Vegan Speculaas Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 120 minutes
- Total Time: 150 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Difficulty: 3 (1 - 5)
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Allergens: Gluten Soy
- Categories: Desserts Pies & Tarts
A delectable vegan cheesecake featuring the warm, spiced flavor of speculaas (also known as Biscoff) cookies. This indulgent dessert combines a crumbly speculaas cookie base with a creamy tofu and yogurt filling infused with speculaas spread. Topped with vegan whipped cream and additional speculaas crumbles, this cheesecake is perfect for holiday gatherings or anytime you crave the distinctive cinnamon and spice flavors of these beloved cookies.
Base Instructions
- Start by taking the vegan butter out of the fridge to soften it a bit.
- While that's softening, crush your speculaas cookies. You can put them in a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin, or blitz them quickly in a food processor.
- In a bowl, mix together all your base ingredients. Don't worry if the mixture seems crumbly and doesn't form a ball - that's exactly what we want!
- Gently press this crumbly mixture into your 22cm cake pan, creating an even layer. Pop it in the fridge while you make the filling.
Filling Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and get ready for the filling magic.
- This part is super easy - just toss all your filling ingredients into a food processor and blend until everything is smooth and well combined. The mixture should be creamy and have a lovely speculaas aroma.
- Take your chilled base out of the fridge and carefully pour the filling over it, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Now for the water bath - this helps your cheesecake bake evenly without cracking. Place your cheesecake pan inside a larger baking dish, then pour hot water into the outer dish until it reaches about halfway up the sides of your cheesecake pan.
- Gently place the whole setup in your preheated oven and bake for 1 hour.
- When the hour is up, don't open the oven! Just turn it off and let the cheesecake continue to set in the residual heat for another hour - this gentle cooling helps prevent the top from cracking.
- After the second hour, you can remove it from the oven and let it cool completely on your counter.
- Once it's cooled to room temperature, cover it and pop it in the fridge for at least 6 hours, but overnight is even better - patience makes perfect cheesecake!
Decoration Instructions
- When you're ready to serve, gently warm some speculaas spread (Biscoff spread) until it's just runny enough to pour. Drizzle or spread it over the top of your cooled cheesecake for that extra speculaas flavor.
- In a chilled bowl, whip your vegan cream until it forms beautiful stiff peaks.
- Choose your favorite piping nozzle, fill a piping bag with the whipped cream, and get creative with your decoration around the edges or on top.
- For an extra touch of warmth, lightly dust the top with a pinch of ground cinnamon.
- Keep any leftovers (if there are any!) in an airtight container in the fridge, where they'll stay delicious for up to a week.
Notes
- Make sure your tofu is well-drained before adding it to the filling - you can press it between paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- The speculaas spread (like Biscoff spread) gives this cheesecake its distinctive flavor, but if you can't find it, you can substitute with cookie butter or make your own by blending speculaas cookies with a bit of vegan butter and oil.
- This cheesecake is perfect for the holiday season, but delicious any time of year!
- For a gluten-free version, look for gluten-free speculaas cookies and check that your baking powder is gluten-free.