Vegan Brown Sugar Maple Mascarpone Cheesecake
This rich brown sugar maple mascarpone cheesecake is everything that a fall cheesecake should be- decadent, ultra creamy and milder than traditional cheesecake, perfectly sweet with ripples of maple and brown sugar, and unbelievably dairy free, no eggs, and vegan!
Tell me about this cheesecake:
If you’re looking for a festive autumn bake that’s not pumpkin and not apple (though I do love both my baked pumpkin streusel cheesecake and baked apple crumble cheesecake)…this is your recipe.
This brown sugar maple mascarpone cheesecake somehow captures the lovely fall aromas and flavors all in one creamy, irresistibly decadent cheesecake, and it’s just so easy to make.
We’re talking food processor, springform pan, and that’s it.
Not to mention, it’s entirely vegan (as is everything on this site). But trust me, you won’t be able to tell- using quality dairy free cream cheese, dairy free mascarpone, and my favorite vegan egg substitute, cornstarch, this vegan mascarpone cheesecake sets beautifully and is perfect for any fall celebration or holiday table.
In fact, I’m pairing this with my vegan pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, and I bet you that not one slice will be left!
The other really cool thing about this recipe…
I’m so excited to launch this recipe because it’s actually in partnership with Fig & Fire– Karen is the wonderful creator of vegan, nontoxic, and cruelty free candles, which I’ve spent many years searching for.
This was a dream come true when I discovered her brand a few years ago, and this year, we made a vegan, cruelty free, nontoxic candle together!!!
That, let me tell you, pairs perfectly with this brown sugar maple mascarpone cheesecake. Introducing “Baked Autumn“ – the only fall candle you need to welcome in the season! You can use code “BANANA10” to get 10% off your first candle too!
It has notes of pumpkin, maple, vanilla, and all of the cozy feelings that you get when it’s a chilly fall day and something yummy is baking in the oven.
And the best part- we’re donating 20% of the profit to Farm Sanctuary, so it could not be more perfect- you get a nontoxic, vegan, cruelty free candle, an amazing vegan recipe, and you get to help the animals.
I can’t think of a better way to spend the afternoon, really.
And on the off chance that you’re not a fall girly like me, then here are a few of my other favorite scents:
Mascarpone vs. Cream Cheese
Funny enough, they’re both made using very similar methods (yes, even vegan!).
However, mascarpone comes across creamier and somehow “sweeter,” whereas cream cheese has more of that iconic tang. It’s what’s used in tiramisu and Chantilly cream.
I do recommend buying your vegan cream cheese rather than making it (though I do have a recipe that works in this mascarpone cheesecake!). It will just make your life easier, since you also have to make the mascarpone (which is not hard at all, I promise! Just wanted to reduce the number of steps for the recipe 🙂 ).
For store bought vegan cream cheese, I recommend Kite Hill, Oatly, Fynd, or Tofutti. I don’t personally like this cheesecake with Violife or Miyoko’s (Violife can sometimes not work here).
Where can I find vegan mascarpone?
So currently, there is no brand that offers vegan mascarpone.
However, I have the simplest mascarpone recipe that just uses 3 ingredients. And that is what I use in this recipe!
This vegan mascarpone uses the traditional method for making mascarpone- except, it’s all dairy free. I recommend making this mascarpone a few hours before you make the cheesecake, or the day ahead.
Tips to make this vegan mascarpone cheesecake:
- Don’t forgo the water bath: For first time bakers, this may sound intimidating, but my water bath is super simple. You don’t need to wrap your cheesecake in tinfoil nor place it in a literal bath. We’ll simply place a separate baking sheet with walls below the rack that the cheesecake is baking on, and fill it with hot water. The water from the bottom sheet will evaporate in the oven, creating a nice steam bath for the cheesecake, and you don’t have to worry about soaking your cheesecake!
- Use room temperature ingredients: This will help everything come together more easily and smoothly.
- You really only need a food processor: There’s no need to worry about over mixing here. Because there aren’t any eggs, you can blend until creamy without worrying that you’ll split the batter.
- Not all graham crackers are vegan: Especially store bought. They often have honey in them. Nabisco’s graham crackers do not, so I do use those occasionally, but you can also just use my homemade vegan graham cracker recipe (which can also be made gluten free).
- This cheesecake sets best overnight: It will be ready in 4 hours cooling in the fridge, but it’s even better overnight. For holidays, I recommend making a day or two before, then topping and serving the day of!
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this one!! And let me know if you grab a candle too 🙂 I’ve been lighting mine all September long (and will definitely carry me through November lol). This project means so much to me, and I’m so excited and grateful to share it with you. Can’t wait to hear how you like both!
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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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Vegan Brown Sugar Maple Mascarpone Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 65
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
- Category: Cheesecakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This rich brown sugar maple mascarpone cheesecake is everything that a fall cheesecake should be- decadent, ultra creamy and milder than traditional cheesecake, perfectly sweet with ripples of maple and brown sugar, and unbelievably dairy free, no eggs, and vegan!
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 package or batch (250 g) vegan graham crackers or Lotus Biscoff Cookies
- 1/3 cup (87 g) melted vegan butter
Brown Sugar Maple Mascarpone Cheesecake Batter:
- 3 8-ounce containers (24 ounces) vegan cream cheese, room temperature
- 12 ounces vegan mascarpone
- 1 cup (240 mL) vegan heavy cream or cashew cream
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 g) dairy free yogurt or dairy free sour cream, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 mL) maple syrup
- 9 tbsp (90 g) cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3–4 cups boiling water, for water bath
Toppings:
- 1 batch vegan caramel, for topping
- Vegan whipped cream
Instructions
- Prep: Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the edges of the pan with a bit of cooking or coconut oil as well, and line with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 400F. I recommend making the mascarpone before beginning, or the day prior. Either works!
- Make the crust: Add the graham crackers or cookies to a food processor, and pulse until you reach a fine crumb. Then add in the melted vegan butter, and pulse again until you get a wet crumb. Press the cookie crumbs into the bottom of your cheesecake pan, working up the sides of the pan as well. Place the pan into the oven to bake for 10-12 minutes to par-bake. While the crust is baking, make the filling.
- Make the cheesecake filling: In a large food processor, stand mixer with whisk attachment, or large bowl with hand mixer, add in all ingredients. Blend until creamy smooth, stopping the mixer a few times to scrape the bottom (to ensure everything is well integrated). Pour the cheesecake filling into the springform pan, and smooth the top. Place the cheesecake pan onto a baking sheet (SEPARATE from the baking sheet used for the water bath- this cheesecake baking sheet just helps to transport the cheesecake to and from the oven).
- Reduce the heat of the oven: Reduce the heat to 350F.
- Create the water bath: Be ready to move to the next step immediately after finishing this step. Make sure that you boil the 3-4 cups water prior to pouring the water into the pan. Pour the boiling water into the pan.
- Bake the cheesecake: Carefully place the water bath baking sheet into the oven on the low rack. Then place the cheesecake baking sheet onto the middle rack and quickly close the oven to bake for 55-65 minutes, or until the the top of the cheesecake lightly golden. The center is set but still wiggly. Turn off the oven, and allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for 1 hour with the door slightly cracked. The water should also be completely dissolved. Please see the video tutorial. The cheesecake should still be wiggly. This is completely fine and should be that way. This cheesecake will not seem cooked at all when you first turn off the oven.
- Chill the cheesecake: Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes. Then cover and place the cheesecake into the fridge to chill for 4 hours, or overnight.
- Serve and enjoy! When ready to serve, top with caramel or vegan whipped cream,, and enjoy! Store any leftover cheesecake in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
Water bath: Using a water bath is extremely important for a moist cheesecake! Please see blog post for all tips.
Gluten free: Swap in gluten free vegan graham crackers (recipe is linked with the graham cracker recipe) or gluten free homemade biscoff cookies!
Please read the above blog post for all tips & tricks on how to make this baked vegan cheesecake, as well as watch the quick YouTube tutorial! Thank you!
