A cheesecake without dairy? Yes, it's true! This cheesecake is actually a cheeseless cheesecake, prepared with dairy-free cream cheese and dairy-free sour cream in place of traditional ingredients. A slight twist on banana cream pie, this dairy-free cheesecake is one of those things that's special and beautiful but simple enough for everyday.
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.)
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yield: 1 9" cheesecake
Ingredients:
- For the Crust:
- 1 1/4 cup finely ground dairy-free graham cracker crumbs (from either store-bought or homemade graham crackers)
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 5 T. melted dairy-free soy margarine
- For the Filling:
- 4 8-ounce packages dairy-free cream cheese, such as Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese
- 1 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- Egg Replacer for 4 eggs (I use Ener-G Egg Replacer) or, alternatively, 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup dairy-free sour cream, such as Tofutti Sour Supreme
- 1 T. banana extract
- 1/2 cup finely chopped banana slices
- For the Topping:
- 1 recipe Vegan Dark Chocolate Ganache or Chocolate Ganache
- 1 medium-large banana
- Fresh banana pieces, for serving
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9" spring-form pan well with dairy-free soy margarine. Set aside.
2. Make the crust. In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and white granulated sugar until well combined. 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. Place in the oven for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack while preparing the filling.
3. 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. Add the sugar and continue to mix until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Add the Egg Replacer, beating until well combined, followed by the dairy-free sour cream and banana extract, beating well with each addition and scraping down the sides periodically to ensure even mixing. Mix in the finely chopped banana slices. 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. Spread several tablespoons of dairy-free sour cream over the surface of the cheesecake to fill in any cracks. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely for 1-2 hours, then transfer the cake to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to chill completely.
4. While the cheesecake is chilling in the refrigerator, prepare the Vegan Dark Chocolate Ganache according to the recipe. Allow ganache to cool for about 10 minutes after preparing. Meanwhile, finely slice the banana and cover the entire surface of the cheesecake with thin banana slices, and then pour the ganache on the top of the cheesecake, completely covering the banana slices. Return the cake to the refrigerator to chill until the ganache is totally set, about 1-2 hours. Serve cold with fresh slices of banana and Vegan Whipped Cream if desired.
