We may be vegan, but that is no reason to miss out on our favorite restaurants. Today, we will delve into delicious dishes from The Cheesecake Factory. They offer a few food options that are vegan as-is. Additionally, the restaurant has several offerings that can become vegan with a few easy modifications. This guide explores the vegan options available at The Cheesecake Factory and provides useful tips on how to modify certain dishes to fit a plant-based diet, ensuring everyone has an enjoyable dining experience without compromising on flavor.

Cheesecake Factory Vegan Bread Service

Sourdough Bread

The Cheesecake Factory is well known for its tasty complementary bread. While not all bread options are vegan, their Sourdough bread is a delicious exception. Just remember to skip the butter or request olive oil with pepper for a plant-based dipping option.

Small Plates & Snacks Vegan Options

Start off any vegan meal at The Cheesecake Factory on the right foot with their assortment of small plates and snacks. These dishes are perfect for those who prefer to start their meal with something light, or for diners who enjoy a variety of flavors and textures.

Little House Salad (Modified Vegan: No Croutons)

Order this salad without croutons for a light vegan starter.

Korean Fried Cauliflower (Modified Vegan: No Ranch Dipping Sauce)

This delicious dish is vegan without the ranch, offering a burst of flavor with its spicy sweet sauce. The cauliflower is crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and ideal for those who love a bit of heat. We’ve read that some locations may prepare this dish with eggs in the batter so always confirm with the kitchen before ordering.

Avocado Tacos (Modified Vegan: No Sauce)

These tacos are a treat with jicama “tortilla” shells filled with crispy avocado, tomatillo slaw and cilantro topped with a non-vegan sauce. Note that they’re made in a shared fryer and the sauce should be omitted to make them a plant-based option. They are a great vegan option, just ask for them without sauce and be aware they’re prepared in a shared fryer

Appetizers for Vegans at The Cheesecake Factory

The appetizers on this menu are often hearty enough to be a meal on their own. Out of the entire menu, there are only two vegan-friendly appetizers at The Cheesecake Factory: Thai Lettuce Wraps with Avocado and a modified version of the Factory Nachos.

Thai Lettuce Wraps with Avocado

Thai Lettuce Wraps with Avocado are another item that is vegan as-is. They include fresh avocado slices, carrots, bean sprouts, and curry noodles atop crispy lettuce leaves. It comes with three dips – peanut, sweet red chili, and tamarind-cashew.

Factory Nachos (Modified Vegan: No Sour Cream or Cheese)

To make the Factory Nachos vegan, you must remove the sour cream and the cheese. Eliminating these items leaves guacamole, red Chile sauce, jalapenos, green onions, and salsa to top your tortilla chips.

Vegan Glamburgers at The Cheesecake Factory

In this section, we take a closer look at The Cheesecake Factory’s vegan ‘Glamburger’ options, including the popular Impossible Burger. It’s easy to modify a few other burger options to make them vegan too, ensuring that you don’t miss out on one of America’s favorite foods.

Vegan-Friendly Impossible Burger at The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory has an Impossible Burger made just for vegans. This plant-based burger is a hearty and satisfying option, featuring a juicy Impossible patty topped with vegan cheese and a rich vegan Thousand Island sauce.

Skinny Impossible Burger (Modified Vegan: No Mayo or Cheese, Confirm Vegan Bun)

The Skinny Impossible Burger is not vegan as-is. This lighter version of the Impossible Burger can be modified vegan by removing the mayo and cheese. The bun may or may not be vegan as-is so always confirm when ordering.

Made-From-Scratch Veggie Burger (Modified Vegan: Sub Mayo, Sub Cheese, Confirm Vegan Bun)

This burger, available at select locations, can often be customized to be vegan-friendly. It’s a house-made patty full of flavors and textures, best enjoyed with vegan mayo, vegan cheese, and a plant-based bun. There are some locations that carry a non-vegan option of the veggie burger, so confirm with the server before ordering. 

Vegan Salad Options at The Cheesecake Factory 

Salads at The Cheesecake Factory are known for their fresh ingredients and flavorful dressings. This section is dedicated to exploring the vegan salad options available. With a few simple modifications, many of their salads can be enjoyed by vegan diners. We’ll also provide a list of vegan-friendly dressings in the next section to help you dress your salad without any dairy or animal products.

Vegan Cobb Salad at The Cheesecake Factory

A hearty and nutritious salad, combining lettuce, avocado, grilled asparagus, roasted beets, green beans, tomato, cucumber, carrot, quinoa, farro, almonds, pepitas, and the house vinaigrette. The mix of quinoa and farro adds a satisfying texture, while almonds and pepitas offer a pleasant crunch.

Tossed Green Salad (Modified Vegan: No Croutons)

A simple yet classic salad, perfect for anyone who prefers a straightforward salad with fresh flavors. Omitting the croutons keeps it vegan.

SkinnyLicious Asian Chicken Salad (Modified Vegan: No Chicken, No Wontons)

This salad is transformed into a vegan delight by removing the chicken and wontons. It’s a colorful mix of romaine, carrots, bean sprouts, green onions, cilantro, rice noodles, almonds, and sesame seeds, all brought together with a flavorful SkinnyLicious sesame-soy dressing.

Santa Fe Salad (Modified Vegan: No Cheese, No Chicken, No Onion Strings,  Substitute Vegan Dressing)

By removing the cheese and chicken, this salad becomes a vegan option at The Cheesecake Factory filled with a variety of flavors including fresh corn, black beans, cheese, tortilla strips, tomato, and romaine with a spicy peanut-cilantro vinaigrette, perfect for those who enjoy a flavorful salad with a Southwestern twist.

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad (Modified Vegan: No Cheese, No Chicken, No Onion Strings, Sub Veg Dressing)

This salad, when modified, offers a delightful blend of ingredients, avocado, tomato, grilled corn, black beans, cucumber, and romaine lettuce topped with the vegan dressing of your choice for a satisfying and flavorful meal.

Mexican Tortilla Salad (Modified Vegan: No Chicken, Avocado Cream, Or Sour Cream)

Enjoy a vegan version of this salad by requesting it without chicken, avocado cream, or sour cream. It’s a blend of black beans with mixed greens, fresh corn, green onion, and cilantro. all tossed in the Skinnylicious vinaigrette topped with crispy corn tortilla strips. Ask if you can sub the chicken with avocado slices to round out the dish.

Plant-Based Salad Dressing Options at The Cheesecake Factory

• House Balsamic
• Lemon Vinaigrette
• Shallot Vinaigrette
• Red Wine Vinaigrette
• French Mustard Vinaigrette
• Thai Peanut
• SkinnyLicious Mustard Vinaigrette
• SkinnyLicious Sesame Soy

Pasta Options for Vegans at The Cheesecake Factory

Pasta is a versatile and beloved dish, and The Cheesecake Factory offers pasta dishes that can be enjoyed by vegans with a few modifications. This section will guide you through the pasta options that can be modified.

Evelyn’s Favorite Pasta (Modified Vegan: No Cheese, No Garlic Butter Puree, No Butter Sauce, No Garlic Dip)

Evelyn’s Favorite Pasta is another vegan choice after modifications. Ask for this dish without the cheese, garlic butter puree, butter sauce, or garlic dip. It comes with broccoli, tomato, zucchini, eggplant, olives, peppers, onion, garlic, and fresh herbs. To make it vegan, request no Parmesan cheese, lemon sauce, or basil oil. Order a vegan-friendly dressing as well.

Shrimp with Angel Hair (Modified Vegan: No Shrimp)

This dish is available as a vegan option minus the shrimp. It’s a lighter pasta option featuring tomatoes, lemon, garlic, herbs, and fresh basil on top of angel hair pasta with a touch of marinara sauce. Note that it can be more costly than the other options since the cost isn’t reduced when ordering without shrimp.

Vegan Items on the SkinnyLicious Cheesecake Factory Menu

Beet & Avocado Salad (Modified Vegan: Sub Honey-Yogurt Sauce)

A vibrant salad featuring earthy glazed beets, quinoa, avocado, fresh orange, arugula, this dish is both nutritious and flavorful. Modifying it is easy, just ask to substitute the honey-yogurt sauce with a vegan dressing.

Plant-Based Sides at The Cheesecake Factory

All the side dishes listed below either come vegan or can be made vegan. The secret to vegan sides is simple: order all the cooked veggies with no butter.

• Avocado
• Steamed Broccoli (Modified Vegan: No Butter)
• Fresh Corn (Modified Vegan: No Butter)
• French Fries
• Green Beans (Modified Vegan: No Butter)
• Grilled Asparagus
• Sauteed Spinach (Modified Vegan: No Butter)
• Sliced Tomatoes
• Steamed White Rice (Modified Vegan: No Butter)
• Steamed Brown Rice (Modified Vegan: No Butter)
• Sweet Potato Fries
• White Toast (Modified Vegan: No Butter)

Cheesecake Factory Vegan Breakfast Options

• Strawberry Fruit Smoothie
• Tropical Smoothie
• Peach Smoothie
• Frozen Iced Mango
• Fresh Fruit
• Plain Bagels
• Crispy Potatoes
• Plain Toast

Desserts for Vegans at The Cheesecake Factory

Fresh Strawberries (Modified Vegan: No Whipped Cream)

While currently the only vegan dessert option, these fresh strawberries are naturally sweet and refreshing. Although they are a light way to end your meal, we all dream of the day when there is a vegan cheesecake option at The Cheesecake Factory.

Taking Vegan Kids to Cheesecake Factory

Kids Pasta with Marinara Sauce (Modified Vegan: No Parmesan)

A kid-friendly dish that can be easily made vegan by requesting no Parmesan. It’s a simple, yet satisfying option for younger diners.

Eating Vegan at The Cheesecake Factory in 2025

The Cheesecake Factory’s extensive menu can feel overwhelming for people looking for vegan options, but with a little help from this guide and their amazing staff, it’s easy to find a variety of plant-based options to indulge in. Bursting with options that tickle the taste buds, this guide shows just how much fun and variety you can have while sticking to a plant-based diet. Just a little chat with your server to ensure your dishes are vegan-perfect, and you’re all set for a fantastic culinary experience. And let’s all keep our fingers crossed for more dessert options on the horizon – a vegan cheesecake would be the cherry on top.

Check out our YouTube channel and social media to see video content about Eating Vegan at the Cheesecake factory and more.

*Updated for 2025 from Eating Vegan at The Cheesecake Factory 2024