Looking for a chocolate cheesecake that stays dense, creamy, and clean on the palate without veering into overly heavy cream cheese territory? This Basque version does exactly that.
The top turns deeply bronzed, almost burnt, while the center stays soft and luscious after a few hours in the fridge. Chocolate comes through from start to finish, with a texture lighter than it looks. This recipe rounds out the collection of gluten-free cakes.
What is a gluten-free, lactose-free chocolate Basque cheesecake?
It’s a cheesecake baked at a high temperature to deeply color the top, with a center that’s still slightly wobbly when it comes out of the oven. In this gluten-free, lactose-free version, the filling is made with plant-based cream cheese, lactose-free cream, and, above all, a chocolate pastry cream folded into the batter.
This chocolate pastry cream brings richness and deep chocolate flavor while keeping the recipe lighter and lower in refined sugar. It also replaces half the cream cheese and cream, cutting the overall richness without sacrificing chocolate depth.
The main ingredients
The chocolate pastry cream is central here. It replaces half the cream cheese and cream, giving the cheesecake its dense texture without making it feel too heavy. If you want a fully plant-based or vegan version, use a vegan pastry cream.
Plant-based cream cheese, or crème fraîche if you prefer, keeps the batter creamy while avoiding dairy in the lactose-free version. And the eggs are doing real work here: they provide structure and help the batter emulsify.
For the chocolate, stick to dark chocolate in the 70% to 80% range. It’s ideal for baking, with enough bitterness to balance the cream cheese and pastry cream.
Technical notes and pitfalls to avoid
This recipe is written by weight, in metric, so it stays precise from one batch to the next. Weighing the ingredients is far better than relying on volume measures.
Start the chocolate pastry cream the right way
Start with lukewarm oat milk. Whisk one-third of it with the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and starch until smooth. Beginning this way helps keep the base silky before it cooks.
Pour this mixture into the remaining lukewarm oat milk and cook over low to medium heat. Whisk constantly and stop as soon as the cream thickens. If you cook it any longer, it will lose some of its suppleness for the next step.
Once thickened, remove the cream from the heat, then add the cold plant-based butter, cut into cubes, and the dark chocolate. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and glossy. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and chill before folding it into the batter.
Mix the batter without overworking it
Preheat the oven to 220°C, or 200°C in a fan oven, and line a 23 cm cake pan or springform pan with baking paper. In a mixing bowl, beat the salt, eggs, sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and lactose-free cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
Add the cream, the thoroughly chilled chocolate pastry cream, and finally the melted chocolate while it is still warm. Mix just until fully combined, with no streaks or thicker pockets. Pour into the pan and smooth the surface with a spoon or spatula.
Baking and final texture
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Do not look for a fully set center: the top should be lightly burnt, and the middle should be set but still slightly wobbly. If you make a thicker cheesecake, extend the baking time.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. It will sink slightly as it cools, which is normal and part of its rustic charm. Wait until it is completely cool before chilling or slicing.
Storage
The chocolate pastry cream needs to chill before use, with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Once the cheesecake has cooled completely, chill it for at least 4 hours before slicing. Overnight works especially well and gives the texture time to firm up nicely.
You’ll find the rest of my gluten-free recipes there too.
Recipe developed by Chef Rommel Reyes. Find more of his work on Instagram, his Substack newsletter, and his YouTube channel.
Ingredients
- 375 g oat milk
- 60 g egg yolks
- 35 g sugar
- 20 g cornstarch
- 120 g 70-80% dark chocolate
- 35 g vegan butter cut into cubes
- 180 g eggs 3 large eggs
- 280 g cream cheese, preferably Oatly gluten-free
- 150 g full-fat cream dairy-free, gluten-free
- 60 g sugar
- 1 g salt
- 1 g vanilla powder or 10 g vanilla extract
- 10 g cocoa powder
- 180 g 70-80% dark chocolate melted
- 1 chocolate pastry cream entire recipe
Instructions
Make the chocolate pastry cream
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1/3 of the lukewarm oat milk, the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and cornstarch until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the remaining lukewarm oat milk, then cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened.
- Remove from the heat, then add the cold cubes of vegan butter and the dark chocolate.
- Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and glossy.
- Transfer the chocolate pastry cream to a bowl, cover the surface directly with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator.
Bake the cheesecake
- Preheat the oven to 220 °C, or 200 °C with fan.
- Line a 23 cm cake pan or springform pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the salt, eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla powder, and dairy-free cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
- Fold in the full-fat cream, chocolate pastry cream, and lukewarm melted chocolate until fully incorporated.
- Pour the chocolate cheesecake batter into the prepared pan.
- Smooth the top with a spoon or spatula.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is lightly burnt and the center is set but still slightly wobbly.
- Bake a little longer if you prefer a firmer cheesecake.
- Remove from the oven.
- Let the chocolate cheesecake cool on a wire rack.
- Allow it to sink slightly as it cools.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, before slicing and serving once completely chilled.
