Vegan Mango Cheesecake

A divine vegan Mango Cheesecake that's creamy and delicious and infused with the scent of cardamom. The walnut-graham-cracker crust is deep and rich, and on top goes a vegan sour cream topping. Can be gluten-free.

To say this vegan Mango Cheesecake will make you feel like you're biting into a slice of heaven might sound like a sappy overstatement, but just wait until you eat it before you decide.

This is one of my favorite dessert recipes, and one that has lived on this blog for a decade now. Like those of you who've made it before, Jay loves it and requests it incessantly. So I took some new photos this time I made the cheesecake and am bringing it back to the front for you.

If you've been missing cheesecake after going vegan -- or even if you aren't vegan but want to eat plant-based every now and then -- this recipe will more than deliver to your tastebuds.

Summer for me is almost synonymous with mangoes, perhaps because that's the way it always was when I was growing up in India. And although it's easy to find mangoes, or mango puree, almost anytime of the year now, especially here in the United States, I find myself cooking all kinds of mango recipes, and especially desserts, this time of year because it just feels right.

And when I bake mango desserts, as you probably already know if you've made my mango cupcakes or mango bread, I love adding to it the one spice that complements the sunny flavor of mangoes perfectly: cardamom. In this cheesecake, they work their most potent alchemy together to absolutely bowl your tastebuds over.

There are three layers in this cake, but they're not difficult nor time-consuming. At the bottom is a divine, buttery walnut-graham-cracker crust. In the middle goes the smooth, uber-creamy layer of cardamom-infused mango cheesecake filling. And on the top goes a layer of sour cream flecked with more cardamom.

It's hard to top that kind of deliciousness. So let's begin.

Ingredients for vegan Mango Cheesecake:

For the crust:

• Graham crackers (there are vegan versions, like Nabisco's original, but check the label before you buy if picking other brands)
• Walnuts
• Vegan butter or margarine

For the filling:

• Mango puree (make this from fresh, very sweet mangoes like champagne if you're baking here in the United States, or alphonso in India. You can also use canned, pureed mango. Make sure the puree is very, very smooth.
• Vegan cream cheese. I've always used Tofutti in this cheesecake because that was the only cream cheese on the market -- or at least the only kind available to me -- when I first started making this or any cheesecake all those years ago. You can use another brand, if that's your preference.
• Sugar
• Raw cashews
• Nondairy milk
• Green cardamom powder

For the topping:

• Vegan sour cream. Again, I used Tofutti.
• Sugar
• Green cardamom powder

How to make the best vegan cheesecake ever:

• Start out by making the crust. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pulse 1 cup of graham crackers with 1 cup of walnuts in a food processor with 2 tbsp of softened vegan butter. Press the crust into an even layer in the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan, place the pan on a baking sheet, and bake the crust for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside while you make the filling.
• To make the filling, blend ½ cup of cashews with ½ cup of any nondairy milk until very creamy.
• In a bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 20 oz of room temperature vegan cream cheese with 1 cup sugar until well-mixed. Add the cashew cream with 1 tsp green cardamom powder and 3 tbsp of cornstarch. Mix until you have a very smooth, creamy texture.
• Before you start baking the cake, place a small, ovenproof pan filled with water on a lower shelf of the oven.
• Pour the mango filling into the springform pan which should still be standing on a baking sheet (to make it easier to get the pan in and out of the oven). Place the pan and baking sheet into the oven and bake 30 minutes, then lower the heat to 325 degrees and continue baking another 30 minutes. When the cheesecake is done, the sides will look firm and the center might still look slightly jiggly, which is okay.
• About 15 minutes before the cake comes out of the oven, make the sour cream topping by blending 1 cup of vegan sour cream with ¼ cup sugar and ½ tsp of cardamom.
• As soon as the cake comes out of the pan, pour the filling on the cake and, using oven mitts, gently turn the pan around so the topping is evenly distributed over the cake. Return the cake to the oven and continue baking another 15 minutes.
• Remove the cake from the oven and let it cook thoroughly on a rack. Once cool, run a knife gently along the edges to loosen the cake from the pan. Then, with the cheesecake still inside the pan, refrigerate it for several hours or overnight until thoroughly chilled.
• Unmold, slice and eat. You don't need to decorate this cake, but if you want a pretty look, you can do what I did and scatter some crushed walnuts on the top.

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Looking for more vegan cake recipes?

• Vegan Squash Cake with Pineapple Frosting
• Vegan Mango Cupcakes with Mango Buttercream Frosting
• Vegan Blueberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake
• Vegan Rhubarb Ginger Upside Down Cake
• Vegan Zucchini Cake with Orange Marmalade Glaze
• Vegan Lemon Yogurt Bundt Cake
• Vegan Strawberry Bread
• Cucumber Cake

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Vegan Mango Cheesecake recipe: