This Vegan Carrot Cake Cheesecake combines two of my all time favourite desserts – carrot cake and vanilla cheesecake! A buttery biscuit base, with swirls of vegan carrot cake and baked vanilla cheesecake, finished with a layer of cream cheese frosting and chopped walnuts. It’s vegan, no-egg, no-dairy and surprisingly easy to make!
This dessert has been made in collaboration with Le Creuset. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. (For more information along with affiliated links, check out my disclosure policy.)
Vegan Carrot Cake Cheesecake
This dessert has been in my mind for years, it was actually going to be a recipe which I was going to publish in my book, but kept it aside (as i already had a new york cheesecake and stand alone carrot cake in the book. The base features a simple 2 ingredient cookie crust, made using plain biscuits and melted dairy-free butter which gets pressed into a lined cake tin ready for filling. I adore carrot cake, and the spiced cinnamon notes, paired with crunchy walnuts and grated fresh carrot. The cheesecake is my to-go vegan baked cheesecake recipe and bakes perfectly when swirl with the carrot cake batter. The flavours simply melt together, while creating a beautifully swilled effect! To top the dessert is a simple vegan cream cheese frosting, because you cant have carrot cake without vanilla frosting, can you?
Looking for more carrot cake recipes? Check out my:
- Mini No-Bake Carrot Cake Cheesecakes
- Easy Vegan Carrot Cake Cookies
- Vegan Carrot Cake Loaf
- Easy Vegan Carrot Cake Cream Horns
- Viral Vegan Carrot Cake Sheet Cake
- Small Batch Vegan Carrot Cake
Why you’ll love this carrot cake cheesecake
- Completely plant-based, so everyone can enjoy! No dairy, no eggs, no compromise on flavour!
- The biscuit base adds buttery, crunchy base that perfectly balances the creamy layers above.
- Easy to make – great for all skill levels.
- A moist, warmly spiced vegan carrot cake batter baked right into the cheesecake for the best of both worlds (it’s actually incredible!!!).
- Smooth, velvety baked vanilla cheesecake layer that melts in your mouth, made with dairy-free cream cheese and silken tofu!
- Classic carrot cake flavours – cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice with subtle sweetness, and natural carrot goodness, in every single bite.
- Lusciously creamy vegan cream cheese topping for that signature tangy finish.
- Crunchy walnuts on top add texture and a nutty depth that complements the sweetness.
- Beautiful swirled presentation that looks as impressive as it tastes.
- Perfect balance of sweet, spiced, creamy, and crunchy.
- A show-stopping dessert that feels indulgent but is completely vegan.
Layers of a vegan carrot cake cheesecake
Below is a quick overview of the main layers of this cheesecake. Find the full recipe and method with ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Buttery biscuit base
The base layer is a 2 ingredient buttery biscuit / cookie base which i use for all of my cheesecakes. It’s made with crushed digestive biscuits (or graham-style crackers), mixed with melted dairy-free butter. The crust is pressed firmly into a lined loose base / push up cake tin and set aside while you make and prepare the fillings.
- Carrot cake swirls
On-top of the base sits a carrot cake and cheesecake filling. The carrot cake layer is moist, fluffy and warmly spiced. Finely grated carrots are folded into a batter made with vegan milk (I use soya), sugar, raising agents & neutral oil. Classic spices, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice infuse the cake with warmth and aroma. Chopped walnuts are folded in for texture and bursts of crunch. Once baked, this cake is tender and slightly dense, rich with carrot and warming spice, providing a comforting cake element swirled with the baked vanilla cheesecake.
- Vanilla cheesecake swirls
Speaking of swirls, the carrot cake is paired with my vegan vanilla cheesecake, which is ultra smooth and creamy. Made with dairy-free cream cheese, and silken tofu, its unbelievably delicious. Cashew nuts add stability and the powdered sugar adds sweetness. As we want it to have a flavour, vanilla is added (you can either use vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. I opt for vanilla bean paste as it has a stronger flavour, and i love how you can see the speckles of the vanilla bean running throughout the cheesecake swirls.
- Cream cheese frosting
Layered on top of the cheesecake is a thick layer of vegan cream cheese frosting, because all carrot cakes must have frosting.. right?!! This frosting is sweet, tangy and pairs perfectly with the spiced cake and creamy cheesecake. Made using dairy-free cream cheese, dairy-free butter, powdered sugar and vanilla… it finishes off the dessert perfectly!
Recipe tips and tricks
- Use a loose base / push up cake tin : For easy release, use a springform cake tin, I use the le Creuset 8” cake tin.
- Grate carrots finely : Fine shreds blend seamlessly into the batter and keep the cake moist without creating wet pockets.
- Soak cashews : Soak the cashews thoroughly (at least 4 hours or quick-soak in boiling water for 20 minutes) for ultra-smooth blending.
- Baking suggestion : Bake low and slow to prevent cracking and over-drying. A slightly jiggly center is perfect, as it firms up as it cools.
- Cool gradually : Turn off the oven and crack the door open for 30 minutes before removing, as sudden temperature changes can cause the cheesecake to crack.
- Chill time : Chill the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 6 hours (overnight is best) for clean slices and to fully developed flavour.
- Cool before frosting : Make sure both the cheesecake and frosting are fully chilled before spreading to avoid melting or sliding. Chill the frosting for around 20–30 minutes if it feels too soft before spreading on top of the cheesecake.
- Finishing touches : Toast walnuts for garnish to add crunch and visual contrast against the white cream cheese frosting.
- Serving : Let slices sit at room temperature for at least 10–15 minutes before serving for the smoothiest, creamiest texture.
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram , TikTok and Facebook! Pin this recipe for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, above or below this post, or on any of the photos. Happy baking all!
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Vegan Carrot Cake Cheesecake
- Total Time: Overnight
- Yield: 10–12 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
The ULTIMATE Carrot Cake Cheesecake – A buttery crust, swirls of carrot cake batter and vanilla cheesecake, baked to perfection, topped with a cream cheese frosting and walnuts.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the base
- 300g of plain cookies (I use digestives)
- 100g of dairy-free butter (melted)
Ingredients for the cheesecake
- 150g of cashew nuts (see step 1 for details)
- 200g of dairy-free cream cheese (I use Violife Original)
- 250g of silken tofu
- 100g of caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Ingredients for the carrot cake
- 240ml of dairy-free milk
- 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
- 215g of self raising flour
- 230g of caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon of all spice
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
- 60ml of sunflower oil
- 95g of carrots (peeled and grated)
- 20g of chopped walnuts
Ingredients for the cream cheese frosting
- 70g of dairy-free cream cheese
- 40g of dairy-free butter
- 120g of icing / powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste / extract
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- Chopped walnuts
- Carrots (grated)
- 200ml of dairy-free whipping cream (for topping)
Instructions
Method (base)
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan and line a 8” loose base / spring-form round cake tin with grease-proof paper, set aside.
- Melt the butter in the hob over low heat, or in the microwave in 2 second intervals until fully melted.
- Add the plain cookies / biscuits into a blender or food processor and blend until fine. Pour the biscuit crumbs into the melted butter and stir together using a wooden spoon or spatula. It should resemble wet sand, and when you press it between your fingers, it should hold its shape.
- Press the mixture into the lined tin, making sure to compact it using clean hands. You want to press it up the sides of the tin as-well as this will help hold the cheesecake. The more compact it is, the less likely it will crumble. Place into the fridge whilst you make the cheesecake filling.
Method (vanilla cheesecake)
- Wash, then drain the cashew nuts and place them into a high speed blender along with the cream cheese, silken tofu, sugar and vanilla. Blend on high speed until smooth.
- Set aside while you make the cake batter.
Method (carrot cake)
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the dairy-free milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’.
- In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, ground spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine. Add the oil into the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients along with the chopped walnuts and grated carrot and mix just to combine. Fold these together with a spatula to prevent over mixing.
Assemble the cheesecake
- Pour 1/3 of the cheesecake mixture into the tin, on the base, then spoon on some of the carrot cake batter. Repeat this until you have used up both carrot cake batter and vanilla cheesecake mixture.
- Use a skewer to very gently swirl the batters together (don’t over swirl / mix as we want to see swirls of both when we cut into the cheesecake). Refer to video for example.
- Bake the cheesecake in the centre of the pre-heated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the edges of the cheesecake turn slightly golden in colour. To check the cheesecake is ready, using oven mitts, gently jiggle the cheesecake. If the cheesecake looks nearly set and only the middle of the cheesecake jiggles slightly, it’s done. If it jiggles too much / looks wet, it needs more time to bake! If at any time the top looks like it’s burning, lay some grease proof paper over the top to prevent the burning / browning.
- Turn the oven off, prop the door open and leave the cheesecake inside for another 20 minutes. This will prevent the cheesecake from deflating and sinking.
- Once ready, turn off the oven, open the oven door and leave to sit in the oven with the door open for around 20 minutes. This will help the temperature come down slowly without shock, which can cause cracking.
- Remove from the oven and place the cheesecake (still in the tin) on a wire rack to cool fully.
- When the cheesecake is cool, place it into the fridge and allow it to sit in the fridge overnight to fully set. Keep the cheesecake in the tin to help retain the shape.
Method (cream cheese frosting)
- In a stand mixer with balloon whisk attachment or in a medium sized mixing bowl with a hand whisk, add in the dairy-free cream cheese and butter and whip together for 2-5 minutes until light, pale and fluffy.
- Add in the icing sugar and vanilla and whip until its thick and creamy.
- Spoon this on the top of the cheesecake, using an off-set spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it over the entire cheesecake.
- Whip up some dairy-free whipping cream until it holds a peak, transfer into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip nozzle and pipe some bulbs around the top edge of the cheesecake.
- Finish with a sprinkle of some roughly chopped walnuts and grated carrot for decoration.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the cheesecake into servings.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
To store: Keep the cheesecake fresh by storing in an air tight / sealed container in the fridge. Allow to come to room temperature before serving as this gives the butter in the base time to warm up and become less firm.
Best enjoyed within 3-5 days of making.
Soak the cashew nuts in a bowl of water overnight to help soften them ready for blending. Make sure the water is covering the nuts. Be sure to drain all the water before adding into the blender.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
- Category: cheesecakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Making this tomorrow for Easter and had a question. I don’t have much experience with self-raising flour. Why does the recipe call for this type of flour AND baking soda and baking powder? I assume I can’t use all-purpose/regular flour?