This apple chocolate crumble cake with creamy cheesecake layer is easy to make, vegan and as delicious as traditional recipes! It’s a great chocolatey alternative to classic apple pie that is egg-free, dairy-free, and can be made gluten-free too!
Vegan apple chocolate crumble cheesecake
I love apple cake in all sorts of variations and flavors, but my favorite is apple crumble cake! And because there are so many different ways you can bake apple pie and crumble cake, I never get bored either. I never lack creativity and new ideas anyway! 😀
When I shared the recipe of grandma’s apple crumble cake with custard and apple compote the other day, I got the idea to make a chocolate version with chocolate crumbles, cheesecake layer and fresh apples.
Simple chocolate apple cake pie
Even though the combination of apples and chocolate might sound weird, the cake really tastes great in my opinion! Besides, it’s not hard to prepare at all, because all you need to do is make a simple 5-minute chocolate pie dough, mix the quick cheesecake cream and slice the apples finely. Then assemble the apple chocolate crumble cake and bake in the oven.
Just try the recipe and convince your family and friends that vegan cakes without eggs and dairy butter are really delicious!
Ingredients for the apple chocolate crumble cake
This crumble cheesecake recipe consists of 3 components: the chocolate pie dough, the cheesecake cream and the apples. Here are all the ingredients you need listed:
Chocolate Pie Dough
- Flour: I usually use all-purpose, or spelt flour, but you can also use gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour.
- Cocoa powder: make sure to use baking cocoa and not a sugary drinking cocoa.
- Baking powder: to make the dough a little softer.
- Salt & sugar: for flavor.
- Vegan butter: cold and cut into small pieces.
- Water: make sure it is cold.
Vegan cheesecake cream
- Soy quark: for example “Greek or Skyr Style”, or sub creamy blended silken-firm tofu or vegan cream cheese.
- Coconut milk: full-fat or sub soy cream.
- Cornstarch: plus vanilla extract and a pinch of turmeric.
- Raw cane sugar: or any other sugar to sweeten.
Apples & Topping (optional)
- Apples: sliced very finely. I like to use medium sweet apples like Braeburn or Boskop, however feel free to pick your favorites or sub pears.
- Cinnamon: for flavor.
- Powdered sugar: for dusting.
- Pomegranate seeds: for decorating.
How to make apple chocolate crumble cake
As always, I recommend checking out the recipe video and this step-by-step instruction first. Then you’ll find the full recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Make the chocolate pie dough
First, combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the cold vegan butter and water and knead into a dough with your hands. Then wrap about 1/3 of the dough for the crumbles in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
Roll out the remaining 2/3 dough on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper as shown above. Then place in a lightly greased springform pan and press down firmly, forming a rim about 1.5-inch (4 cm) high. Finally, prick the bottom a few times with a fork.
Tip: Then place the pan in the refrigerator to ensure the dough stays cool and the edges do not collapse during baking.
Step 2: Prepare apples and cheesecake cream
While the dough is chilling, peel and core the apples and slice them thinly with a knife or mandoline.
For the cheesecake cream, add soy quark, coconut milk, cornstarch, sugar, vanilla and a pinch of turmeric to a mixing bowl and mix with a hand mixer until creamy.
Step 3: Assemble the chocolate apple crumble cake
Take the pan out of the fridge and spread half of the apple slices on the bottom. Now spread the cream on top, then top with the remaining apples and sprinkle with some cinnamon. Finally, crumble the remaining chocolate dough over the top.
Tip: Tap the pan a few times on your working surface as shown in the recipe video so that the cream also spreads between the apples.
Step 3: Bake the chocolate apple cheesecake
Bake the cake in the preheated oven at 356 °F (180 °C) for one hour. Then let it cool completely and put it in the fridge overnight. The next day, dust the apple chocolate crumble cake with a little powdered sugar and decorate with pomegranate seeds. Slice and enjoy!
Tip: Loosely cover the cake with a piece of parchment paper after 40 minutes.
Tips and variations
- Gluten Free: If you are using gluten-free flour, I recommend adding a little applesauce or an extra flaxseed egg to help the dough hold together. To do this, stir 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed into 3 tbsp of hot water and set aside for about 5 minutes.
- Soy quark: I like to use the “Alpro Skyr”, but any thick dairy-free “Greek Style” yogurt will do. Alternatively, you can use creamy blended silken tofu or make vegan quark yourself. You can find the instructions and other alternatives in this recipe.
- Sugar: Instead of raw cane sugar, you can use other sugars like regular or brown or coconut sugar or a sugar-free alternative.
- Other Add-Ins: If you like raisins, feel free to put some in between the apples. Also, chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds or hazelnuts are a delicious addition – just get creative!
Apple pie sheet cake or muffins
You can also bake this apple chocolate streusel cake in a larger pan or muffin tins or on a sheet pan. I recommend using this cake pan conversion calculator to adjust the amount to fit your particular baking pan. Keep in mind, however, that the baking time may vary, depending on how much batter you use. This is because a flat or smaller cake will be done faster than a tall one. The baking time of muffins is about 35 minutes.
How to store apple crumble cheesecake?
The apple chocolate cake can be kept 4 days in the refrigerator and can also be frozen. If needed, simply defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
This vegan chocolate apple crumble cake is:
- Simple
- Can be Made gluten-free
- Egg-less and dairy-free
- Lactose-free
- Juicy
- Fruity
- Chocolatey
- With a creamy cheesecake layer
- Super delicious!
- The perfect cake for all year round!
More vegan apple recipes
- Vegan Apple Crumble
- Vegan Apple Cake with Cinnamon Streusel
- Apple Turnovers
- Apple Stuffed Buns
- Vegan Mini Apple Pies
- Apple Crumble Cake with Custard
- Moist Apple Blondies
- Apple Pie Roll-Ups
- Apple Hand Pies
- Classic Apple Pie
- Vegan Frangipane Apple Tart
If you try this easy vegan Apple Chocolate Streusel Cake recipe, feel free to leave me a comment and a star rating! And if you take a photo of your Dessert and share it on Instagram, please tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka because I love seeing your creations! Happy baking! 🙂
Apple Crumble Chocolate Cheesecake
Author:You do not have a fitting cake pan at hand right now? Try my Cake Pan Conversion Calculator!
Ingredients
Chocolate dough
- 1 ⅔ cup (200 g) all-purpose or spelt flour or gluten-free flour (*see notes)
- ⅓ cup (40 g) cocoa powder
- ½ cup (120 g) raw cane sugar or other sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ½ cup (120 g) vegan butter cold and diced
- 2 tbsp cold water
Cheesecake layer
- 14 oz (400 g) soy quark "Skyr or Greek Style" or sub tofu or vegan cream cheese (*see notes)
- 3.5 oz (100 g) coconut milk full-fat canned
- 5 tbsp (40 g) cornstarch + 1 tsp vanilla extract + pinch of turmeric
- 4 tbsp (50 g) raw cane sugar or other sugar
Fruit layer
- 14 oz (400 g) apples
- 1 pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
*Note: Feel free to check out the recipe video + step-by-step pictures above!
Chocolate dough
- Grease a 8-inch (20 cm) springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Then put the pan in the fridge or freezer for 5-10 minutes (to ensure the dough stays cool when you press it into the pan later).
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the cold vegan butter pieces and the cold water and knead into a dough with your hands, adding 1 tbsp more water if needed.
- Wrap about ⅓ of the dough for the crumbles in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
- Roll out the remaining ⅔ of the dough on a piece of cling film or parchment paper as shown in the step-by-step photos above. Place it in the springform pan and press down firmly, forming a rim about 1.5-inch (4 cm) high. Prick the bottom a few times with a fork and return the pan to the refrigerator (to keep the dough cool and prevent the edges from shrinking during baking).
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 356 °F (180 °C) and prepare the rest.
Filling
- Peel and core the apples and cut them into thin slices using a knife or a mandoline.
- Put the soy quark, coconut milk, cornstarch, vanilla, turmeric, and sugar in a mixing bowl and mix with a hand mixer until creamy.
- Take the pan with the dough out of the fridge and spread half of the apple slices on the bottom. Then spread the filling on top and tap the pan a few times on your work surface as shown in the recipe video (so that the filling also spreads between the apples).
- Top with the remaining apple slices and sprinkle with some cinnamon. Lastly, crumble the remaining ⅓ chocolate dough over the top.
- Bake the cake for an hour (after 40 minutes, cover loosely with a piece of parchment paper). Then let it cool completely and put it in the refrigerator overnight.
- The next day, dust your cake cake with a little powdered sugar, if desired, and decorate with pomegranate seeds. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Baking Pan: You can also bake this cake in a larger pan, or in muffin cups, or on a baking sheet. I recommend using this cake pan conversion calculator to adjust the amount to fit your baking pan.
- The baking time may vary, depending on the size of your cake (a flatter or smaller cake will be done sooner). Muffins only take about 35 minutes.
- Flour: Instead of all-purpose flour or spelt flour, you can also use gluten-free 1 to 1 baking flour. I also recommend adding some applesauce or an extra flax egg to help the dough hold together (stir 1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds into 3 tbsp of hot water and let it swell for about 5 minutes).
- Soy quark: I like to use "Alpro Skyr" soy quark, but you can also use creamy blended silken-firm tofu or vegan cream cheese instead. You can also make vegan quark yourself -> find the instructions and other alternatives in this recipe.
- Sugar: Instead of raw cane sugar, you can use other sugars like regular or brown or coconut sugar or a sugar-free alternative.
- Storage: The cake will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator and can also be frozen.
- For more information about this recipe read the blog post above.
IF YOU HAVE PINTEREST, YOU CAN FIND ME HERE AND PIN THE FOLLOWING PICTURE, IF YOU LIKE! 🙂
©Bianca Zapatka | All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please link back to this post for the recipe. More info here. Thank you for supporting biancazapatka.com!
Disclosure for affiliate links with asterisk (*):This page may contain affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no additional cost to you. You can find more information here.
What have you made Bianca! It looks heavenly.
Thank you so much! 🙂