
Ingredients
For the cheesecake base
- 35 grams vegan spread or coconut oil
- 70 grams vegan digestive biscuits
For the cheesecake mix
- 180 grams pomegranate juice
- 1¾ tsp agar agar powder
- 150 grams plant-based double cream
- 90 grams golden caster sugar
- 120 grams vegan Greek style cheese
- 180 grams vegan cream cheese
- Vegan-friendly red food coloring or beetroot juice optional
For the pomegranate jelly
- 120 grams pomegranate juice
- ½ tsp agar agar powder
- Seeds of a whole pomegranate fruit
Instructions
For the cheesecake base
- Melt the spread or oil in the microwave for 20 seconds.
- Grind the biscuits in a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the melted spread or oil with a spatula.
- Roll out between 2 sheets of parchment paper, 3mm thick. Place on a flat tray and keep in the fridge, allowing the spread to harden.
For the cheesecake mix
- Dissolve the agar agar in the pomegranate juice and bring it to a boil, whisking continuously. Keep it boiling for about 10 seconds.
- Add the cream and bring it back to the boil. Gently reduce to half the initial quantity on medium heat, stirring constantly.
- In a mixing bowl, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, cream cheese and the Greek style cheese at medium-high speed until creamy, for about 2 minutes.
- Reduce the speed and gradually add the reduced pomegranate mix
- Increase the speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl twice at least, until smooth consistency, with no remaining lumps.
For the pomegranate jelly
- Dissolve the agar agar in the pomegranate juice. Bring to the boil and keep boiling for 10 seconds.
Assembling
- Keeping your mold upside down, pour 1 generous teaspoon of pomegranate seeds in the bottom of each pyramid mold. Cover the seeds with the jelly.
- They will set at room temperature or, for a quicker way, transfer to the freezer for 1 hour.
- Fill the mold with the cheesecake mix. Leave ½ cm free on the top to place the cheesecake base. Put back in the freezer for 1 hour at least.
- Remove the cheesecake base from the fridge. Cut the bases the same size as the mold, put on top and let it set for another 2 hours in the freezer.
- Unmold the cakes and let them defrost at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
This recipe was republished with permission from the cookbook Vegans Deserve Better Than a Fruit Salad by Danielle Maupertuis. There are links to her cookbook here and here. You can find her Instagram here and her Facebook group here.
Read more: 20 High Protein Vegan Dinner Ideas
