Baklava Cheesecake (dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free option)

Baklava cheesecake is a simple but decadent dairy-free cheesecake with crispy phyllo crust crammed with a creamy, cheesecake-like filling and topped with a sweet, crunchy, date, nut, and lemon flavored mixture that you just would generally find inside a baklava. A dessert you will need to try!

Baklava meet cheesecake! Crispy phyllo topped with creamy delicious cheesecake, topped with sweet zesty nutty vibrant topping! A dessert to impress this festive season!

Baklava is a Middle Eastern dessert made with layered, buttered phyllo and sweetened nuts. On this baklava-style cheesecake, we’re using dates to sweeten the nut mixture as a substitute of the more traditional honey or syrup, and the crust is good, crunchy layers of phyllo dough.

It delivers the amazing flavors of baklava in a creamy, cheesecake form.

Together, all of those layers make for a tremendous burst of flavors and textures in your mouth that you will absolutely love!

I’m a giant fan of baklava and love using that flavor and texture profile in desserts. In the event you like it, too, don’t miss my baklava cookies, baklava cake, and baklava overnight oats!

Why You’ll Love Baklava Cheesecake

• sweet creamy cheesecake with crispy, phyllo crust and crunchy, date-nut topping
• delicious, make-ahead dessert
• soy-free with a gluten-free option

More Vegan Cheesecakes

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Baklava Cheesecake

Baklava cheesecake is a simple but decadent dairy-free cheesecake with crispy phyllo crust crammed with a creamy, cheesecake-like filling and topped with a sweet, crunchy, date, nut, and lemon flavored mixture that you just would generally find inside a baklava.

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Chilling Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Vegan

Keyword: baklava cheesecake

Servings: 8

Calories: 345kcal

Creator: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the Phyllo Layer

• 5 or 6 phyllo sheets about 10×10 inches or whatever size suits your pan
• 1 tablespoon of vegan butter melted, or oil
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup

For the Cheesecake Layer

• 1 cup (129 g) raw cashews soaked in warm water for not less than quarter-hour, then drained
• 15- ounce (425.24 ml) can full fat coconut milk
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the Date-Nut Layer

• 1/2 cup (71.5 g) raw almonds
• 1/2 cup (61.5 g) raw pistachios or roasted, unsalted pistachios
• 1/2 cup (49.5 g) pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 8 to 9 soft dates pitted

To Top the Cheesecake

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup mixed with 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice , warmed

Equipment

• 8×8″ baking pan

• food processor optional

Instructions

Make the phyllo crust.

• Preheat the oven to 350° F (177 °C).

• Line an 8×8” or similar-sized square or round pan with parchment. Use size of parchment, that can hang over the sides, in order that it can be easy to remove the cheesecake from the pan in a while. You may also use a springform pan.

• Thaw your phyllo sheets, for those who have not already, then cut them to about 10×10” for an 8×8” or similar sized pan. You would like not less than an inch to come back up on the edges. Place one phyllo sheet in your parchment lined pan.

• In a small bowl, mix the melted butter and maple syrup, and brush this over the phyllo sheet, then place one other phyllo sheet excessive, and brush slightly little bit of the butter mixture again. Repeat for not less than 5 phyllo sheets, then bake for 10 to quarter-hour, or until the sides are nicely golden and the remainder of the phyllo sheets are also somewhat golden. Remove from the oven and set this aside to chill.

Meanwhile, make your cheesecake filling.

• Drain the soaked cashews and add them to a blender together with the remainder of the ingredients, and mix for a minute. Then let this mixture sit for two to three minutes, and mix again for a minute. Let it rest for one more minute and mix for half a minute again. Check if the mixture is well-blended and smooth, then taste and adjust flavor presently by adding more tang for those who like. (For a more cream cheese-like flavor profile, can add a 2 to three tablespoons of non-dairy yogurt or cream cheese to this mixture, after which mix again until smooth.)

• Pour this blended mixture into the pan with the cooled phyllo sheets and even it out with a spoon or spatula.

Make the date-nut mixture.

• Add all the nuts to a small food processor, and pulse to make a course meal. (You may also chop the nuts with a knife into small pieces , for those who would fairly not use a food processor). Add the remainder of the ingredients, and pulse again until all of the dates break down and the mixture is somewhat sticky. (In the event you should not using a food processor, mash the dates in a separate, small bowl. Add in a number of teaspoons of non-dairy milk to make them easier mash, if needed, after which add within the chopped nuts and blend and press and blend in order that you could have a cohesive, somewhat sticky mixture.) In case your dates aren’t that soft, you’ll be able to add in a teaspoon or so maple syrup, either within the processor or in your bowl, in order that the mixture isn’t too dry.

Assemble and chill.

• Take small portions of the nut mixture and sprinkle it all around the cheesecake layer, after which put it within the fridge for a number of hours or freezer for not less than an hour before you slice it. Drizzle some warm maple syrup on top and on the phyllo. You may also drizzle some more maple syrup on top after slicing and before serving, for those who like.

• You may also make a top layer a full even layer with the nuts. For that, put the cheesecake layer within the freezer for an hour first to freeze, in order that the nut layer doesn’t sink in. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer after which press the date-nut mixture right into a dough. Press that dough right into a square that’s the dimensions and shape of your pan and 1/4” to 1/8” thick.  Press that over the cheesecake layer and spread it together with your hands slightly bit, then put it back within the freezer for one more half an hour or so before removing from the freezer.

• In the event you want the bars to be more solid, you’ll be able to freeze them for one more hour or 2 longer, then remove the pan from the freezer. Using the hanging parchment paper, remove the cheesecake from the pan. Then, slice it with a warm knife into the slices size that you just like, and serve.

Notes

Storage: Store the sliced cheesecake within the freezer in a closed container for as much as 3 months. You may also store it in a closed container within the refrigerator for as much as 3 days. It should be barely softer within the refrigerator.
Glutenfree , omit the phyllo sheet layer and make a crustless cheesecake, or you’ll be able to double up on the nut layer, and put a layer of that date-nut mixture in the underside to act as a crust in addition to some on the highest.
nuts: It could be very difficult to make this without nuts, since the cheesecake layer and the highest layer rely upon plenty of nuts and their texture and flavor.
Date-free: To make this without dates, chop up the nuts and add slightly little bit of maple syrup to coat all of the nuts, after which use that as a topping.
Flavor variations: Use a mixture of cinnamon and vanilla or cinnamon and almond extract. You may also use a mix of cardamom and rosewater or simply cardamom.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Baklava Cheesecake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 345
Calories from Fat 207

% Each day Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Sodium 144mg6%

Potassium 344mg10%

Carbohydrates 32g11%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 17g19%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 37IU1%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 73mg7%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Each day Values are based on a 2000 calorie weight loss plan.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• phyllo sheets – That is the bottom to your crust. In the event you don’t wish to use phyllo sheets, double the date-nut mixture, and press half the mixture into the underside of the pan to make use of because the crust, and reserve the opposite half for topping.
• vegan butter – Or you should utilize oil.
• maple syrup – For that syrupy sweetness you associate with baklava.
• raw cashews – That is the most effective to your creamy cheesecake filling. You need to soak them in hot water for quarter-hour, then drain and use.
• full-fat coconut milk – Combines with the cashews to make the creamy cheesecake layer.
• lemon juice and zest – Gives the cheesecake its signature tang and adds zing to the date-nut layer.
• vanilla extract – To flavor the cheesecake layer much more.
• sugar – For sweetening the cheesecake layer.
• chopped nuts – A combination of almonds, pistachios, and pecans are the crunchy a part of the date-nut mixture.
• salt – Brings out the sweetness of the dates and the flavors of all of the nuts.
• dates – Add syrupy sweetness to the topping, giving it an actual baklava-like feel. You need to use maple syrup as a substitute.

Suggestions

• Ensure that that if you line the pan with parchment paper, there’s not less than an inch of parchment hanging over the edges. This can make it easy to remove the baklava cheesecake from the pan.
• Once you bake the phyllo, ensure it gets very nice and golden brown, but don’t let it cook so long that it burns.
• You would like that cashew-coconut mixture to be very smooth and creamy. Keep mixing and resting until you achieve a velvety texture.

Easy methods to Make Baklava Cheesecake

First, make the phyllo crust.

Preheat the oven to 350° F (177 °C).

Line an 8×8” or similar-sized square or round pan with parchment. Use a parchment size that can hang over the sides, in order that it can be easy to remove the cheesecake from the pan in a while. You may also use a springform pan. 

Thaw your phyllo sheets, for those who haven’t already, then cut them to about 10×10” for an 8×8” or similar sized pan. You would like not less than an inch to come back up on the edges. Place a phyllo sheet in your parchment lined pan. 

In a small bowl, mix the melted butter and maple syrup, and brush this over the phyllo sheet, then place one other phyllo sheet excessive, and brush slightly little bit of the butter mixture again.

Repeat for not less than five phyllo sheets. Then bake for 10 to quarter-hour, or until the sides are nicely golden and the remainder of the phyllo sheets are also somewhat golden.

Remove from the oven and set this aside to chill.

Meanwhile, make your cheesecake filling. 

Drain the soaked cashews and add them to a blender together with the remainder of the ingredients, and mix for a minute. Then let this mixture sit for 2 to 3 minutes, and mix again for a minute. Let it rest for one more minute and mix for half a minute again.

Check if the mixture is well-blended and smooth, then taste and adjust flavor presently by adding more tang for those who like. For a more cream cheese-like flavor profile, can add a two to 3 tablespoons of non-dairy yogurt or cream cheese to this mixture, after which mix again until smooth. 

Pour this blended mixture into the pan with the cooled phyllo sheets and even it out.

Now, make the date-nut mixture. 

Add all the nuts to a small food processor, and pulse to make a course meal. You may also chop the nuts, for those who would fairly not use a food processor.

Add the remainder of the ingredients, and pulse again until all of the dates break down and the mixture is somewhat sticky.

In the event you should not using a food processor, mash the dates in a separate, small bowl. Add in a number of teaspoons of non-dairy milk to make them easier mash, if needed, after which add within the chopped nuts and blend and press and blend in order that you could have a cohesive, somewhat sticky mixture.

In case your dates aren’t that soft, you’ll be able to add in a teaspoon or so maple syrup, either within the processor or in your bowl, in order that the mixture isn’t too dry. 

Take small portions of this mixture and sprinkle it all around the cheesecake layer, after which put it within the fridge for a number of hours or freezer for not less than an hour before you slice it.

Drizzle some warm maple syrup on top. You may also drizzle some more maple syrup on top after slicing and before serving, for those who like.

You may also make a top layer a full even layer with the nuts. For that, put the cheesecake layer within the freezer for an hour first to freeze, in order that the nut layer doesn’t sink in. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer after which press the date-nut mixture right into a dough. Press that dough right into a square that’s the dimensions and shape of your pan and 1/4” to 1/8” thick. Press that over the cheesecake layer and spread it together with your hands slightly bit, then put it back within the freezer for one more half an hour or so before removing from the freezer. 

In the event you want the bars to be more solid, you’ll be able to freeze them for one more hour or two longer, then remove the pan from the freezer and thoroughly, using the hanging parchment paper, remove the cheesecake from the pan.

Then, slice it with a warm knife into the slices that you just like, and serve. 

Ceaselessly Asked Questions