Caramel Apple Cheesecake | Vegan & Gluten-Free Recipe

This caramel apple cheesecake with a homemade apple pie filling and caramel sauce is a wonderful dessert for the holidays. It’s rich, creamy, thick, flavorful, and tasty! The recipe is vegan (dairy-free, egg-free) and gluten-free!

Vegan Apple Pie Cheesecake With Caramel

I love vegan cheesecakes because they remind me of my childhood. Cheesecakes are (besides chocolate cake) one of my most favorite desserts. Making a vegan cheesecake is easier than you might think. I already shared a couple of recipes on my blog and I will link them below.

The combination of apple, caramel, and cheesecake is simply heaven! You should definitely give it a try if you love apple pie or if you are looking for a vegan dessert for the holidays!

How To Make Caramel Apple Cheesecake?

This recipe isn’t complicated at all, however, please keep in mind that this is not a quick 3-ingredient recipe. It takes a while to whip up this deliciousness, but it’s so worth it!

STEP 1: Make the gluten-free vegan pie crust first. It’s super simple, as you just need to process all ingredients in a food processor until the dough crumbles but holds together.

STEP 2: Press the pie crust into the bottom of a 7-inch springform and put the springform into the refrigerator.

STEP 3: Next, make the vegan apple pie filling. You can use store-bought apple pie filling, but homemade is much better and it only takes 5 minutes to make it. Add all ingredients (except the diced apples) to a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the diced apples and simmer for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

STEP 4: Transfer half of the apple pie filling onto the pie crust and spread it evenly with a spatula. Put the springform into the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

STEP 5: For the vegan cheesecake layer, simply process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until completely smooth, creamy, and lump-free. Check the photos below to see how the cream should look like.

STEP 6: Pour the cheesecake cream onto the apple pie filling and spread it evenly.

STEP 7: Bake the vegan cheesecake in the oven for 45 minutes, then turn off the oven. Leave the cake in the oven but crack the door for about 10 minutes.  Please note that the center of the cake will still be jiggly which is normal though. It will set later in the refrigerator.

STEP 8: Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature (which will take a couple of hours). Then add the second half of the apple pie filling on top and spread it carefully. Refrigerate the cake to set completely. It’s best to leave it there overnight.

STEP 9: Make the homemade caramel sauce and drizzle it on top.

Which Tofu? Soy-Free Version?

I have made a couple of vegan cheesecakes before and had the best result with a combination of cashews and tofu. I prefer silken tofu as it’s pretty much tasteless and the cheesecake cream turns out very smooth, almost velvety. This time I used regular tofu though because I ran out of silken tofu. Also, I know that some people can’t buy silken tofu, so regular tofu is a great alternative.

If you want to make a soy-free version or a nut-free version, then please check out the recipe and the recipe notes of this Lemon Cheesecake Tart.

How To Bake A Caramel Apple Cheesecake?

I recommend baking the cheesecake with a water-filled ceramic bowl underneath (you can use any other oven-safe dish, e.g. a baking pan). Check the following picture to see what I mean:

It will create steam which will keep the cheesecake from drying out and cracking (that’s the experience I made)!

This Vegan Apple Pie Cheesecake Is:

• Dairy-free
• Egg-free
• Gluten-free
• Healthier than most apple caramel cheesecakes
• Perfect for the holidays
• Can be made refined sugar-free

How To Store?

Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Should you give this caramel apple cheesecake a try, please leave a comment and rating below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I would love to see your remakes! 🙂

If you like vegan cheesecakes, definitely also check out the following delicious gluten-free & vegan recipes:

• Lemon Cheesecake Tart
• Baked Vegan Cheesecake
• Raw Blueberry Cheesecake
• Strawberry Coconut Cheesecake Bars
• Fruity Cheesecake
• Vegan Key Lime Pie
• Vegan Cheesecake Tarts

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Caramel Apple Cheesecake

This caramel apple cheesecake with a homemade apple pie filling and caramel sauce is a wonderful dessert for the holidays. It's rich, creamy, thick, flavorful, and tasty! The recipe is vegan (dairy-free, egg-free) and gluten-free!

Prep Time40 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr 25 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apples, caramel, cheesecake, pie, vegan

Servings: 10

Calories: 293kcal

Author: Michaela Vais

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 cup gluten-free flour (*see recipe notes)
• 6 tbsp almond flour (*see recipe notes)
• 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax seeds + 6 tbsp water)
• 1 1/2 tbsp vegan butter (softened) or coconut oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar (*see recipe notes)
• Pinch of sea salt

Apple Pie Filling:

• 2 apples peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or lime juice
• 2 cups of water
• 7 tbsp granulated sugar (*see recipe notes)
• 3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch (*see recipe notes)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of sea salt
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Pinch of ground cloves

Cheesecake Layer:

• 5.3 oz tofu firm (*see recipe notes)
• 2/3 cup cashews soaked (*see recipe notes)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk canned
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or any other liquid sweetener
• 3-4 tbsp lime juice or lemon juice
• 3 tbsp cornstarch (*see recipe notes)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Caramel Sauce:

• 1 tbsp maple syrup or any other liquid sweetener
• 1/4 cup coconut milk canned
• 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar or date sugar
• 1 slightly heaped tbsp nut butter of choice
• Pinch of sea salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pie Crust

• To make the flax eggs, simply put 2 tbsp ground flax seeds (or ground chia seeds) to a small bowl, add 6 tablespoons of water and mix with a whisk. Set aside for 5 minutes.
• Process all ingredients for the pie crust in a food processor until the dough crumbles but holds together.
• Press the pie crust into the bottom of a 7-inch (18 cm) springform and put the springform into the refrigerator.

Vegan Apple Pie Filling

• Next, make the vegan apple pie filling. You can use store-bought apple pie filling, but homemade is much better and it only takes 5 minutes to make it. Add all ingredients (except the diced apples) to a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the diced apples and simmer for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Transfer half of the apple pie filling onto the pie crust and spread it evenly with a spatula. Put the springform into the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Vegan Cheesecake Layer

• Soak cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes (if you are in a hurry, you could also boil them for 15 minutes).
• For the vegan cheesecake layer, simply process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until completely smooth, creamy, and lump-free. Check the photos above in the blog post to see how the cream should look like.
• Pour the cheesecake cream onto the apple pie filling and spread it evenly.
• Bake the vegan cheesecake in the oven for 45 minutes, then turn off the oven. Leave the cake in the oven but crack the door for about 10 minutes. If you are using a bigger or smaller springform you will need to adjust the baking time. Please note that the center of the cake will still be jiggly which is normal though. It will set later in the refrigerator.
• Let the cheesecake cool at room temperature (which will take a couple of hours). Then add the second half of the apple pie filling on top and spread it carefully. You might need to reheat the apple pie filling with a little water to make it spreadable again. Refrigerate the cake to set completely. It's best to leave it there overnight.

Caramel Sauce

• Make the homemade caramel sauce by adding all ingredients to a saucepan. Bring to a boil on the stove and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Drizzle the caramel on top of the cake. Enjoy! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

Notes

• Check the step-by-step pictures above in the blog post.
• Please note that you can switch between US and metric measurements. I always recommend metric measurements. Simply click on the word metric below the ingredients for measurements in grams.
• Sweetener: Any granulated sweetener can be used. Some other examples are Xylitol*, Erythritol, coconut sugar, regular sugar or date sugar. *Desserts with Xylitol should be never given to dogs.
• Cornstarch: You can use arrowroot flour instead.
• Gluten-free flour blend: I used 1/2 cup (80 g) rice flour and 5 tbsp (40 g) tapioca flour (cornstarch is fine too). A store-bought gluten-free flour blend (with similar ingredients) should work as well.
• Almond flour: To make the recipe nut-free, you can use ground shredded unsweetened coconut. Simply process it in a blender or electric coffee/spice grinder.
• Tofu: You can use one package (12.3 oz or 350 g) of firm silken tofu instead of regular tofu. Leave out the canned coconut milk if you use silken tofu. If you want to make a soy-free version or a nut-free version, then please check out the recipe and the recipe notes of this Lemon Cheesecake Tart.
• Recipe serves 10. Nutrition facts are for one serving.

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 293 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 5g25%

Carbohydrates 43g14%

Fiber 3g12%

Sugar 24g27%

Protein 6g12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 24g

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