This Vegan Apple Cheesecake is a creamy and irresistible baked vegan cheesecake that is perfect for the holidays or for any apple pie lovers! Made with an oatmeal almond flour crust, this gluten-free cheesecake is topped with a scrumptious apple pie filling. Thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for sponsoring this post!

A wooden board with a slice of vegan baked apple pie cheesecake on a white plate in the foreground, the rest of the vegan cheesecake in the background on a cake stand.

Meet your new favorite show-stopping holiday dessert: gluten-free & vegan apple cheesecake. With a gluten-free oatmeal crust, a super creamy vanilla cheesecake filling, and a scrumptious spiced apple pie topping, you’re going to be going back for seconds for sure.

This baked vegan pumpkin cheesecake and this vegan chocolate pecan pie have been my family’s previous favorite holiday treats, but I know they’re going to go wild for this apple pie cheesecake this year. My sister and dad devoured slices of this one, and my sister brought it to a party with friends where it got fave reviews and disappeared in minutes. Serve it to your favorite loved ones for maximum joy, no matter the occasion! Let’s get into it :)

Want more baked vegan cheesecakes? This classic baked vegan cheesecake, double chocolate baked vegan cheesecake, and vegan pumpkin cheesecake are all delicious favorites. You can also see all my favorite vegan cheesecake recipes to find your favorite!

Slice of vegan apple cheesecake with a fork bite taken out of the front, rest of the cheesecake on a cake stand in the background.

Ingredients & how to for the oatmeal crust

This apple pie cheesecake has a gluten-free oatmeal cheesecake crust that is simply irresistible. It’s made with Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free rolled oats and blanched almond flour, along with cinnamon and all sorts of deliciousness to create a tender, hearty crust that complements the creamy filling so much.

Here’s what you need to make it:

  • Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Rolled Oats: I always stick with Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free oats since they’re certified gluten-free, which is so important when you’re serving to people with a strong gluten allergy or sensitivity. Oats are naturally gluten-free, but often processed in a facility with wheat flour, so the cross contamination is high! Bob’s processes their gluten-free oats on certified gluten-free equipment, so you know it will never have traces of gluten or wheat.
  • Bob’s Red Mill Blanched Almond Flour: blanched is important! Regular almond meal is a little too coarse and the crust won’t hold together as well. Bob’s almond flour is consistently finely ground and super easy to work with.
  • Baking Soda & Salt: for flavor and tenderness!
  • Cinnamon: for flavor! You can also use an apple pie spice blend.
  • Coconut Oil: this is our fat and binder! I prefer refined coconut oil since it doesn’t have any coconut flavor.
  • Coconut Sugar: for sweetness, you can substitute with any other granulated sweetener of your choice, like maple sugar, date sugar, or brown sugar.
  • Almond Butter: any other nut or seed butter will also work, but I’d avoid peanut butter since it has such a strong flavor.

Making it is simple – simply mix everything together until combined and press into the prepared pan. I like pressing up the sides of the pan for maximum crust in every bite!

How to make creamy vegan cheesecake filling

  • Raw Cashews: if you don’t have a high-speed blender, you’ll want to soak these in water for about 4 hours to help them soften. You can also speed this up by soaking them in hot water for 30 minutes or so. If you have a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix, you can skip this step.
  • Coconut Cream: this is the cream from the top of a can of coconut milk, you can also sometimes find pure coconut cream in a can.
  • Coconut Yogurt: make sure to use a plain, tangy coconut yogurt. Any that is thick and creamy will work – I’ve used both Culina Yogurt and Harmless Harvest coconut yogurt successfully in this recipe. This helps replicate the “cream cheese” flavor of a classic cheesecake.
  • Pure Maple Syrup:
  • Lemon Juice: for a bit of extra tanginess – this helps replicate the flavors a traditional cheesecake.
  • Arrowroot Starch: this helps thicken the cheesecake. You can also use tapioca flour, cornstarch, or potato starch if you can’t find arrowroot starch.
  • Vanilla Extract & Sea Salt: for flavor! You can add in some vanilla bean powder or paste too if you want to amp up the vanilla flavor.

To make the vegan apple cheesecake filling, you’re going to combine all of these ingredients in a blender and blend until it’s super smooth and creamy. Once it’s blended, you can taste and adjust for your tastebuds, adding more maple syrup if you want it sweeter, or more lemon juice if you want it tangier.

For the apple pie topping

To make the apple pie topping for this apple cheesecake, you’ll start by sautéing apples in a pan to soften them slightly. Then, add the coconut sugar and let it all cook down for a few minutes. Mix some water with tapioca or arrowroot starch, along with cinnamon or apple pie spice, and let it thicken in the pan.

How to store

This vegan apple cheesecake is perfect to make a day or two ahead of time before you need to serve, just store it in the refrigerator until you need to serve! I prefer to make the apple pie filling fresh before serving, but you can make the whole thing and keep it fully prepared until serving. If you choose to do that, keep the apple pie filling more towards the center of the cheesecake so it doesn’t make the crust soggy.

In the refrigerator: store covered with foil or wrap, or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

In the freezer: store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

Slice of apple pie cheesecake with a fork bite taken out of it, photographed from above on a wooden board with a vintage cake server on the side.

Want more show-stopping vegan desserts?

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Vegan Apple Cheesecake

★★★★★ 4.9 from 12 reviews
  • Author: Rachel Conners
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 10 slices 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

This Vegan Apple Cheesecake is a creamy and irresistible baked vegan cheesecake that is perfect for the holidays or for any apple pie lovers! Made with an oatmeal almond flour crust, this gluten-free cheesecake is topped with a scrumptious apple pie filling.

Ingredients

Scale

For the crust

  • 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill blanched almond flour
  • 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free rolled oats
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil, softened
  • 2 tablespoons creamy almond butter or any other nut or seed butter
  • ⅓ cup coconut sugar

For the filling

  • 1½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 4 hours to soften, drain and rinse before using (you can skip this if you have a super high powered blender, or just soak in hot water for about 30 minutes)
  • ¾ cup coconut cream, this is the cream from the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup vegan coconut yogurt, any that is thick and tangy will work!
  • ⅓ cup (111g) pure maple syrup
  • 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from the juice of one large lemon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

For the sautéed apples

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegan butter
  • 2 apples, about 3 cups diced, peeled and chopped into cubes, I used one Honeycrisp and one Granny Smith
  • ⅓ cup coconut sugar
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice

Instructions

For the crust

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan with coconut oil and place on a baking sheet.
  2. In large bowl, combine all crust ingredients. Mix until fully combined.
  3. Press the crust evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let cool slightly.

For the filling

  1. Reduce the oven temperature to 325º.
  2. In a high-powered blender or a food processor (I use my Vitamix), blend the soaked cashews, coconut cream, coconut yogurt, maple syrup, fresh lemon juice, arrowroot starch, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Scrape down the sides of the container or use the tamper as necessary to get a super smooth consistency. It will take about 3 to 5 minutes of blending to get it super smooth and creamy.
  3. Taste the mixture and adjust to your tastes (add more maple syrup for sweetness, lemon juice for tanginess, or vanilla extract for more vanilla flavor). Pour the filling into the cooled crust and tap the pan hard on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
  4. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until mostly set. The cheesecake should jiggle slightly in the center when it’s ready, but not be too wet and jiggly. Try not to disturb the cheesecake for the first 45 minutes.
  5. When the cheesecake is just shy of set, turn off the oven, leaving the cheesecake inside. Leave the oven door open a few inches and let the cheesecake cool inside the slightly ajar oven. Remove from the oven after about an hour.
  6. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour to chill all the way through.

For the apple pie topping

  1. In a saucepan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the diced apple chunks and coconut sugar. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has melted and formed a caramel-like sauce on the apples.
  2. Whisk together the water, arrowroot starch, and cinnamon. Add to the apple mixture and cook for one to two more minutes or until thickened into a sauce coating the apples. Let cool slightly before topping the cheesecake.

Equipment

Notes

To store

This vegan apple cheesecake is perfect to make a day or two ahead of time before you need to serve, just store it in the refrigerator until you need to serve! I prefer to make the apple pie filling fresh before serving, but you can make the whole thing and keep it fully prepared until serving. If you choose to do that, keep the apple pie filling more towards the center of the cheesecake so it doesn’t make the crust soggy.

  • In the refrigerator: store covered with foil or wrap, or in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

  • In the freezer: store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

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