Cheesecake – gluten-free & dairy protein-free

November 6, 2025

Our little challenge at home:

Our daughter has celiac disease, so we only bake gluten-free cakes.

I, on the other hand, can hardly tolerate dairy protein – but still, the wish for a classic cheesecake was on the table.

So we experimented until we found a combination that’s both gluten-free and dairy protein-free – creamy, moist, and full of flavor, without compromise.

And the best part: even our guests loved it and went back for seconds.

Here’s the recipe for our new favorite cake!

For the gluten-free shortcrust pastry:

210 g brown rice flour
80 g potato starch
60 g tapioca starch
1–2 tsp salt
225 g cold vegan butter (cut into small cubes)
7 tbsp cold water
40 g sugar or vanilla sugar

For the filling:

600 g sheep’s milk quark (e.g., Bergerie)
a small amount of marzipan (mixed with the egg yolk)
6 eggs (size M)
180 g sugar
1 pinch of salt
300 g vegan whipping cream (e.g., Schlagfix)
2 heaping tbsp gluten-free cornstarch or other gluten-free starch

Preparation – Shortcrust pastry

Mix the rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch, then add the salt.
Add the cold butter cubes and knead by hand or with a mixer until the mixture is crumbly.
Gradually add the cold water and continue kneading until a smooth dough forms.
Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Tip: Any leftover dough can be frozen for later use.
Before using, let the dough soften slightly at room temperature. Roll it out on a floured surface with some rice flour and place it into a greased springform pan.
Form a rim about 6 cm high along the sides.

Preparation – Filling

Separate the eggs.
Beat the egg yolks with 80 g sugar until pale and creamy.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and the remaining 100 g sugar until stiff peaks form.
Whip the vegan cream in a separate bowl (if needed, add a bit of gluten-free whipping aid for stability).
Stir the sheep’s quark into the egg yolk mixture, then gently fold in the beaten egg whites and starch.
Finally, carefully fold in the whipped vegan cream.