Vegan No-Bake Cheesecake

Name: Vegan No-Bake Cheesecake
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup nuts or seeds of choice ((see notes)); 1 cup oats (gluten-free if needed (see notes)); 20 small dates (pitted (see notes)); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 tbsp coconut oil; 2/3 cup cashews (soaked (see notes)); 1 cup canned coconut milk ((see notes)); 3 tbsp 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))

By Ela on 8. March, 2020 | 82 Comments. This post may contain affiliate links*. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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5 from 11 votes

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:

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.