Get ready for the best cannoli cheesecake you’ll ever taste! Undetectably healthy, vegan, dairy free and gluten free, you’ll fall in love with this spin on a classic Italian dessert!
My Italian grandma just loves making cannoli (yes, it’s cannoli, not cannolis haha!)- it’s a dessert I grew up with and have come to love the taste of powdered sugar with fried dough and chocolate chips. Yep, it’s good!
So I decided to go with a twist on a classic, because I love making things my own way and starting a new tradition 😉 which will include this unbelievably vegan and gluten free chocolate chip cannoli cheesecake!
Yep, I said it. It’s vegan, it’s gluten free, it’s dairy free, and it’s refined sugar free, yet no one would know! This cannoli cheesecake is that good.
Did I mention it’s easy to make too? Seriously, this pie is hard to mess up and just tastes phenomenal- like eating a cannoli, only bigger and better!
I even got the approval from my Italian grandma! So if that doesn’t sway you to give this cheesecake a go, I don’t know what will!
Cannoli Cheesecake Ingredients
The ingredients of a cannoli cheesecake are key when it comes to making this vegan and gluten free. Not all vegan butter and coconut yogurts work in this recipe, so read closely for the suggestions.
- Oat flour pie crust: This is what allows this cannoli cheesecake to be both gluten free and vegan! It’s an easy pie crust that’s no roll and no chill before placing into the pie dish! Plus it yields wonderful results 🙂 All you’ll need for this pie crust is oats (or oat flour), coconut oil, maple syrup, cold water, baking soda, cinnamon, and vanilla!
- Coconut yogurt: this gives your cannoli cheesecake a nice tang to it, like traditional cannoli made with cheese! I wouldn’t recommend another sub in for coconut yogurt, as the fat from the coconut is very thick, yielding the thick and cheesecake like texture!
- Coconut cream: one of my favorite ingredients of all times (aside from maple syrup…we’ll get there haha!), coconut cream adds a delicious creamy texture to the vegan cannoli cheesecake! Go for full fat coconut cream, or if you’re having trouble finding the coconut cream, you can use coconut milk (full fat again). DO NOT use light coconut milk or the refrigerated kind. It won’t guarantee the same results as using regular coconut cream or milk. I find my coconut cream, and organic too, at Trader Joe’s!
- Vegan butter: for this one, I love using Miyoko’s vegan butter, which is organic and you can also find at Trader Joe’s! However, if it’s not available to you, look for a coconut oil based vegan butter. This will give the best results.
- Arrowroot Powder: much like my vegan key lime pie and banana cream pie, arrowroot powder serves as an excellent ingredient to bind the cannoli cheesecake ingredients together and make it firm, like a traditional cheesecake. You can find arrowroot powder at many grocery stores, as well as Whole Foods! Please note: if your arrowroot powder is expired or hasn’t been stored properly (it should be in a cool airtight container), then it will not work, resulting in a runny pie!
- Vanilla extract: because we can’t make vegan gluten free cannoli cheesecake that resembles an actual cannoli without the vanilla!
- Maple syrup: you can also swap in coconut sugar here, but your pie will look slightly browner!
How to make the oat flour pie crust
This oat flour pie crust is the key to making a healthy yet delicious gluten free vegan cannoli cheesecake. I’m always astounded by how simple this pie crust is and am not sure why I even both making pies with different crusts haha!
Just kidding, I love variety! The more pie and pie crusts, the merrier 🙂
Now, to make this oat flour pie crust, it’s quite simple! You can start with either whole oats, like I did (and is probably the cheaper and easier option, since many have oats in their homes!), or purchase an oat flour. If you purchase and oat flour, skip ahead to where we’re combining the flour with the remaining ingredients 🙂
If you’re making your own oat flour:
- Add your oats to a large food processor.
- Pulse the oats until they become a fine flour, which is different than how we mad the oat flour in these banana oatmeal pancakes. We don’t want any oat chunks!
- Next, add in your coconut oil, water, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon to the oat flour, and blend again in the food processor until it becomes a sticky dough, like below.
- Press your oat flour pie crust dough into a coconut or olive oil greased 9″ pie dish and refrigerate your pie crust for about 20 minutes. See, no rolling!
While the pie crust is chilling, preheat your oven to 375F. Place your pie crust into the oven when the oven is ready, and bake your gluten free vegan oat flour pie crust for about 15 minutes.
Once it’s done, remove it from the oven and start making your vegan cannoli cheesecake filling while it cools! Then we’ll finish off the vegan chocolate chip cannoli cheesecake 🙂
How to make a vegan cannoli filling
Now, making the vegan cannoli filling is just as easy as making the pie crust… if not, easier!
First, you’ll start by placing your softened vegan butter, coconut yogurt, coconut cream, vanilla, maple syrup, and arrowroot powder all into one large bowl.
Beat together your ingredients using a hand mixer until it’s nice and smooth, like below!
Fold in your chocolate chips and then spoon your vegan cannoli filling into your baked oat flour pie crust.
That’s it! Now, let’s finish off the cheesecake!
Assembling your chocolate chip cannoli cheesecake
Place your vegan cannoli filling filled cheesecake into the oven and bake it at 375F for about 15-20 minutes.
The center should be a little wobbly, but the outer rim should be slightly set. If it’s not, don’t worry! You can still remove it and chill it! This was just to activate the arrowroot powder!
Then remove your chocolate chip cannoli cheesecake from the oven and let it cool for about 15 minutes at room temperature.
Next, place your cheesecake into the fridge to let chill and set for about 2-3 hours. Once your vegan cheesecake has chilled and your ready to serve, add some extra chocolate chips on top and sprinkle some powdered sugar over it!
There ya have it!
An easy and delicious vegan and gluten free chocolate chip cannoli cheesecake 🙂 Tastes just like a cannoli and is a pie for both summer and winter, spring and fall! Whenever you’re in the mood for your favorite Italian treat 😉
I hope you love this cheesecake as much as I do! Let me know how it goes in the comments below, and I cannot wait to see your creations on Instagram and Pinterest!
Happy baking, setting, and chilling!
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Get ready for the best cannoli cheesecake you’ll ever taste! Undetectably healthy, vegan, and gluten free, you’ll fall in love with this spin on a classic Italian dessert! So easy, and incredibly sweet, it tastes just like a cannoli, only better!
Ingredients
Vegan Pie Crust:
- 2 cups whole oats (or 1 3/4 cup oat flour)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, room temperature
- 4–6 tbsp cold water
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Cannoli Cheesecake Filling:
- 8 ounces coconut milk yogurt (make sure it’s thick, like coconut cream. The ingredients should be coconut cream and the bacteria)
- 4 ounces Miyoko’s vegan butter, room temperature (if you can’t find Miyoko’s, use a coconut oil based vegan butter)
- 2 tsps vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 2 tbsp arrowroot powder*
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
To prepare the pie crust:
- In a large food processor, pulse the oats until they reach a fine flour.
- Add in coconut oil, water, maple syrup, baking soda, cinnamon, and vanilla. Blend until it becomes a sticky dough.
- Press the dough into a 9″ pie dish greased with coconut or olive oil.
- Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes. While the pie is chilling, preheat the oven to 375F.
- Bake the crust for 15 minutes and then remove to let cool while preparing the filling. Keep the oven on at 375F.
To make the cannoli “cheesecake” filling:
- In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together the softened vegan butter, coconut yogurt, coconut cream, vanilla, arrowroot powder, and maple syrup until well combined.
- Fold in chocolate chips using a spoon.
- Pour batter into pie crust and bake the pie for 15-20 minutes, until it begins to set on the outside, but is a little wobbly on the inside.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes at room temperature. Then place the cheesecake in the fridge for about 2-3 hours, or overnight.
- Remove the cheesecake from the fridge, top with extra chocolate chips and powdered sugar, and serve with coconut whipped cream!
Notes
*Make sure that the arrowroot powder is not expired and is stored properly. Not following either of those two notes will result in a runny pie.
Keywords: vegan cheesecake, cannoli, cannoli cheesecake, gluten free, oat flour pie crust
WOAHHH this is absolutely genius! It really does taste just like a cannoli! I’m speechless (or maybe it’s cuz I have an entire slice of this in my mouth at all times 😂😂)
★★★★★
Haha that’s wonderful!! I’m so happy to hear it went over well 🙂 Enjoy!!
This looks AMAZING!! Are the oats necessary for the cannoli taste? We have an oat allergy so I’m curious if it would work substituting a traditional graham cracker crust
Hi Samantha! You could absolutely substitute for a traditional graham cracker crust! It will definitely still be delicious 🙂
I had never heard of cannoli cheesecake before this recipe, but LOVE cannolis! This cheesecake is DELICIOUS and highly recommend to all my cannoli lovers out there!
★★★★★
Aw this makes me so happy to hear, thank you so much for trying it!! I hope you loved!
I have made this recipe twice and the flavor is out of this world! I need your help though. Each time I have made it the batter comes out soupy, whereas in your photos, it is fluffy before you pour it into the crust. Mine is thin and when I bake it, it doesn’t stiffen and when I put it in the refrigerator if it still doesn’t stiffen any. If I freeze it for a little while I can get it more hard, but then that’s still not the consistency I’m after. I followed your recipe to a t, so I’m trying to figure out what I’m doing wrong. Thank you. This has great potential if i can get it right.
Hi Maria! Aw I’m so happy to hear you love the taste, but I’m so sorry to hear the texture has been off! My first question is, are you using coconut cream or coconut milk? Coconut cream tends to be thicker than milk, so it will result in a less watery texture! It’s a common mistake that people make! Another question is, how soft is your butter? The Miyoko’s butter can sometimes soften very quickly- it should be still solid when it goes into the bowl, like when making cookies! It should definitely be a little wobbly in the oven- that’s to activate the arrowroot powder! Sometimes fridges can vary in temperature as well, depending on how packed it is or its temperature set point. I’ve found that it’s coldest on the top shelf in my fridge, but using the freezer should work as well- how long are you keeping it in there? If you do the freezer, I would suggest letting it soften on the countertop for about 20 minutes before serving!
I hope that helps! Please let me know how it goes for you next time!
This looks like a great recipe! If I don’t have access to coconut yogurt, what would be a good substitution? Aquafaba maybe? Thanks!
Hi Katie! Aw thank you! For substituent the coconut yogurt, I would try vegan cream cheese if possible- I have not worked with acquafaba before! Another good substitution might be cashews! However, I have not tried it without the coconut yogurt! I hope that helps!
Hi! i’ve tried this recipe twice today (second attempt is in the oven though it doesn’t seem promising). the first try i used coconut cream from whole foods, so delicious coconut yogurt and earth balance butter. came out soupy. i thought maybe it was the brands so i went to trader joe’s and got the butter you recommended along with trader joe’s coconut cream (yes triple checked both times that it was cream and not milk) and trader joe’s coconut yogurt. less soupy this time however the ingredients just don’t seem to blend. there is an oily separation and it’s closer to a curdled milky liquid than what you have in the photo. could you provide more detail? did you mix the contents of the can of cream prior to use or only use the solid top portion? do you have to whip it/mix it for a while before it combines? i’m just a little stumped and so much want this to work out. thank you for the recipe! it tastes fantastic if it would just harden 🙁
Hi Logan! I am so sorry to hear this! I’ve had a few people say it works great, and then a few say that it’s too soupy, so I’m going to get to the bottom of this and do some more retesting because I’ve made this a number of times, and the only time it’s soupy is right out of the oven and then it will harden and set in the fridge! It may have to do with the coconut cream- I did scoop the solid top portion in there with just a bit of liquid, and yes, I did use a hand mixer to combine all of the ingredients, that I find is best so that everything is well combined! I whipped it basically until it was a fluff! I’m going to retest this one today and report back! I’m so sorry for the trouble this has caused you, and I want you to be able to enjoy this cheesecake 🙂
This cheesecake is amazing! My cheesecake filling was a little runny and lumpy pre-bake… not sure if it was the specific ingredients/brands, temperature, etc., but still turned out delicious in the end!
★★★★★
Aw I am so beyond happy to hear that!! Yes, totally normal for it to be runny pre baking and even while it’s baking!! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!!
Hi, Like a few comments here, I have made this to the letter (using Nuttlex for butter). When in the oven, it is bubbling so I cooked for at least 30 mins. Still soft. I used arrowroot first time but don’t like the jelly texture but the taste was incredible! I have remade with cornstarch/cornflour so see how this sets.. would love your thoughts on cornstarch as well as if yours bubbles in the oven and if you need to cook for way longer than 15-20 mins. Thank you!! Rachelle from Australia 🙂 x
Hi Rachelle!
I’m so sorry to hear about the texture! So it definitely needs time to freeze or cool in the fridge, and then the jelly texture will settle! Some bubbles are okay, it has happened to me a few times, but the end result is always good! Are you allowing it to rest and set in the fridge afterwards?
Also, hello from the US! That is so cool!! 🙂 Xx
Hi there! Have you ever premade this? I’m hoping to make it a few days early and freeze it… What are your thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Jennifer! Yes, I have and you can absolutely do that! It will need to unthaw for about 30 minutes, but it will still be wonderful!
Hi! From an italian family, I’m in LOVE with this idea. I’ve been plant-based for about three years, despite the judgment of my European roots lol and one of the only things I’ve missed so much is CANNOLIS. So excited to try this for New Years, as authentic Cannolis used to be our tradition for dessert on NYE! One question: did you use unsweetened plain coconut yogurt?
Thanks for the recipe!!
Aw my goodness, this is wonderful!! You know, it was my grandma (she’s from Sicily!) who gave me this idea!! 🙂 She always made us cannoli as kids, and it’s one of my faves!! I used unsweetened plain coconut yogurt, but that’s because I think it’s sweet enough as it is! However, some have used sweetened coconut yogurt and had great results!
I was so excited for this recipe! It looked amazing! The crust turned out alright. It was pretty sticky and hard to work with, but after some time, I was able to get it to cover my pie dish. The problem really began when I was making my batter. It was very clumpy and wasn’t combining nicely. I continued to mix it for quite a while and eventually decided to just bake it and hope for the best. I ended up having it in the oven for about 40 minutes because it would not solidify even a little. There was a lot of separation and it was so liquidy. So I eventually took it out of the oven and hoped it would firm up in the fridge. Luckily, it did end up becoming a little more set by the next morning, but it was still runny inside. It tasted alright…. good enough to still serve to guests, but I wouldn’t make it again. So bummed as some of the ingredients were pricey!
★★★
Hi Stephanie!
I’m so sorry it didn’t turn out for you! My only guess is that either the arrowroot powder wasn’t thoroughly mixed or the fridge wasn’t cold enough- I’ve had some very mixed reviews, it either works perfectly or it doesn’t work at all for some people, but I think I’ll have to go back to the drawing board because each time I make it, it turns out! I’m so sorry it didn’t for you!
Ummm this actually tastes like a cannoli! Not quite sure how that magic happened but sono molto contento 🙂
★★★★★
Aw I’m SO happy to hear that!! Thank you so so much for sharing!!
Hi! I was wondering if you could sub vegan ricotta and vegan cream cheese for the coconut yogurt and cream. I don’t like the taste of coconut and find that every time I use it in a baked good, it ends up tasting like coconut.
Hi Darby!! So I completely understand that- I haven’t tried these with vegan ricotta or vegan cream cheese- I’m sure the would work because they’re very similar in texture, BUT I can’t guarantee anything! If you try it, please let me know!
Can cornstarch be used in place of arrowroot powder?
Or tapioca starch?
Hi Alicia! Yes, you can use cornstarch!
Can you please let me know what brand of coconut yogurt you use?
Yes! I use Coyo but any coconut yogurt that’s just coconut cream and the probiotic will work!
I rarely ever comment on recipes, but with the mixed reviews on success with getting this to set, I wanted to post my positive experience! I was very skeptical given what I read, but I spent a bit of time gathering tips from the author through these comments. I used Miyoko’s butter, the brand Kefierkult coconut kefir yogurt (remember it’s important to ensure you use yoghurt that is strictly coconut and cultures) and I subbed corn starch for arrowroot powder ( I made sure it wasn’t expired and had been stored in an airtight container). Mine was really soupy when I took it out of the oven and it wasn’t even slightly set on the edges, but I took it out anyway and made sure to let it sit to cool for 15 minutes after (this is also really important). I placed it on the top shelf of my fridge (another good tip) and set the fridge temp to 2 degrees. I let it sit in there overnight and it set perfectly. I really believe that all these little details are important and making sure that your ingredients follow what is recommended to a T is also extremely crucial. It was absolutely incredible and my partner said it was the best vegan/gf dessert I have ever made (and that’s saying something because I bake a lot!) Thanks so much for this recipe!
★★★★★
Oh my goodness!! THANK YOU so so much for this comment! Truly so glad it turned out so well for you! Thank you for all of the tips and tricks you listed- this is so helpful for everyone else!! Enjoy and thank you again!
I was worried that this wouldn’t work out for me because of the mixed reviews I had seen. But for me, it really worked- I was so elated when it worked.
I thought the flavor of the cheesecake was nice, not quite as similar to cannoli- I added some lemon zest to lift the flavor a little more, which seemed to work. Overall really lovely and my partner really enjoys it.
★★★★
So so glad to hear it!! Love the addition of the lemon zest 🙂 Thank you for the review and enjoy!