Creamy, light, and airy vegan no-bake cheesecake. It literally melts in your mouth and tastes heavenly! This gluten-free cheesecake recipe is 100% dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and easy to make!
Welcome to cheesecake heaven! This cute little cake is not only beautiful, but it will also satisfy your cravings for a light dessert. Maybe you were looking for a birthday cake for your girl, who would be very happy to get a “unicorn” cheesecake.
I love eating it in the afternoon for dessert, but you can also enjoy it for breakfast. It’s a perfect no-bake cake for the summer because it’s so light.
Simple Ingredients
This vegan no-bake cheesecake is made from only 11 ingredients. It’s soy-free, and therefore also allergy-friendly in case you can’t eat soy.
These are the ingredients that you will need for the gluten-free cheesecake crust:
- Nuts or seeds of choice – You can use almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
- Oats – Regular rolled oats or quick oats are fine. Make sure to use gluten-free oats if you are a celiac. You could also use buckwheat groats instead of oats for a grain-free version.
- Dates – You can choose between Medjool dates or Deglet Noor dates. Dates add sweetness and hold the tasty cheesecake crust together. I recommend soaking the dates in warm water if they aren’t soft/moist.
- Vanilla extract – You could use vanilla bean paste instead of the extract.
- Coconut oil – Only a little is needed to hold the mixture together.
For the creamy vegan cheesecake layer, you will need the following ingredients:
- Cashews – They should be soaked in hot water until they are soft. If you can’t eat cashews, you could try sunflower seeds. The cheesecake layer probably won’t be as creamy, however, it’s a good nut-free alternative.
- Canned coconut milk – I recommend using full-fat coconut milk. Please don’t use boxed coconut milk (which contains mainly water), otherwise, the cheesecake layer won’t turn out creamy.
- Maple syrup – You can use any other liquid sweetener of choice. Some examples would be agave syrup, rice malt syrup, date syrup, etc.
- Lemon juice – Lime juice is fine as well. The citrus will add a refreshing “cheesecake flavor”.
- Agar powder – Please make sure to use agar powder and not agar flakes because it makes a huge difference. This ingredient cannot be substituted because it acts as a thickener.
- Pink dragon fruit powder – Also known as pink pitaya powder. It adds a beautiful light pink color.
All ingredients AND measurements are listed in the printable recipe card below! There you will also find the nutrition facts (cheesecake calories, etc.).
How To Make Vegan No-Bake Cheesecake?
STEP 1: Soak cashews in hot water for an hour (or boil them for 15 minutes). You can also soak them overnight in cold water.
STEP 2: Process all crust ingredients in a food processor until the mixture holds together when you press it between your fingers. Press the dough into the bottom of a greased 6-inch cheesecake pan or springform and about 2 inches (5 cm) up the sides. If your cheesecake pan or springform is larger (e.g. 9-inch), I recommend doubling the recipe.
STEP 3: Blend all cream ingredients, except the agar powder (and water), in a blender (or powerful food processor) on high speed for about 1-2 minutes or until the cream is completely smooth.
STEP 4: In a small saucepan, add the agar powder and 1/4 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and let simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Immediately add the mixture to the blender and blend again for about 10-20 seconds.
STEP 5: Quickly pour the cream into the cheesecake pan (or springform). Refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight) until set. To speed up the process, you can also put the pan into the freezer for about 45-60 minutes or until set. The dairy-free cheesecake tastes best when it’s served cold but not frozen.
How to store cheesecake? I strongly recommend storing cheesecake leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Helpful Tips And Variations
- Make the gluten-free cheesecake crust a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator. The crust is rather soft, not firm. You can bake it in the oven for about 15-20 minutes (at 350 degrees F resp. 180 degrees C) if you prefer it to be firmer. Let it cool completely before you add the cheesecake cream layer.
- Use a different superfood powder instead of pink dragon fruit/pitaya powder. Some examples are blue spirulina powder for a beautiful blue color or beetroot powder for a lovely red velvet color.
- Make no-bake cheesecake bites! Simply use a muffin pan instead of a round cake pan.
Can You Freeze Vegan Cheesecake?
Absolutely! It’s totally fine to freeze this vegan cheesecake for up to 3 months. Let it thaw for about 30 minutes before serving.
If you love healthy vegan cheesecakes, make sure to check out my other vegan & gluten-free recipes:
- Baked Vegan Cheesecake
- Caramel Apple Cheesecake
- Lemon Cheesecake Tart
- Mango Cheesecake Pie
- Blueberry Cheesecake Pie
Should you give this vegan no-bake cheesecake a try, please leave a comment and rating below and tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with #elavegan @elavegan.
Vegan No-Bake Cheesecake
Ingredients
Gluten-Free Cheesecake Crust:
- 1/2 cup (75 g) nuts or seeds of choice (see notes)
- 1 cup (90 g) oats gluten-free if needed (see notes)
- 20 small (150 g) dates pitted (see notes)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
Vegan Cheesecake Cream:
- 2/3 cup (100 g) cashews soaked (see notes)
- 1 cup (240 g) canned coconut milk (see notes)
- 3 tbsp (60 g) maple syrup or a different liquid sweetener
- 1 1/2 tsp agar powder not flakes! + 1/4 cup water (see notes)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp lemon juice or lime juice
- 3 tsp pink dragon fruit powder (optional - see notes)
Instructions
- It's best to measure the ingredients in grams on a kitchen scale for this recipe. If you have a larger springform (e.g. 9-inches), I recommend doubling the whole recipe.
- Soak cashews in hot water for an hour (or boil them for 15 minutes). You can also soak them overnight in cold water.
- Process all crust ingredients in a food processor until the mixture holds together when you press it between your fingers. Press the dough into the bottom of a greased 6-inch cheesecake pan or springform and about 2 inches (5 cm) up the sides. Put the pan in the refrigerator until you finish making the cream. Read the recipe notes below if you prefer a baked crust.
- Blend all cream ingredients, except the agar powder (and water), in a blender (or powerful food processor) on high speed for about 1-2 minutes or until the cream is completely smooth.
- In a small saucepan, add the agar powder and 1/4 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil and let simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Immediately add the mixture to the blender and blend again for about 10-20 seconds.
- Quickly pour the cream into the cheesecake pan (or springform). Refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight) until set. To speed up the process, you can also put the pan into the freezer for about 45-60 minutes or until set. The cheesecake tastes best when it's served cold but not frozen. Store cheesecake leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Crust: It's rather soft, not firm. You can bake the crust in the oven for about 15-20 minutes (at 350 degrees F resp. 180 degrees C) if you prefer it to be firmer. Let it cool completely before you add the cheesecake cream layer.
- Nuts or seeds: You can use almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
- Regular rolled oats or quick oats are fine. Use gluten-free oats if you are a celiac. Buckwheat groats might be used instead of oats for a grain-free version.
- Dates: Use about 20 Deglet Noor dates or about 9 Medjool dates. You will need 150 grams (5.3 oz) of pitted dates. I recommend soaking them in warm water if they aren't soft/moist.
- Cashews: If you can't eat cashews, you could try sunflower seeds. The cheesecake layer probably won't be as creamy, however, it's a good nut-free alternative.
- Coconut milk: I recommend using full-fat coconut milk. Please don't use boxed coconut milk (which contains mainly water), otherwise, the cheesecake layer won't turn out creamy.
- Agar powder: Please make sure to use agar powder and not agar flakes. This ingredient cannot be substituted because it acts as a thickener.
- Use a different superfood powder instead of pink dragon fruit/pitaya powder. Some examples are blue spirulina powder or beetroot powder.
- Recipe serves 8. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Equipment
Simple and Delicious Vegan Cookbook by ElaVeganCLICK HERE to order!If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
This looks amazing. I want to make this for the holidays. I have two questions
a) may I use coconut cream instead of milk?
b) may I add fruit (like blueberry, papaya, etc.) or will that make it too “runny”?
Thank you for this wonderful website and all the work you put into making it what it is.
Hi Elke, yes, the result will be even better with coconut cream. As long as you do not add too many fruits, it should be fine. 🙂
Tried it and it did not work unfortunately
Hi Will, what was the problem? I cannot help you if you don’t let me know what went wrong. I made the recipe many times and never had an issue. 🙂
Hi! I made this pie and it is delicious. Even my meat loving partner enjoyed a slice! Suppose I want to make a crust for more savory fillings. Dates would be to sweet for such a case. Any suggestions what to use instead?
Hi Kathleen, I am glad you like it. You could check out the crust recipe for this Caramelized Onion Tart. 🙂
Thank you, Ela!
Dass sieht sehr lecker aus! I will try it out. 🙂
You are welcome, Kathleen. 🙂
Absolutely amazing!
I used this recipe for a school cooking practical and it worked perfectly. My mom, who isn’t vegan and is a cheesecake connoisseur, said that it’s up there with the best cheesecake she’s ever tasted!
I’ll definitely be baking this again.
I used digestive biscuits and melted vegan butter for the crust, and a layer of strawberry jelly on top, to be closer to the school’s recipe.
Wow, such a great feedback. Thank you, Mason! 🙂
Hello Ela i wonder with what oil do you grease the springform ? I’m thinking coco oil but maybe it’s not great because it will get firm after putting it the fridge ?
Thanks you
Hello Bastien, I think I used coconut oil, but you can probably use any other oil. 🙂
Could i use pomegranate molasses for sweetness and color in the cream part?
I never tried that, so I am not sure. 🙂
Hi Tamara, did you try the pomegranate molasses? I think that sounds delicious and am going to try this recipe for New Year’s Eve.
I’m looking forward to trying this! But, I have a fresh dragon fruit. Do you think I could use this, rather than powder?
Hi Molly, I am not sure, probably the result wouldn’t be as good, since you would need to reduce the amount of coconut milk. The cake will be less creamy then. 🙂
Hey! Im so excited to make this for my mom for Easter (she has a gluten allergy)
Do you recommend the crust nuts and/or cashews for the filling be raw? is it ok if they are roasted?
thank you
Hi Bethany, both will work. I prefer the cashews to be unroasted, but I also often use roasted cashews. 🙂
Hi Ela, thank you for the amazing recipe, I just made it and it turned out great 🙂
Wonderful! I am glad it turned out great. 🙂
hello, can i not use the superfood powders at all?
You can leave it out!
Hi Ela! Is it possible to substitute the agar agar powder for gelatin? Thank you and I can’t wait to try this recipe out!
Hi Katrina, I think it should work, but you will need to search on Google how, because I don’t use gelatin, so I can’t help you with it. 🙂
Hi! I do not have a cheesecake pan or springform pan. Is it possible to use a regular round cake pan? Also, can I use maple syrup instead of dates? One more question. What kind of measurement modification of the ingredients has to be made if I add mango purée in the filling? Thank you in advance for your advice!
Hi Kana, I would recommend that you check out this mango pie recipe instead, as it can be made in a tart pan (or round cake pan) and already contains mango puree. Both recipes require dates (or other dried fruit) though. 🙂