Creamy Vegan Blueberry Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe (2024)

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posted by Britt Berlinon Mar 22, 2023 (last updated Sep 5, 2023) 14 comments »

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This deliciously creamy vegan burnt Basque cheesecake is the easiest cheesecake ever and perfect for beginner bakers and seasoned pros alike! Topped with fresh blueberries, you won’t believe this Basque cheesecake is dairy free and gluten free!

Creamy Vegan Blueberry Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe (1)

Why this is the easiest vegan cheesecake you’ll ever make!

If baking a cheesecake intimidates you, then I want you to try out this Basque cheesecake. It’s probably the easiest traditional-style cheesecake you’ll ever make (aside from no-bake cheesecakes) with a texture that is ultra rich and creamy.

The beauty of a Basque cheesecake? It’s entirely crustless (so no need to pre-bake a crust) and it lends itself to being naturally gluten free as well (though traditional Basque cheesecakes use flour as a thickener, we’re using cornstarch! And then it replaces the eggs as well 🙂 ).

What’s more, this is an entirely dairy free and vegan Basque cheesecake- yep, no dairy whatsoever, yet the texture and flavor is that of the classic: super decadent and lush with a beautifully sweet tang. And, this cheesecake is also eggless, so no need to worry about properly incorporating eggs into your cheesecake batter.

Creamy Vegan Blueberry Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe (2)

This is quite literally the easiest cheesecake you’ll ever make: simply make the batter and bake! you don’t even need a water bath. (Which is why I used this recipe as the base recipe for my vegan cannoli cheesecake! I wanted it to be super simple!).

Of course, I wanted to add a bit of a twist, so I topped mine with fresh blueberries- a lovely treat going into spring and summer time.

But if you want a classic burnt Basque cheesecake sans dairy and eggs, simply omit! Then once you realize how easy cheesecakes are, you can move onto the more fun versions, like this baked chocolate cheesecake, Oreo cheesecake, and cookie dough cheesecake!

What is burnt Basque cheesecake?

If you’ve never heard of a Basque cheesecake, you’re in for a treat. Unlike classic New York-style baked cheesecake, Basque cheesecake originated in Basque Country in Spain, and is an entirely crustless cheesecake.

What’s more, Basque cheesecake is ultra creamy and thick, with a deliberately burnt outer shell, thanks to the higher heat that it bakes at.

Creamy Vegan Blueberry Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe (3)

What do I need to make Basque cheesecake vegan and gluten free?

Typically, a burnt Basque cheesecake is comprised of cream cheese, heavy cream or milk, eggs, and flour. We’re straying away from the classic ingredients to make this blueberry burnt Basque cheesecake entirely dairy free, eggless, and gluten free.

All while maintaining the creamiest and richest cheesecake flavor!

So here’s what you’ll need:

  • Vegan cream cheese: The star of the burnt Basque cheesecake show, I recommend using a store bought cream cheese for this recipe. Homemade cream cheeses are a bit trickier and have more variables (though I am developing a cream cheese that can be used in both frostings and cheesecakes! So stay tuned!). My favorite brands to use here are Tofutti, Kite Hill, and Miyoko’s. The best flavors I find are with Tofutti and Kite Hill.
  • Vegan sour cream: If you can’t find vegan sour cream, you can just use dairy free yogurt! I love Forager Project for both vegan sour cream and dairy free yogurt.
  • Heavy coconut cream OR vegan heavy cream: I have tested this cheesecake recipe with both heavy coconut cream (specifically Let’s Do Organic! Heavy Coconut Cream) and a vegan heavy cream. Both work wonderfully!
  • Granulated sugar: Make sure that the sugar you’re using is certified vegan- I recommend Florida Crystals!
  • Vanilla extract & paste: Extra vanilla is key here for a rich and “buttery” flavor.
  • Cornstarch: You can also use arrowroot starch here if you have a corn allergy!
  • Blueberries: If you want, you can keep this vegan Basque cheesecake traditional, and skip the berries. However, I find they’re really lovely!
Creamy Vegan Blueberry Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe (4)

Overview: Step by Step How to Make Vegan Basque Cheesecake:

Creamy Vegan Blueberry Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe (5)
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Creamy Vegan Blueberry Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe (9)
Creamy Vegan Blueberry Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe (10)
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Creamy Vegan Blueberry Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe (12)

Serving recommendations for your vegan Basque cheesecake:

The beauty of this easy vegan cheesecake is that it’s absolutely delicious on its own. However, you can also serve it with a warm berry sauce or homemade blueberry or strawberry jam.

It’s also lovely if you want to go even richer, and top with a vegan ganache or caramel sauce.

Creamy Vegan Blueberry Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe (13)

You’re just going to absolutely love this vegan Basque cheesecake! I can’t wait for you to try it!!

Want to save this recipe for later? Add it to your favorite recipe board on Pinterest!

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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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Creamy Vegan Blueberry Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe (15)

Creamy Vegan Blueberry Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe

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  • Author: Britt Berlin
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 70
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 10 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Spanish
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

This deliciously creamy vegan burnt Basque cheesecake is the easiest cheesecake ever and perfect for beginner bakers and seasoned pros alike! Topped with fresh blueberries, you won’t believe this Basque cheesecake is dairy free and gluten free!

Ingredients

Scale

  • 4 cups (32 ounces) vegan cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240 g) dairy free yogurt or vegan sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 cup (240 g) heavy vegan cream or coconut cream
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (70 g) cornstarch or arrowroot starch
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries

Instructions

  1. Prep:Preheat the oven to 415F. Place a piece of parchment paper pressed into an 8″ springform pan. Make sure that the parchment paper is lining the walls of the springform pan. Measure out all ingredients.
  2. Make the batter: In a stand mixer with whisk attachment or large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the vegan cream cheese until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Then add in the yogurt and heavy cream and mix again until fluffy. Add in the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, and sea salt, and mix again just until combined and fluffy. Make sure to stop to mix the batter with a silicone spatula and scrape the bottom to ensure everything is combined.
  3. Assemble theBasque cheesecake:Pour the batter into your prepared springform pan, Add the blueberries on top and gently press them into the top of the cheesecake.
  4. Bake:Place the cheesecake onto a baking sheet and into the oven to bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the top of the cheesecake is slightly burnt. The cheesecake will still wiggle, but the middle of the cheesecake will look set.
  5. Cool:Remove the cheesecake from the oven, and allow the cheesecake to cool at room temperature until it’s no longer hot (around 30 minutes to 1 hour). Then cover the cheesecake and place it into the fridge to set for 4 hours, preferably overnight.
  6. Slice and serve!Remove the cheesecake from the fridge and remove the springform pan. Pull the parchment paper off, and slice and serve your vegan burnt Basque cheesecake. Enjoy!
  7. Storage:Store any leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

Cream cheese:I recommend using either Kite Hill or Tofutti cream cheese here.

Sour cream:The vegan sour cream I LOVE to use in my baking is Forager Project. Dairy free yogurt will work, but sour cream is really a lovely choice!

Heavy cream:I’ve tested this recipe with both heavy coconut cream (Edward & Sons Heavy Coconut Cream) and vegan heavy cream (sometimes called vegan double cream- look for Plant Crock or Silk!).

Refined sugar free:You can use maple sugar if you’d like. NOT maple syrup.

Don’t want berries in your burntBasquecheesecake?Not a problem! Skip the berries if you’re making this cheesecake around the winter time, and bake it just as the batter.

Keywords: burnt Basque cheesecake, Basque cheesecake, vegan Basque cheesecake, vegan cheesecake, gluten free Basque cheesecake

  • Cakes
  • Cheesecakes
  • Desserts

originally published on Mar 22, 2023 (last updated Sep 5, 2023)

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14 comments on “Creamy Vegan Blueberry Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe”

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  1. Cynthia Cox Reply

    If you wanted a crust, could you add one?

    • Britt Berlin Reply

      Yes! You can use the one I have on my classic cheesecake recipe 🙂

  2. Juliane Reply

    Wow! Looks stunning! Would love to make it and was wondering how much the granulated sugar impacts the consistency. I can’t take much sugar so I usually use stevia powder or drops and some erythrit. Do you think I can either reduce the sugar amount to 100g or use the above mentioned alternatives without too many problems in consistency?
    Also, what base does your cream cheese have? I could use chickpea, almond or soy based from what’s available here…
    Thanks!

    • Britt Berlin Reply

      Hi Juliane! Oh I hope you do try it! For the sugar, could you swap in a granulated lower-sugar option, like granulated monk fruit? I think it’s important to keep the volume of sugar the same, if possible! I would only reduce by 1/4 cup (50 g) if at all. And for the cream cheese, I used Tofutti (soy based), and have also tested with kite hill (almond based) and Miyokos (cashew based) with great success! I hope that helps!

  3. JUDITH BRIGHTON Reply

    I avoid dairy, but do eat eggs – I wonder how many eggs would sub for the starch? Looks beautiful!

    • Britt Berlin Reply

      Hi Judith! Aw thank you! Unfortunately, I haven’t tested this recipe with eggs so I wouldn’t know what to recommend, as cheesecakes can bake very differently with eggs! If you have the starch, I do recommend using it because it truly is lovely!

  4. Peggi Reply

    Ugh. I am super bummed and have zero idea what went wrong. I have made your recipes countless times with perfect success (cakes, cookies, dinner rolls), but I just pulled a greasy, soupy boiled-over mess from my smoking oven. (Thankfully most of it was contained on the baking sheet.) Not only did I waste $40 worth of vegan dairy products, but I have to make a different dessert for my brunch tomorrow. I used Kite Hill cream cheese and Follow Your Heart sour cream. The filling that went into the oven was creamy and delicious…

    • Britt Berlin Reply

      I’m so incredibly sorry to hear this!! I have not used Follow Your Heart sour cream, but I just checked the ingredients and those should have been fine (though that might have accounted for the greasiness- I find coconut products tend to have a greasy feel due to the fat content being mostly oils)- I’m wondering how close the cheesecake was to the top of the oven? Sometimes a little bit lower (middle or low rack) is best. The cheesecake will puff up, but it should create a skin that prevents the spilling over, I’m so sorry that didn’t happen, and I’m not sure why unless there wasn’t enough cornstarch in there (I usually say use a kitchen scale because it’s the most accurate!). I’m so sorry this happened though, this shouldn’t have been the case for you (I’ve tested many times and with Kite Hill a few of those times, so it definitely wasn’t the Kite Hill that was the issue!).

  5. Sian Reply

    32 ounces of cream cheese – is that right? That’s over 900 grams?
    In the UK we don’t really use cups for measurement. So I’m always looking for the equivalent in grams. You’ve given some of the quantities in grams but not the cream cheese. So I’m just checking.

    • Britt Berlin Reply

      That’s correctly! It makes a large cheesecake!

  6. Jaski Reply

    do you think I could use frozen bluberries instead of fresh ones?

    • Britt Berlin Reply

      You could potentially but I haven’t personally tried this! Typically with frozen blueberries in a cheesecake, you might want to try rinsing them in cold water first, then coat them in an extra tbsp of cornstarch or flour!

  7. sam Reply

    This recipe must be very dependent on the brands you use! I used down under cream cheese, ayam coconut milk and coyo natural yoghurt and also have unfortunately ended up with a soupy/oily mess. Followed the recipe to a T. Oh well, it was worth a try!

    • Britt Berlin Reply

      I’m so sorry about this!! I haven’t personally had this happen to me, but I’m thinking it’s the coyo- I’m wondering if because it’s super simple (just cultures and coconut milk and no binding/thickening agents) I’m wondering if that’s what’s causing the splitting of the oils. I’m going to make a note in the recipe card and then test this with a natural coconut yogurt, because I’ve tested it with cashew yogurt, soy yogurt, and a coconut yogurt that had a thickening agent, so I bet that’s what’s causing the issue!

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Creamy Vegan Blueberry Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my Basque cheesecake not smooth? ›

One of the key factors is the perfect baking temperature and time, or rather, insufficient baking. The Basque Cheesecake should be taken out of the oven when it is not yet it is not completely set inside to ensure a smooth texture that can even be almost liquid.

What is the difference between Basque cheesecake and normal cheesecake? ›

Whats the difference between Basque cheesecake and regular cheesecake. Firstly, there is zero crust, zero water bath. And it has its notably burnt exterior that is 100% planned and intentional. I like to think that its interior is more custard-like versus a fluffy cream cream cheese-type texture.

How do you know when a Basque cheesecake is cooked? ›

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cheesecake until deeply golden brown on top and still very jiggly in the center, 60–65 minutes.

What is special about Basque cheesecake? ›

It's main difference from a New York Style Cheesecake is that it is crustless, and has a golden, beautiful caramelized exterior. It also has a much lighter texture and flavor. The cheesecake is baked at a high temperature in order to get that burnt exterior and super creamy interior.

How do you make cheesecake filling smooth? ›

You can solve and fix a seized cheesecake mixture in a similar way to a split/curdled mixture – by adding the mixture to a pan on a really low heat, and stir constantly and have it on the heat as little as possible and stir until it is smooth.

Why is my Basque cheesecake sweating? ›

Liquid can also come out of a cheesecake if it is overbaked as the proteins in the cream cheese mixture start to tighten too much and squeeze out the water. The cheesecake should still be quite jiggly when it comes out of the oven, even though it will have risen and formed a crust on the surface.

Which cream cheese is better for cheesecake? ›

Well, I can tell you that after baking HUNDREDS of cheesecakes, the best cream cheese is brick-style cream cheese. I love Philadelphia brand, but use your favorite brand.

What's the difference between Basque and San Sebastian cheesecake? ›

FAQ. What is different about a basque cheesecake? A burnt Basque cheesecake aka a San Sebastian cheesecake does not have a crust and it is baked at a high temperature without a water bath.

What is the difference between Japanese and Basque cheesecake? ›

Basque cheesecake: This is a crustless cheesecake, just like a Japanese one, but it has a burnt top layer that adds a distinctive caramel note. The cheesecake, which has the usual suspects like eggs, cream cheese, sugar, vanilla essence, is intentionally left in the oven for the top layer to scorch.

Why does my Basque cheesecake taste eggy? ›

Classic New York cheesecake is smooth and dense, whereas Burnt Basque Cheesecake is baked at a very high temperature resulting in a caramelized top with a rich and custardy interior. Why does my Basque Cheesecake taste eggy? The cheesecake will become eggy and dense if baked too long or too many eggs are used.

Is it better to overbake or underbake cheesecake? ›

Avoid Overcooking

DON'T overbake. Overbaking a cheesecake can cause cracks on the surface. The center of the cheesecake should still be a little wobbly, the filling still pale, and the outer ring slightly puffy and firm. It will continue to cook as it cools and maintains that smooth and rich texture.

Why does my Basque burnt cheesecake crack? ›

Why did my cheesecake crack in the center? Cracking is caused by a difference in moisture between one part of the cake and the other. It is normal for burnt cheesecake to crack around the edges where the batter has formed a crust. If your cheesecake cracked in the center, it means it was overcooked.

What is the real name of Basque cheesecake? ›

Many chefs and writers even proclaim that the more intense and uniform the “burnt” top, the better. Cheesecake at La Viña, however, is not described as burnt; it is simply tarta de queso: cheesecake.

Why is my Basque cheesecake watery? ›

If your cheesecake is liquid-y/runny custard in the center, after it's been chilled then it needed a few more minutes in the oven. If it is grainy/curdled and releases a lot of liquid after it's been chilled, then the oven was either too hot, the cheesecake was over-baked or both.

What does basque mean? ›

Basque in British English

1. a member of a people of unknown origin living around the W Pyrenees in France and Spain. 2. the language of this people, of no known relationship with any other language. adjective.

Why is my cheesecake texture not smooth? ›

A cheesecake can become grainy due to overbeating the eggs, which incorporates too much air and changes the texture. If the cream cheese is not fully softened before mixing, it can result in a grainy texture. Using room temperature ingredients can help. So, your cheesecake is a weird grainy texture – almost like sand?

Why does my cheesecake look lumpy? ›

A lumpy batter may result from adding other cool ingredients to the cream cheese. This causes it to firm up, resulting in lumps. Small pieces of cream cheese inside the batter don't pose a huge problem, as long as the rest remains smooth. After the cheesecake has been baked, you'll be unable to tell the lumps existed.

How do you smooth a cheesecake top? ›

Bake the cheesecake in the water bath and when it's done do not remove it from the oven and do not open the oven door for at least 5 hours or completely cooled. That's the second trick, not disturbing it until it's totally cooled off. ...

Why is my cheesecake wrinkled? ›

THE CAUSE: Overbaking. Perhaps the jiggly center made you nervous or you accidentally forgot to set the timer, but no matter what, if you overbake your cheesecake, the egg proteins will overcook and cause cracks.

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