What does baklava cheesecake taste like?

Baklava is a very sweet Turkish dessert filled with nuts and has crisp layers of phyllo dough sheets. For those who may not enjoy a dessert as sweet, baklava cheesecake is perfect with a tart and creamy layer of cream cheese filling to cut through the sugar.

Which vegan cream cheese brand is the best to make cheesecake?

Kite Hill and Tofutti work the best for vegan cheesecakes, as they are higher in protein and taste more similar to regular cream cheese than their oil-based counterparts.

Baklava is generally not vegan as it contains clarified butter.

Can vegans have cheesecake?

Vegans can have cheesecake made with non-dairy cheese alternatives.

Why did my cheesecake crack?

If the edges of the cheesecake are stuck to the pan, then the cheesecake will crack as it cools and naturally pulls away from the edges.

Do I need a water bath for vegan cheesecake?

Water baths are helpful for a crack-free cheesecake top, but I've never had this issue baking vegan cheesecakes without them.

What is a vegan cheesecake made of?

Vegan cheesecake is often made of a vegan cream cheese alternative that is coconut or palm oil-based, or nut-based. Raw vegan cheesecakes usually are made with blended cashew or macadamia nut fillings.

Baklava Cheesecake Recipe (Dairy-Free & Vegan-Friendly)

Name: Baklava Cheesecake (Dairy-Free & Vegan-Friendly)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 16 oz (450 grams; 2 8-oz packages) vegan cream cheese; ¾ cup (75 grams) granulated sugar; 3 tablespoons (23 grams) cornstarch; ½ cup (120 ml) coconut milk, full-fat; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice; 12 sheets (about 350g) of phyllo pastry (frozen or room-temp); 4 tablespoons (60 grams) vegan butter, melted; 1 cup (100 grams) pistachio meat, minced (can swap pistachio for walnuts, pecans, hazelnut, or a mixture!); ⅔ cup (50 grams) pistachio meat, whole or roughly chopped; ½ cup (120 ml) water; 1 ¼ cup (125 grams) granulated sugar; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice; optional: ½ teaspoon rosewater

Description

This baklava cheesecake recipe offers the best of both worlds: syrupy sweet pistachio baklava AND refreshing tangy cheesecake filling. Dairy-free and completely vegan thanks to a few easy tweaks. I can't wait for you to try this one!

Ingredients

Scale

*The recipe is for a 7-inch pan. If you have a 9-inch pan instead, double the filling and syrup ingredients.

Filling (all at room-temp):

16 oz (450 grams; 2 8-oz packages) vegan cream cheese
¾ cup (75 grams) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons (23 grams) cornstarch
½ cup (120 ml) coconut milk, full-fat
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

Pastry:

12 sheets (about 350g) of phyllo pastry (frozen or room-temp)
4 tablespoons (60 grams) vegan butter, melted
1 cup (100 grams) pistachio meat, minced (can swap pistachio for walnuts, pecans, hazelnut, or a mixture!)
⅔ cup (50 grams) pistachio meat, whole or roughly chopped

Syrup:

½ cup (120 ml) water
1 ¼ cup (125 grams) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
optional: ½ teaspoon rosewater

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Make the filling by placing the vegan cream cheese and sugar into a large bowl and mix with an electric or stand mixer for 1-2 minutes, until fluffy. Add in the cornstarch, coconut milk, and lemon juice then mix until just combined. Set aside.

3. Start making the base by brushing the pan generously with vegan butter and place one layer of phyllo pastry, making sure the pastry sticks to the bottom edges. Brush with melted vegan butter, and repeat until half the phyllo sheets are gone. At this halfway point, place the minced pistachio in one layer and gently press to pack it down. Place the rest of phyllo sheets with butter in between, then pour over the cream cheese filling. Trim the sides with scissors and save the leftover bits for future tarts, baklavas, or boreks.

4. Bake the cake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Cover with aluminum foil if the phyllo is browning too quickly.

5. Meanwhile, mix water, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat and bring the syrup to 225-230F (should drip down in a loose thin thread from the spoon, about 15 minutes). Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. If you wish, mix in rosewater.

6. When the cheesecake is done baking, let it cool for at least one hour. When both the cheesecake and the syrup are somewhat cooled (they can still be warm to the touch)—pour the syrup down the edges of the springform, covering the entire perimeter of the cheesecake. Set aside to bring down to room temperature, then cover in cling wrap & refrigerate for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight.

7. When the cheesecake is cooled and set, remove the springform and place roughly chopped pistachios to decorate.

Notes

If you're worried about syrup oozing out of the pan as the cheesecake cools overnight, you can wrap the bottom with aluminum foil.

The brand of vegan cream cheese you use makes a huge difference for this recipe! I like to stock up on Kite Hill and Tofutti when they go on sale as I've had the most luck with these brands, but Trader Joe's and Simple Truth work as well.

I made this recipe once in a water bath and once without—water bath didn't change the texture at all. Neither top cracked.

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Bake
Cuisine: Turkish