Description
This ultra silky pistachio cheesecake is made in just a food processor with the simplest dairy free ingredients- and no eggs nor pudding mixes! Baked in a graham cracker pistachio crust and topped with pistachio cream cheese frosting!
Ingredients
Scale
Pistachio graham cracker crust:
- 1 batch homemade graham crackers or 250 g store bought graham crackers (make sure they’re vegan)
- 1 cup (148 g) lightly salted shelled pistachios
- 1/4 cup (57 g) vegan unsalted butter, melted
Pistachio cheesecake filling:
- 4 8-ounce containers vegan cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup (240 mL) vegan heavy cream, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 g) vegan dairy free yogurt or dairy free sour cream, room temperature
- 1 cup (250 g) pistachio butter*
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 8 tbsp (80 g) cornstarch
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
Topping:
- 1/2 batch vegan cream cheese frosting
- 1/3 cup (84 g) pistachio butter
Instructions
- Prep: Line an 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.
- If making the graham crackers: You’ll need about an hour and a half for making the graham crackers prior to making the cheesecake. Or you can make the graham crackers the day before. Follow the instructions below in the recipe card notes section to make the graham crackers.
- Make the crust: Add the graham crackers and pistachios 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, cream together the cream cheese and dairy free yogurt until smooth. Add in the pistachio butter, sugar, vegan heavy cream, vanilla extract and paste, almond extract, and cornstarch. Cream together again until smooth. 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. This is essential for keeping the cheesecake moist and preventing any cracks.
- 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 72-75 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.
- Make the frosting: When ready to serve, make the cream cheese pistachio frosting! Start by making a half batch of the cream cheese frosting. Then add in the pistachio butter and fold into the frosting until incorporated. Remove the springform pan from the cheesecake, and plate your cheesecake. Spread the frosting on top.
- Serve and enjoy! Sprinkle with additional chopped pistachios, slice, and enjoy Store any leftover cheesecake in an airtight container and in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
Pistachio butter: This is NOT pistachio cream- make sure that your pistachio butter is a single ingredient (pistachios- or at the very most pistachios and salt). Pistachio butter can also be a dairy based sweet pistachio cream. You can also simply blend your own pistachio butter using my cashew butter method. Make sure you’re using 250 g of pistachios.