Description
This no-bake vegan mint chocolate chip cheesecake combines a crunchy Oreo-style cookie crust with a creamy, mint-infused filling made from soaked cashews, vegan cream cheese, and vegan Greek-style yogurt. Enhanced by melted vegan white chocolate and studded with dark chocolate chips, this refreshing dessert is topped with a smooth vegan dark chocolate ganache and fresh mint leaves, perfect for a delightful and dairy-free treat that requires no oven baking.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 154 g Oreo-style cookies
- 40 g vegan block butter
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Filling
- 180 g vegan white chocolate
- 200 g cashews (soaked ahead of time)
- 500 g vegan cream cheese
- 120 g vegan Greek-style yogurt
- 60 g powdered sugar
- 30 fresh mint leaves
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 100 g vegan dark chocolate (very finely chopped)
Ganache and Garnish
- 100 g vegan dark chocolate
- 120 g coconut cream (or vegan cream)
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Fresh mint leaves and additional chocolate pieces for decoration
Instructions
- Prepare: Pre-soak the cashews in water for 4 hours or quick-soak in simmering water for 30 minutes, then rinse and drain. Line the base and sides of a 7.5 or 8-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Make the crust: Add the Oreo-style cookies, vegan butter, sea salt, and peppermint extract into a food processor. Blitz for a few minutes until the mixture sticks together when pressed between your fingers, forming a crumbly, cohesive dough.
- Form the crust: Press the cookie mixture firmly into the base of the lined pan using your fingers or the back of a spoon, smoothing it down to create a compact, even crust. Place it in the refrigerator to chill while preparing the filling.
- Melt white chocolate: Place the vegan white chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (bain-marie). Stir gently and frequently until fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
- Blend filling: In a high-speed blender, combine the melted white chocolate, soaked cashews, vegan cream cheese, vegan Greek-style yogurt, powdered sugar, fresh mint leaves, and peppermint extract. Blitz until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy with no lumps, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Cool and fold in chocolate: Transfer the filling into a large bowl; it will be warm from blending. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes to cool it down. Then carefully fold in the finely chopped vegan dark chocolate to create chocolate chips throughout the filling.
- Set the cheesecake: Pour the filling onto the chilled crust in the springform pan. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until fully set and firm. Alternatively, you can set the cheesecake in the freezer for about 4 hours.
- Remove from pan: Carefully unlock the springform pan and peel away the parchment paper from the sides of the cheesecake. Use a cake scraper if needed to clean the edges for a neat finish.
- Make ganache: Place the vegan dark chocolate and coconut cream in a large heatproof bowl. Melt gently over a double boiler, stirring continuously until smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and stir in the peppermint extract evenly.
- Garnish and serve: Pour the ganache evenly over the top of the set cheesecake. Use a spatula or palette knife to spread smoothly. Decorate with fresh mint leaves and additional chocolate pieces as desired. Chill briefly if needed before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Soaking cashews is essential to achieve a smooth, creamy filling texture.
- Use vegan white and dark chocolates labeled dairy-free to maintain vegan status.
- Refrigeration time may vary; ensure the cheesecake is firm before attempting to remove from pan.
- For a quicker set, freezing for a few hours works well, but allow slight thawing before serving for best texture.
- Adjust the amount of peppermint extract to taste depending on desired mint intensity.
