Homemade Dairy-Free Cherry Cheesecake Recipe

Slice of cheesecake with cherry topping on plate, close-up
Dave Carlin / Getty Images
  • 90 mins
  • Prep: 30 mins,
  • Cook: 60 mins
  • Yield: 1 9-in cheesecake (12 servings)
Ratings (37)

By Ashley Adams

Updated 09/05/17

A cheesecake without dairy? Yes, it's true! This cherry-topped cheesecake is actually a cheeseless cheesecake, prepared with dairy-free cream cheese and dairy-free sour cream in place of traditional ingredients.

Although this recipe is also vegan (I make mine with Egg Replacer instead of eggs) persons who are not vegan but just allergic to dairy but not eggs can use 3 eggs in this recipe instead of the replacer. (Confused about whether or not eggs are dairy? You're not alone! I wrote this brief article to explain why many people mistake eggs for dairy ingredients but why Eggs are not Dairy.)

What You'll Need

  • 1 1/4 cup dairy-free graham cracker crumbs (finely ground)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 5 tablespoon soy margarine (melted)
  • 4 8-ounce packages dairy-free cream cheese (such as Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese)
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs (or egg replacer for 4 eggs)
  • 1/3 cup
  • dairy-free sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons dairy-free sour cream (more or less as needed)
  • 1 can/21 ounces 
  • cherry pie topping
  • Optional: 
  • Vegan Whipped Cream, for serving

How to Make It

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Grease a 9" springform pan well with dairy-free soy margarine. Set aside.
  3. Make the crust. In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and white granulated sugar until well combined.
  4. Add the melted dairy-free soy margarine and mix until well combined. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up 2" of the sides of the prepared pan.
  5. Place in the oven for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack while preparing the filling.
  1. Make the filling. Using a standing mixer or an electric hand mixer, beat the dairy-free cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until smooth.
  2. Add the sugar and continue to mix until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add the Egg Replacer, beating until well combined, followed by the dairy-free sour cream and pure vanilla extract, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides periodically to ensure even mixing.
  4. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the top of the cheesecake is lightly browned.
  5. Spread several tablespoons of dairy-free sour cream over the surface of the cheesecake to fill in any cracks.
  6. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely for 1-2 hours, then transfer to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to chill completely.
  7. Top with the cherry topping, then return the cake to the refrigerator for 1 more hour.
  8. Serve the cake cold with Vegan Whipped Cream if desired.
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
Calories 505
Total Fat 34 g
Saturated Fat 18 g
Unsaturated Fat 9 g
Cholesterol 158 mg
Sodium 347 mg
Carbohydrates 45 g
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Protein 9 g
(The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)