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!
3tsppink 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.