Guava Cheesecake (Vegan)

Bring a taste of the tropics to your household via this delicious vegan style no bake guava cheesecake. A  cheesecake with a delicious velvety smooth filling layered on top of a grain/gluten free almond flour crust.

If you are looking for a dessert that is going to be a crowd pleaser or even something for a pot luck with a Caribbean twist then this cheesecake is just what you need.

What is guava?

Guava is a tropical fruit that grows in central America, the Caribbean and south America that comes from the myrtle family or the guajava tree.

Guava has been distributed across the various continents making it more accessible.

It's outer skin tends to be yellow or of a light green hue, while the flesh varies from a deep red to a vibrant shade of pink.

Guava is packed with plenty of vitamins and minerals that are complementary to the body .i.e the skin hair, digestive system, bowels and it is fibrous too.

What does guava taste like?

The taste of guava varies depending on the variations, be it; apple guava aka lemon guava, pink or white, yellow, tropical guava, red Malaysian.

Just like a pineapple or mango, it can range from tart, however typically when it is ripe, you can literally smell it and the taste is extremely sweet.

Many people describe guava as a hybrid fruit, stating it tastes like a strawberry/pear.

The sweetest guava tends to be the white one which is great for dessert. They are sweet, but again the sweetness will vary as will the water content i.e the yellow guava holds more water.

The recipe inspiration

This recipe was inspired by Bea from El Mundo Eats, I saw her no bake mango cheesecake recipe video on Youtube a few years ago.

It looked so divine and simply irresistible that I knew I had to make my own rendition some time soon.

I wanted to make mine not just dairy free but vegan, I knew that my version would be niche based and require some tweaking.

I wanted to use vegan cheese cream instead of the usual pureed cashew filling that seemingly pops up in no bake vegan cheesecakes.

  I also wanted something that reminded me of my culture, sure mango denotes to the islands, but I wanted to use a fruit that appears to be overlooked....GUAVA! Yes....Guava!

I love guava, especially guava juice but it's not easy to find fresh guava in my neck of the woods, especially nowadays.

Ingredients you need

• Almond flour - make sure you are using almond FLOUR NOT almond MEAL for the base of the cheesecake.
• Powdered sugar - I'm using my homemade powdered sugar which boosts the sweetness of the recipe.
• Vegan butter/cream cheese - the butter when melted helps to crumb the base and the cream cheese is for the filling.
• Guava jelly/paste - Goya has guava that is low in sugar, you will need a few blocks of that. Simply mash and stir until it comes a puree texture.
• Agar agar - I'm using the powder, this is essential for setting the cheesecake and it's vegan friendly
• Water - to mix with the agar agar.
• Coconut milk - to mix with the filling and make it smooth.

My adaptation

This cheesecake recipe is pretty straight forward but like most niche recipes, the modifications can make it costly which can be off putting (I get it).

I like to look at it this way, you're not going to be making this on a daily basis so why not treat yourself every once in awhile?

The base of the cheesecake is made using almond flour (superfine blanched almonds) with an optional step to bake if you wish to do so.

My other cheesecake recipes are made with walnuts but I wanted to use another nut for the crust instead.

The filling is made from vegan cream cheese, vegan white chocolate, full fat coconut milk, guava paste with some agar agar powder to stabilise things.

Unlike Bea's recipe where she leaves the cheesecake to set in the fridge. I didn't take any chances and left mine to set in the freezer.

Since we are dealing with a vegan adaptations, I didn't want to take any risks with the whole thing not setting or fall apart.

I highly recommend following my lead in leaving the cheesecake to set in your freezer. 

Reasons to make this recipe

• It has a no bake/bake option for the base.
• Guava is sooo underrated.
• The red colour is perfect for valentine's day
• If you have never tried guava, this is the perfect gateway.
• No baking is required as the setting process is done via the freezer.
• It's dairy free/lactose free and vegan friendly.
• Contains no gluten or wheat.

The steps

• Line the base and perimeter of an 8'' spring form or a removable bottom pan with parchment paper.
• Place the almond flour, dairy free butter and powdered sugar in a bowl.
• Use your hands or a pastry cutter to make a crumbly texture (it should be slightly sticky).
• Once formed, pour the crumbs into the pan and use the back of a spoon to flatten the crumbs to form the cheesecake base.
• If you want to bake the base, this is an optional step, do so on 180c/356f for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden.

• Break the white chocolate into pieces, and place in a medium sized heat proof bowl. Fill a saucepan (that is the same size of the bowl) half way with water and bring to the boil.
• Once boiled, place the bowl of chocolate over the saucepan to create a makeshift double boiler, reduce the heat to medium and leave the chocolate to melt. (do not stir the chocolate or it will be ruined)
• Place the cream cheese in a medium sized bowl and proceed to whisk with a hand mixer until smooth (don't over mix) it should take less than one minute.
• Pour and whisk in the full fat coconut milk and powdered sugar.
• Pour the melted chocolate into the bowl and whisk until fully combined.
• Add the guava puree then whisk until the mixture is smooth.
• Scoop out a few tablespoons of the cheesecake filling and stir into the agar agar mixture
• Stir the agar agar mixture into the cheesecake filling using a spoon.
• Pour the filling onto the base of the cheesecake.
• Spoon the remaining guava puree on top of the cheesecake in blobs then use a blunt knife to marble the puree using a back and fourth/side to side motion (don't run the knife too deep, just less than an inch into the cheesecake is fine).
• Carefully transfer the cheesecake into the freezer and leave to set overnight (very important).

Frequently asked questions

Notes and tips

• Be sure to use a good quality vegan cream cheese i.e tofutti, Trader Joe, Kite Hill, Bute Island etc..
• This is the recipe I used to make the Powdered Sugar.
• Goya do a sugar free guava puree, you will need roughly 2 packs of this.
• Alternatively, use canned (2 should be enough) guava, if it in syrup then drain off the syrup and rinse the fruit in water to rid any excess syrup.
• Don't skip the use of vegan white chocolate, that helps to stabilise the cheesecake and mask the taste.
• Use agar agar powder NOT the flakes (it doesn't seem to hold up very good)
• I cannot emphasize how important it is to remove the cheesecake no more than 10 minutes before serving. DO NOT at any time leave the cheesecake out on the counter top.
• Only take out the portions that you are serving i.e if you are only serving 4 portions, then leave the rest of the cheesecake in the FREEZER.
• I found that the cheesecake holds up better in the freezer, please don't be tempted to store it in the refrigerator, if you choose to do so you are doing this at your own risk!

More desserts to try

• Vegan Chocolate Orange Cake
• Carrot Pudding
• Mango Chia Seed Pudding
• Pumpkin Parfait
• Pistachio Ice Cream
• Vegan Chocolate Covered Strawberries

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