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vegan no-bake cheesecake
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Vegan No-Bake Cheesecake

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!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Chill time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 8

Equipment

  • 6-inch springform*
  • Food processor*
  • Blender*
  • Kitchen scale*

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 Facts
Vegan No-Bake Cheesecake
Amount per Serving
Calories
295
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
17
g
26
%
Saturated Fat
 
9
g
45
%
Carbohydrates
 
33
g
11
%
Fiber
 
4
g
16
%
Sugar
 
19
g
21
%
Protein
 
6
g
12
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.