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 tablespoon 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 teaspoon green cardamom powder and 3 tablespoon 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 teaspoon 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.
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
- Vegan Low Carb Cheesecake
Vegan Mango Cheesecake recipe:
Vegan Mango Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the nut crust:
- 1 cups walnuts (can use pecans)
- 1 cup graham crackers (crumbled)
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- 3 tablespoon sugar
For the mango cheesecake filling:
- 20 ounces vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti)
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- ½ cup nondairy milk
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups mango puree (use a very sweet, ripe mango for best results)
For the sour cream topping:
- 1 cup vegan sour cream (I used Tofutti)
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
Instructions
Make 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 tablespoon of softened vegan butter until the nuts are broken down but not powdery.
- 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.
- Make the mango cheesecake 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, 1 teaspoon green cardamom powder, 3 tablespoon of cornstarch and the mango puree. 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.
- Make the sour cream topping:
- About 15 minutes before the cake comes out of the oven, blend 1 cup of vegan sour cream with ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon of cardamom.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the pan, pour the filling on the cake and, using oven mitts, gently tilt 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.
Recipe notes
- To make this cake gluten-free, use only walnuts for the crust -- so you'll need two cups of walnuts in all.
- You don't really need to decorate this cake, but for a pretty look scatter some crushed walnuts or peeled, chopped, ripe mangoes on top.
Vaishali
Mints, Thanks for your feedback on the mango cheesecake-- glad you liked it.
I wonder what may have gone wrong re the cracked top-- the water bath always prevents that from happening. One possibility is the oven temperature could have been too high. Ovens are almost always temperamental and it is possible that even if your temperature reading was perfect, your oven may be getting hotter than mine. That would also explain why the center didn't cook.
A solution might be to keep the temperature slightly lower, about 15-25 degrees or so.
Better luck next time! 🙂
Mints!
Vaishali, I just tried making this and boy it was good.
AMAZING!!!! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe. I tried with the topping and all. I did put water with it as you have suggested but still got cracked top and jiggly centre. But I guess that needs bit of getting used to making it.
I am going to make it often now 😉
Shailly
Thanks so much Vaishali for your reply:)Will definitely let you know my experience once i try this out. Thank you once again! Keep up your good work!
Vaishali
Shailly, Thanks for your kind words 🙂
You could used a regular cake tin and it would bake fine, although you won't be able to unmold it because a cheesecake is too delicate to be turned upside-down and unmolded, as you could a regular cake. You can simply cut slices right in the cake tin and then scoop them out. It might not be as pretty but it would still taste great.
Another suggestion is to somehow create a "cradle" for your cheesecake-- this might be easier with a square cake tin. You can fold a piece of aluminum foil long enough to form a slight overhang on either side of the pan. Pat in your crust and prepare the cheesecake, and then, once it's ready to be unmolded, lift up the overhanging aluminum "handles" to lift out the cheesecake. I am not sure if this will work because I haven't tried it, but it's just a suggestion -- it works very well for brownies, for instance. >)
Shailly
Hi Vaishali,
I love reading your blog and really apreciate your effort for the innovative dishes that you come up with. Your Mango Cheesecake looks soooo delicious.I was just wondering if it is possible to use aluminium cake tin or a pyrex glass bowl for making this rather then a springform? I dont have it and dont want to buy it either.
Vaishali
Ambica, I used EnerG egg replacer. I did not add water in this case because there was already plenty of fluid in the recipe.
Ambica
Vaishali,
A quick clarification. Which egg replacer did you use in the recipe? I have the Ener-G and also something local from Bob's Red Mill. Do you have to mix it with water or just add directly?
Thanks
Ambica
nithya at hungrydesi
We had a heavenly mango cheesecake on our vacation too - in fact, it was one of my recipes to recreate at home! Thanks for serving up a great recipe for it though. Can't wait to try it out.
Aparna
I don't have a sweet tooth (you won't believe it looking at my blog), but I love cheesecakes.
And this one here absol;utely delightful because it's mango, another favourite.
Tresa Augustine
Hi Vaishali,
Ur cakes looks so yummy..defenitely wud try out...keep the good work......
Recipes awesome
Mahimaa's kitchen
just pass me the plate vaishu.. looks yummy
Priya Narasimhan
Vaishali, You could also include me in the list of people who enjoy your write up as much as your recipes. 🙂 I just loved this post too..
Laavanya
I'm craving some mango cheesecake right now.
Curry Leaf
Delicious.Love the VEGAN cheesecake.Can't take my eyes off the pic.Love the way you made the filling using Ener G.Never tried it.
caribbeanvegan
I am giving you a big hug right now. Mango cheesecake is something I use to eat when I wasnt a vegan back home and now you have veganized it. Thank you so much. My husband cannot stand cheesecake so I will be eating this alone and taking long runs on the beach in the evening:)
I am forgetful too but thanks to my blog when I am scratching my head what to eat I can go back and I can get a recipe.I cannot wait to try this but I have a habit of eating ripe mangoes
Vaishali
TBC, Thanks. And you're right-- the mangoes here are just no match. I sometimes buy the champagne mangoes because they are halfway good, but even so they are nothing compared to the Indian stuff.