The Best Creamy Vegan Cheesecake Recipe (No-Bake!)

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A delicious no-bake cheesecake made with a cashew cream cheesecake filling. This Mixed Berry Vegan Cheesecake recipe is super easy, healthy, gluten-free, oil-free, and refined sugar-free.

vegan cheesecake squares on a piece of parchment paper

What Makes This Recipe Great

This gorgeous raw Vegan Cheesecake recipe is a great dessert that requires no oven whatsoever. It’s raw vegan and easy to modify if you have preferred flavors ( mint, mango, or vegan chocolate cheesecake, anyone?). This dessert is packed with a variety of nuts and healthy fats, making it a decadent treat but made with no dairy, refined sugars, or added oil. 

Most raw vegan cheesecakes do require the use of coconut oil, and I personally have no issues making it that way for the sake of ease and a creamier texture. I do, however, love a good challenge, and I know that many of you readers out there prefer not to cook with oil. So here it is!

Whether you’re looking for a no-bake dessert or something rich and flavourful (minus the processed ingredients), I’ve got you covered. The best part about making this recipe is it can last in the freezer for months. Make it, freeze it, and enjoy it whenever your sweet tooth hits.

The Details

  • This recipe is raw, vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free. It does contain nuts, and I would recommend using them for the best results.
  • You can make this no-bake berry vegan cheesecake in advance, and I’d recommend you do it as it does require some freeze time to set. The good news is, you can make it into a round standard cake shape or use a loaf pan to make bars, totally up to you. Also, swirls are optional but a feast for the eyes, don’t you think?
  • Raw cheesecakes are made with whole food and plant-based ingredients, but trust me when I say it’s filling and a lot denser than you’d imagine.

Ingredient Notes

  • Medjool dates
  • raw cashews: I prefer to use raw, soaked cashews as opposed to vegan cream cheese. I think it’s creamier and yields a more delicious result! 
  • almonds
  • full-fat canned coconut milk
  • maple syrup
  • lemon juice
  • vanilla extract
  • salt
  • fresh berries of choice
vegan cheesecake squares on a white plate next to raspberries

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Prepare cashews by soaking them for at least 3 hours or overnight. Leave it out on the counter in a cool, dry place. Strain and rinse before using.
  2. Prep a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
  3. To create the crust layer, combine cashews, dates, and almonds in a food processor, pulsing until the ingredients break down and form a dough-like consistency. Transfer to the bottom of your pan and press down to form an even crust.
  4. Next, add the cheesecake ingredients: soaked cashews, lemon juice, vanilla, maple syrup or dates, coconut milk, and salt to a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down sides to make sure everything is blended evenly. The mixture should be smooth and pourable, like a pancake batter.
  5. Pour half of the blended mixture over top of the crust layer. Tap the loaf pan on a hard surface to remove air bubbles and flatten out the surface. Chill in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
  6. With the remaining blended mixture, add the berries of choice and blend again. You’ll get a beautiful berry color and flavor. Pour this mixture over top of the first 2 layers, and swirl with a toothpick or knife if desired.
  7. Freeze for about 3 hours or until fully firm, ideally overnight. For best results, allow your vegan cheesecake to thaw for about 5 minutes before slicing into individual slices or squares.

Secrets to Success

  • For best results, it’s important that you soak your cashews for an adequate amount of time! Also, make sure you’re using a high-speed blender that can blend your cashews down smoothly. This is important for texture in your final “cheesecake” result!
  • Using raw cashews is the way to go when making this recipe, but feel free to sub out the other nuts (for example, nuts used in the crust) for a different nut if preferred.
  • To make removing your cheesecake from the pan easier, I’d recommend lining it with parchment paper. Before slicing, give your raw vegan berry cheesecake a few minutes to soften, too–it’ll make your life easier. Trust me!
  • If you want to save some work and nuts, you can also use your favorite bar in place of the crust mixture. I experimented using GoMacro bars (the sunny uplift flavor works well with the flavors), and it’s definitely a time saver!
  • Because we’re using a high-powered blender, there’s no need for a hand mixer or stand mixer in this recipe. Additionally, because we’re not baking, there’s no need for a springform pan
  • I make my crust from a mix of nuts and dates, but if you want to make a vegan graham cracker crust, you can. Simply place the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse them into a fine crumb. Then mix with melted vegan butter and press into your pan. You may want to bake this for 15 minutes to set. 

Storage Tips

Store leftover vegan cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for several months! 

Recipe FAQs

What is vegan cheesecake made of? 

I find that the BEST vegan cheesecake recipe is made with a base of raw, soaked cashews blended with coconut milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup,  and lemon juice. Plus, a gluten-free crust made with nuts and dates! The taste, the flavor, complete perfection! It’s one of my favorite desserts to make. 

More Vegan Desserts

Vegan Key Lime Cheesecake

Strawberry Shortcake Overnight Jar

Strawberry Rose Bubble Tea

Strawberry Cashew Bliss Balls

Blackberry Cheesecake Smoothie Bowl

Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Chia Pudding

If you try this best cheesecake recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and for a chance to be featured! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too!

The Best Creamy Vegan Cheesecake Recipe (No-Bake!)

Servings: 10 -12 servings
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 3 hours
A delicious no-bake cheesecake made with a cashew cream cheesecake filling. This Mixed Berry Vegan Cheesecake recipe is super easy, healthy, gluten-free, oil-free, and refined sugar-free.

Ingredients 

Crust

  • 3/4 cup medjool dates pitted
  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 cup almonds or 1 cup rolled oats

Cheesecake Filling

  • 2 cups raw cashews soaked for 2-3 hours, or overnight
  • ½ cup full-fat canned coconut milk
  • ¼ cup maple syrup or ¼ cup pitted soft medjool dates (if using dates, you may like to soak them beforehand to soften)
  • 3 tsp lemon juice
  • 3 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ cup mixed berries of choice

Instructions 

  • Prepare cashews by soaking for at least 3 hours, orovernight. Leave out on the counter in a cool dry place. Strain and rinse before using.
  • Prep a 9”x5” loaf pan with parchment paper.
  • To create crust layer, combine cashews, dates and almonds in a food processor, pulsing until ingredients break down and form a dough-like consistency. Transfer to the bottom of your pan and press down, to form an even crust.
  • Next, add soaked cashews, lemon juice, vanilla, maple syrup or dates, coconut milk and salt to a high speed blender. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down sides to make sure everything is blended evenly. Mixture should be smooth and pourable, like a pancake batter.
  • Pour half of the blended mixture over top of the crust layer. Tap the loaf pan on a hard surface to remove air bubbles, and flatten out the surface. Chill in freezer for at least 15 minutes.
  • With the remaining blended mixture, add berries of choice and blend again. You’ll get a beautiful berry colour and flavour. Pour this mixture over top of the first 2 layers, and swirl with a toothpick or knife if desired.
  • Freeze for about 3 hours, or until fully firm, ideally overnight. For best results, allow to thaw for about 5 minutes before slicing into squares.

Notes

Secrets to Success

  • For best results, it’s important that you soak your cashews for an adequate amount of time! Also, make sure you’re using a high-speed blender that can blend your cashews down smoothly. This is important for texture in your final “cheesecake” result!
  • Using raw cashews is the way to go when making this recipe, but feel free to sub out the other nuts (for example, nuts used in the crust) for a different nut if preferred.
  • To make removing your cheesecake from the pan easier, I’d recommend lining it with parchment paper. Before slicing, give your raw vegan berry cheesecake a few minutes to soften, too–it’ll make your life easier. Trust me!
  • If you want to save some work and nuts, you can also use your favorite bar in place of the crust mixture. I experimented using GoMacro bars (the sunny uplift flavor works well with the flavors), and it’s definitely a time saver!
  • Because we’re using a high-powered blender, there’s no need for a hand mixer or stand mixer in this recipe. Additionally, because we’re not baking, there’s no need for a springform pan! 
  • I make my crust from a mix of nuts and dates, but if you want to make a vegan graham cracker crust, you can. Simply place the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse them into a fine crumb. Then mix with melted vegan butter and press into your pan. You may want to bake this for 15 minutes to set. 

Storage Tips

Store leftover vegan cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for several months! 

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe?Tag @veggiekins on Instagram and hashtag it with #veggiekins

This post may contain affiliate links. 

About Remy

Hi there, I’m Remy! Welcome to Veggiekins Blog, home to nourishing vegan + gluten-free recipes and tips to live your best balanced and holistic life. I’m a human on a mission to empower you to be well and be kind to your mind, body and soul with the healing power of plants.

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4 Comments

  1. Hello, I noticed you’ve not used coconut oil. Almost all the other recipes i saw used coconut oil in the filling. Does it firm up properly without oil?