Friends, few times have I been more excited to share a recipe with you as I am today.
This recipe has been taste-tested and approved by 6 of my closest foodie friends and heartily approved. And they weren’t even vegan! I even like these better than real cheesecakes, which I can no longer stomach with my dairy intolerance. Crisis, averted.
These 7 ingredient beauties begin with a 2-ingredient crust! Dates and raw walnuts (or almonds) – that’s all you need. Whirl and set aside.
Next up, the 5-ingredient filling: Soaked cashews, coconut milk, coconut oil, lemon juice and agave nectar. So good, so creamy, so insanely delicious you’ll want to drink it with a straw.
This is where the fun begins: you get to pick your own flavor!
Of course, you could leave them as is. They’re extremely delicious plain. But, to perk them up a bit I created three varieties: blueberry, bourbon caramel, and peanut butter. My favorite being peanut butter (as if you expected anything less).
Instead of baking these cheesecakes you simply pop them in the freezer to set. To make removing them from the pan a breeze, I simply cut out strips of parchment paper and made little tabs so I could just pop them right out. Worked like a charm! If you don’t have parchment, just slide a butter knife along the sides to pop them out. Easy, simple removal either way (no special equipment or springform pans required).
If you’ve ever been suspicious of cashew-based vegan desserts, don’t be! I can wholeheartedly attest that these are some of the best desserts I’ve ever had! No seriously. I can’t even begin to tell you how insanely delicious these guys are – and I’m a cheesecake snob!
They’re:
Creamy
Perfectly sweet
Slightly tart
Luscious
Sexy
Smooth
Insanely satisfying
& Perfect topped with coconut whipped cream
OK, this is beginning to sound like a Victoria’s Secret ad. You catch my drift. Just make, these, cheesecakes!
7-Ingredient Vegan Cheesecakes
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 cup packed pitted dates*
- 1 cup raw walnuts
FILLING
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (quick-soaked*)
- 1 large lemon (juiced // 1 lemon yields ~scant 1/4 cup or 50 ml)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
- 2/3 scant cup full-fat coconut milk (see instructions for note)
- 1/2 cup agave nectar or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
FLAVOR ADD-INS optional
- 2 Tbsp salted natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup wild blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- 3 Tbsp bourbon caramel sauce
Instructions
- Add dates to a food processor and blend until small bits remain and it forms into a ball. Remove and set aside.
- Next add nuts and process into a meal. Then add dates back in and blend until a loose dough forms – it should stick together when you squeeze a bit between your fingers. If it’s too dry, add a few more dates through the spout while processing. If too wet, add more almond or walnut meal. Optional: add a pinch of salt to taste.
- Lightly grease a standard, 12 slot muffin tin (as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). To make removing the cheesecakes easier, cut strips of parchment paper and lay them in the slots. This creates little tabs that makes removing them easier to pop out once frozen.
- Next scoop in heaping 1 Tbsp amounts of crust and press with fingers. To pack it down, use a small glass or the back of a spoon to compact it and really press it down. I found the bottom of a glass works well. If it sticks, separate the crust and the glass with a small piece of parchment. Set in freezer to firm up.
- Add all filling ingredients to a blender and mix until very smooth. For the coconut milk, I like to scoop the “cream” off the top because it provides a richer texture. But if yours is already all mixed together, just add it in as is.
- You don’t need a Vitamix for this recipe, just a quality blender. I mixed mine for 1 minute, then “liquified” or “pureed” it until silky smooth. If it won’t come together, add a touch more lemon juice or agave or a splash more coconut milk liquid as the liquid should help it blend better.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If adding peanut butter, add to the blender and mix until thoroughly combined. If flavoring with blueberry or caramel, wait and swirl on top of plain cheesecakes (optional).
- Divide filling evenly among the muffin tins. Tap a few times to release any air bubbles, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze until hard – about 4-6 hours.
- Once set, remove by tugging on the tabs or loosening them with a butter knife. They should pop right out. Our favorite way to devour these was with a little more caramel and a touch of coconut whipped cream. But they’re perfect as is! Keep in the freezer for up to 1-2 weeks.
- Optional: You can set them out for 10 minutes before serving to soften, but I liked them frozen as well.
Video
Notes
*To quick-soak cashews, pour boiling hot water over the cashews, soak for 30 minutes uncovered, then drain and use as instructed.
*Adapted from Sidesaddle Kitchen (Absolutely smitten with her.)
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without toppings or added flavors.
*Prep time does not include freezing (4-6 hours)
betti doherty says
Sooo good!! As a non-vegan, I much prefer this cheese cake to the traditional one. No question.
The only extra bit I do is adding lemon zest to the filling. It brings it up to a whole new level
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Betti. Thank you for sharing! xo
Ella in Montreal says
yum! it was my partner’s birthday and we enjoyed this wonderful cake with stewed pears on top. I made a large one in a 9-inch round tin and it turned out great. love is beautiful
Sounds lovely! Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Ella! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it. xo
Mati Chaza says
Mine came out a bit grainy. Any advice for me? Maybe my mixer wasn’t powerful enough or I didn’t let the cashews soak long enough but yea
Hi Mati, sorry that happened! Cashews do require a somewhat powerful blender to get fully creamy.
Steven says
I made this vegan cheesecake twice and love it!! Can I use 1/3 cup of banana instead of 1/3 cup of coconut oil? Will it work fine? Thanks in advance! Steven
We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Steven! Thank you for sharing! We aren’t sure banana would work. It would change the flavor and possibly the texture. If you’re looking for a banana-flavored cheesecake though, it might be worth experimenting!
Lilyw says
I love these so much! Dessert made entirely from nuts and fruit! Nutrient- (and calorie-!) dense. I have found that people who are accustomed to processed and high-sugar food don’t appreciate them quite as much as I do.
We’re so glad you enjoy them, Lily! Thanks so much for sharing!
Annette says
This is the favorite pie/desert recipe for my vegan no gluten guest, and all the other guests love it too!
Amazing! Love that it’s enjoyed by all :) Thank you for sharing, Annette! xo
Antonia Sattler says
Is it best to use coconut cream? Or it actually doesn’t matter?
As i’ve seen a cashew cheesecake where the filling is just cashews. No coconut?
Hi Antonia, we find coconut cream makes it richer and gives it more of a cheesecake flavor.
Antonia says
So no difference in coconut milk or coconut cream?
Sorry that was a typo! We meant coconut milk. Coconut cream would be good too, just richer!
Mark says
I’m surprised by the negative comments, I go to this recipe over and over and my friends love it. I’ve done mini-cheesecakes with it, full sized cheesecakes, and every size in between.
We’re so glad you love the recipe, Mark. Thank you for sharing your experience!
LS says
I appreciate the creativity of the recipe, but to me it just doesn’t taste like cheesecake. The date crust was chewy and the filling had a coconut taste from the coconut milk. (I used triple-filtered coconut oil so the flavor didn’t come from that.) If it had been labeled as a frozen coconut-flavored treat I would have rated it higher (but then again I wouldn’t have made it).
So sorry you didn’t love it! We have a newer cheesecake recipe that’s closer to a real deal cheesecake if you’re up for trying out a different recipe: Easy Baked Cheesecake (Vegan + GF).
Oliver says
1. Can you make these with coconut milk you’d drink instead? I have some open
2. Surely you can keep in the freezer longer than 1-2 weeks?
Hi Oliver, coconut milk in a carton usually is much thinner, so we wouldn’t recommend that. It wouldn’t set up correctly. And yes, they would keep for longer, but they may start to get a little freezer burn. Hope that helps!
Kiowa says
I tried this recipe and was sadly disappointed, the mixture split and I substituted figs for half a cup because I ran out of dates. It came out really shit, not a fan would not use this recipe again.
We’re so sorry you had a negative experience with it, Kiowa! Would you mind sharing what type of blender and brand of coconut milk you were using? Did you make any modifications? We’d love to try to troubleshoot what might have gone wrong!
Rebecca says
I soaked my cashews and noticed they had a funny smell after. It was really weird. The batter didn’t taste as good to me as everyone else is saying. I had to add a lot of peanut butter and maple syrup to make it not taste so bitter. Is this just because I’m not used to raw cashew or is it possible the cashews are bad? they didn’t stink until after I soaked them. scared to try it as I’m reading it’s dangerous to eat spoiled cashews. Thoughts?
Hi Rebecca, how long did you soak them for? Were they soaking in the fridge or at room temperature?
Rebecca says
I did the quick soak method but I had to go out to buy a new food processor in the middle of starting this recipe, so they probably soaked for about an hour.. MAYBE an hour and a half.
Hm, that shouldn’t cause them to smell funky then! Cashews can kind of have a strange smell, but it shouldn’t taste weird. We’d say try a different brand next time if you can!
Katherine says
I FORGOT TO ADD THE COCONUT OIL!! yikes!! they’re in the freezer already…..are they just going to melt like a popsicle?
Taste of the filling is amazing :)
It might still be okay! Let us know how they turn out!
Tessa says
I love these! I make a sour cherry version and usually add shredded coconut to the crust. For those asking about a “lighter” version: I have used vegan Greek yogurt in place of both the coconut oil AND the coconut milk (I used about 1.5 C yogurt total, you might want to experiment a bit). The texture is not quite the same (it’s not as dense and rich and doesn’t mimic dairy cheesecake as well) still a delicious frozen treat!
That sounds AMAZING, Tessa! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Rudraveer Singh Puniaa says
Can I use maple syrup instead of agave syrup?
Yes!
Emma says
I have made these so many times, you would think I would have the recipe memorized by now! My girlfriend loves them <3
Amazing! We’re so glad you both enjoy the recipe, Emma! xo
Alisha Mann says
I have made these several times, absolutely love and always a hit. I was curious about possibly using light coconut milk vs full fat.. I understand this is a desert and totally love it as is, just was curious about lightening it up a bit and your thoughts on that before I throw all these now-a-days pricey ingredients together and it possibly fail. Thank you for all your recipes!
Hi Alisha, it’s possible it would work since the cheesecakes get frozen, but we aren’t certain they will set properly!
Hillary says
Do you think I could omit the lemon juice or replace it with something else that isn’t acidic?
Hi Hillary, lemon juice/acidity is important for giving it a cheesecake flavor! For a similar effect, you could try using some coconut yogurt in place of some of the coconut milk, but we aren’t sure it would be as tangy. Hope that helps!
Michael says
LOVE IT! my two suggestions
* Use MAPLE syrup instead of agave
*add a half tsp of VANILLA PASTE to the cashew mix
Thanks for sharing, Michael!
Courtney says
I have made this recipe multiple times, I love it! I find it so easy and so forgiving. It turns out perfectly every time! I made an oatmeal crust instead of this one, only because I didn’t have the extra nuts on hand. I also used all of my coconut oil in the crust and didn’t have enough for the cheesecake filling so I added a little extra liquid from the coconut milk, worked just fine. The cheesecake filling is so good I could drink it straight. I make a lot of the minimalist baker’s recipes because they are so good and simple! Very thankful for them! Will continue to explore others. Thank you!
Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Courtney!
B LEWIS says
I was very disappointed in this. It was not good at all. The date and walnut crust was fine, but the filling was bad. It did not taste like cheesecake at all. I think it would have been better to use a normal cheesecake recipe and just substitute with the vegan cream cheese.
We’re so sorry you didn’t enjoy it! Did you make any modifications? Is it possible any of your ingredients were old/spoiled? We do have a more classic baked version here.
Ashley says
The filling and crust textures are perfect. The level of sweetness is just right. These cupcakes can be eaten straight from the freezer or thawed 10 minutes to soften. I found that they retain just the right shape and density when stored in the refrigerator. (Maybe my fridge is a little colder than some.) The reason I give this recipe only four stars is that the coconut flavor from the coconut oil and milk is too strong, in my opinion. If you’re adding fruit preserves or peanut butter, it will mask some of the coconut flavor, but if not, you may feel that the coconut keeps you from achieving the taste of a traditional cheesecake. I’m going to try substituting the coconut oil and/or milk and see if I can adjust the flavor without losing the recipe’s delightful creaminess. I may also make the very tasty 2-ingredient crust on its own and eat it like a cookie.
Thanks for sharing, Ashley! Have you tried using refined (odorless) coconut oil? That will reduce the coconut flavor!
Thank you for your support and for letting us know!
Hannah Danyo says
Hey! This looks amazing! Do you think I could make a full sized cheesecake with this and not have any issues with it setting up properly? And also, if I’m making it for thanksgiving, should I keep it frozen until serving or bring it out and let it thaw while we eat? Will it melt into a puddle?
A full size cheesecake should work great! We’d recommend keeping it frozen until about 20-30 minutes before serving. Hope you love it, Hannah!
Dzenana says
Hi,
My sister in law shared this recipe with me years ago and I have been making it since then, at least 7-9 years! It’s such a great recipe and very versatile as well! Love it!
Yay! Thank you so much, Dzenana!
Emma Carlton says
Do you think I could sub sunflower seeds for part of the cashews?
Hi Emma, we’d suggest doing a search in the comments for “sunflower” to see what other readers have tried. If you press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac, a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for specific words in the post and comments.
Rochelle Adam says
I love this recipe, and have used it as a three layer birthday cake, with a chocolate layer, a rapsberry layer, and a lemon layer (adding chocolate, raspberries, and more lemon, respectively, to the basic batter).
I have a grandchild who is allergic to cashews – can I use almonds instead of cashews? has anyone ever done it?
Wow, that sounds SO good, Rochelle! The best alternative to cashews in this recipe is macadamia nuts, but they don’t absorb quite as much moisture, so you may need to use more of them to get the same texture. Hope that helps!
Chris-Carlyle says
Do you need a specialty/vegan blender for this? Will a 800 watt blender work?
Hi Chris, it’s hard to say since blenders vary so much in terms of wattage, materials, and blades, but that should work!
Res1 says
Are these supposed to melt like ice cream? I made them and when left them at room temp for 20 minutes they were super soft like ice cream/custard. Did I blend it too much perhaps?
These cheesecakes will melt if left at room temperature. We’d suggest only letting them thaw for 10 minutes before enjoying. If you’re looking for something that holds its shape at room temperature this baked cheesecake is a great option!
Res1 says
Ok, awesome. Is there a way I can bake a vegan cheesecake without buying store bought vegan cream cheese?
Hi, our no-bake versions typically don’t use vegan cream cheese, but with the baked versions, we find vegan cream cheese is important. You could try a homemade vegan cream cheese, but we can’t guarantee it will turn out the same.
Christopher-Carlyle Carson says
How many 6 inch cheesecakes does the filling make?
Hi Christopher, we haven’t tried this recipe in a 6 inch pan but we think it would make 1 very tall/full 6 inch cheesecake, or 2 more shallow 6 inch cheesecakes. Hope this helps!
Janine says
Literally can’t wait to bite into these. Making them for my partner’s birthday, who is vegan and sugar free. I made cinnamon cashew butter, blueberry cardamom, and strawberry vanilla bean :)
I won’t be serving them until two days. Do you suggest keeping them in the muffin tin in the freezer until serving, or is it better to take them out after the 4-6 hours and then individually re-wrap them to put back in freezer until serving?
Woah, your flavor variations sound AMAZING, Janine! Removing them from the muffin tin and storing in a sealed container will prevent any freezer flavors from seeping into them, but since it’s only 2 days, it’s probably fine either way!
Vic says
Hello! Is it possible to substitute cashew butter instead of soaked cashews?
Thanks in advance
Hi Vic, a couple other readers have mentioned doing so with success! You’d likely need only about 1/4 – 1/2 as much cashew butter. Let us know if you try it!
Melody says
What’s the worst that could happen if I added a little bit of agar powder, and baked this like a normal cheesecake? would that ruin it? I want to make sure it holds its shape when being served at room temperature.
Hi Melody, We haven’t tested that, but think they would get runny (maybe the agar would counteract that though!). It’s possible if you chilled them after that they would be a descent texture? Let us know if you give it a go!
Melody says
Replying to myself lol
I tried it and it worked! I made the base recipe, but added some vanilla bean paste, 2-3 tbs granulated sugar, 1.5 (roughly) tbs agar powder.
Blended up in my vitamix and used a graham cracker crust and a 7″ springform pan instead of muffin cups. Baked for 10-minute increments until it was set, then let cool and chilled in the fridge. Going to wrap my knife in parchment paper so I can divide it into individual slices and add different toppings instead of just one!
I find that the graham cracker crust (although not GF) has a more classic cheesecake flavor than the date nut crust. the date nut crust can make the cheesecake just taste like a wierd parfait if you use berries as a cheesecake topping.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing! xo
Judi says
I wonder if a bit of arrowroot or corn starch might help? I’ve seen a bit of one of the starched used in other vegan cheesecake recipes. I haven’t tried it myself, but you might do an online search for vegan cheesecake recipe for inspiration.
Rumy says
I found and started using parchment paper muffin cups and that simplified things a lot.
Also,I reduced the maple syrup quantity in half and it still tasted great!
Thank you for creating and sharing such a great recipe!
Love it! Thanks for sharing, Rumy. We appreciate your support!
Chay says
How can I get them out of the muffin pans and have them still look nice?
I did the coconut oil and parchment tabs but it still didn’t work, does not look like the picture posted.
Hi Chay, sorry to hear that didn’t work well! Did you try letting them set at room temperature for a few minutes after freezing?
Klaudia says
I have just put mine into the freezer and I am impressed how the texture of the filling resembles cheese filling in the cheescake. o.O Fingers crossed it all works out. :D
Yay! Keep us posted =)
Ellie says
This is so yummy!!!! I have a friend who is allergic to nuts. Is there anything I can try to make it nut-free?
Hi Ellie! So glad to hear you enjoy this recipe! Unfortunately, the nuts are quite crucial for the right texture in both the crust and the filling here. For the crust, you could possibly try oats instead, but for the filling we aren’t sure. Coconut cream might work, but it will probably melt at room temperature as the cashews are what help keep the filling firm… you could also try silken tofu.. but we think it might make the filling bitter. Let us know if you try any swaps!
Julie says
You could substitute pine nuts and/or macadamia nuts. I’ve tried a combination of those and it was delicious!
This cheesecake recipe is fabulous! I made this withy favorite chocolate almond raw pie crust.
Noemie says
Could these be used at a picnic or would they melt?
Hi Noemie, these get a little pudding-like if left at room temperature too long.
SK says
Hi- I made this today and plan to keep it in the freezer until I serve it tomorrow evening. I’d like to serve it with fresh blueberries that I got, but I’m not sure how to make them look like the compote you show in the pics. Can you share how I can achieve that look?
Hi! They were slightly melted from being frozen, and we used a toothpick to swirl them around. Hope that helps!
SS says
I’m currently on a low fodmap diet. Can you recommend another nut to sub for the cashews on this one?
Hi, the closest alternative would be macadamia nuts, but they don’t get quite as creamy and you’ll likely need more of them. According to the Monash app, activated (soaked) cashews are low FODMAP up to 10 nuts (15 g), so it might be worth looking into whether a small serving would work? Hope that helps!
Cami P says
i was honestly so impressed with how good these are!! i added some peanut butter and toppede them with dark chocolate, they were incredible <3
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Cami! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Jennifer says
Honestly, I was quite disappointed with the outcome of the recipe. I made this for my birthday and it let me down! I thought this was simple and versatile enough for my birthday, but taste-wise it didn’t live up to what I wanted. There were so many great reviews, which is one of the reasons I wanted to try it. Unfortunately, for my taste there was too much lemon. A quarter of a cup was a lot and made it more like a tart. I wouldn’t consider this a cheesecake because of how tart it came out. I added more sweetener and almost a teaspoon of vanilla since cheesecake traditionally has strong vanilla notes (I was so surprised this recipe didn’t call for vanilla!). Sweetening it and the vanilla made it better and I strongly recommend it if you have a sweeter tooth, but it still isn’t cheesecake. To me, this is the stereotypical “healthy” vegan dessert. This isn’t the indulgent cheesecake I was looking for. I will say, if you are making this and enjoy it, I used walnuts and pecans as the base with the dates (my dates were so old and needed rehydrating) and the “crust” came out good with the substitute.
Hi Jennifer, we’re so sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as you were hoping! If you’re looking for a more classic cheesecake, we think you would prefer our baked version. Again, sorry to hear this one wasn’t a success for you!
Leanna says
Made these for Christmas, so delicious and easy! I tried blueberries, cacao powder, lemon zest & coconut, and a sunflower butter/caramel.
Yumm – those flavors sound delish! Thanks so much for the review, Leanna!
Sara says
Can the dates be substituted with dried apricots or prunes with a touch of honey?
We think so, but haven’t tried it!
Lori says
Has anyone tried baking this like a traditional cheesecake? I’m thinking a bit of agar to the filling mix minus the coconut oil plus some time in the oven may void the need to freeze it… I’ll give it a go and let you know :)
Ooo interesting! Can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Lori says
It worked! I omitted the oil, added Bob’s Red Mill egg replacer, subbed lactic acid for the lemon juice & baked it in a spring form pan for 40 minutes in 325 degree oven.
Great! Thank you for sharing, Lori!
Sara Burke says
Can I make this receipe in a regular 9″ springform pan (large version?) Has anyone tried this and if so temp and time recommendations?
Thanks! :)
Hi Sara, We haven’t tried this as one larger cheesecake, but it should work! It may need to freeze for a bit longer. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Natashia says
I’m definitely one of the vegan dessert skeptics out there but this recipe is truly great and pretty easy to make. I highly recommend this as a vegan cheesecake base. I say as a base because unless you’re looking for a coconut-pronounced cheesecake (which I totally like the idea of but it’s not what I usually want for cheesecake), I definitely suggest adding mix-ins to bring some depth to it. I added lemon zest from 1 lemon before topping with fresh blueberries and raspberries – excellent! I can see how plain caramel may be too sweet but bourbon caramel and/or peanut butter would be great. I think I packed my dates in way too much when measuring and the crust ended up a bit too sweet for me so I suggest using medium pressure when packing dates for measurement. They were way too hard for me from the freezer and I didn’t like them at room temperature either – from the fridge after several hours was just right, however. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!!
Yay! Thanks so much for the review and for sharing your experience, Natashia. We’re so glad you enjoyed!
Anisha says
Easy to make and looks very pretty. I personally found the taste too coconuty but my friends loved it. I made the blueberry and peanut butter flavors – the peanut butter one tasted better.
Don’t bother adding the parchment paper tabs, they just tore for me. Also they were pretty easy to pop off the muffin tin with a butter knife so the tabs were unnecessary.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Anisha! Glad to hear you enjoyed them overall!
Maryanne says
I had an issue with the coconut separating when blended. Is there any trouble shooting for this? The “cheesecake” mixture did not come out as smooth and lovely as the video… it came out chunky and had all the coconut operated into small pieces. Did this happen for anyone else? I tried this recipe twice with two different coconut milk brands and cooled them in the fridge for 48 hours.
Hi Maryanne, were the coconut milks you tried chunky/oily? That’s the most likely reason! You can find our brand recommendations here. Or did the cashews blend to a smooth consistency? If not, it could be that the blender wasn’t powerful enough!
Jennifer says
Can I use roasted cashews for this? Will it still be as creamy?
Hi Jennifer, it should still be creamy as long as you have a powerful blender. Other readers have reported it worked!
Emma Hosking says
I made these today and they came out a charm! My Kenwood blender coped beautifully to make a smooth mixture.
I didn’t have agave or maple and didn’t want to add honey (keeping it vegan for a friend who is coming for dinner) so I used date molasses to sweeten instead. They’re a little darker in colour than yours but the taste is exceptional.
I made half of them peanut butter flavoured, topped with toasted peanuts and maldon salt. For the other half I cooked up a little frozen fig into a paste to swirl in, topped with a slice of fig and some toasted hazelnuts.
Emma Hosking says
I also only added half the amount suggested for the agave – I prefer them a little less sweet and I think that the date molasses is a bit sweeter than agave.
Wonderful! Love the fig and hazelnut combo! Thank you for sharing, Emma! xo
Rayenbo Paisley says
I am looking forward to using this as birthday cake (this week) for my non-dairy no refined sugars eating child! Except that I when offered this option they said they wanted a full sized cake. I am wondering if this can be made as one? I know it would have to be in the freezer much longer but I don’t know if it would require any other adjustments.
Hi there! We haven’t tried this as one larger cheesecake, but it should work! It would probably work best in a springform pan, and like you said it may need to freeze for a bit longer. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Nicolette Miles says
My favourite desert EVER! So easy to make. My go-to to impress when I cook for friends.
Woohoo! So glad this is a staple for you, Nicolette! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Arlene Torres says
I love love love this recipe. By far my favorite crust. Was wondering if you think this crust can be used with a baked cheesecake? Haven’t had the guts to try. Thank you! Big fan of your recipes.
Woohoo! We love to hear this, thanks for the lovely review, Arlene! It’s possible that if you added oats to this crust it would bake up nicely, but we haven’t tried it. Alternatively, we do have an easy baked cheesecake recipe that you could check out! Let us know if you give either of them a try!
Kassie says
Will these stay in the fridge after they’ve been fully frozen, or lose their consistency?
Hi Kassie, They will be closer to a thick pudding consistency if you put them in the fridge instead of the freezer. Hope that helps!
Avery says
Hi, I made this recipe today and everyone’s favourite part was the crust! Is there another dried fruit that can be used to substitute for the dates? I’m planning to make this recipe more but dates are fairly inaccessible where I live.
Hi Avery, we’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Another moist, sticky dried fruit might work. Perhaps prunes or apricots? Or maybe raisins or cherries?
Krystal says
Hey Avery! Maybe try cranberries? Not sure where you’re located but when dates become inaccessible to me, I check out Amazon or some online health stores and am usually able to get some really good ones for a decent price! Hope that helps :)
Krystal says
I made Chocolate Chip Almond Butter version of this recipe :)
These are absolutely amazing! The instructions were easy to follow and the end result was better than I could’ve ever imagined!
I have a ninja blender set and used the food processor attachment for the whole recipe. I only used the creamy part of the coconut milk like suggested, and when blending the filling I added a little bit more of the agave, and 2 Tbsp almond butter.
With the ninja I had to blend the filling for a good while (maybe 7 rounds of 60 seconds) to get it to be smooth and not gritty. I left half of the batch plain and the other half topped with some “enjoy life” vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips.
The tip about the parchment paper to make easier removal was super helpful!
My boyfriend and I absolutely loved these treats and I’m so excited to try making more variations of them! Maybe a salted coconut caramel and pretzel set? :)
Woah – those flavor combos sound SO delicious! We’re so glad you both enjoyed them. Thank you for the lovely review, Krystal! xo
Karl says
This Recipe looks so delicious!! I dont have the agave nectar, could I possibly replace it with Stevia or Maple syrup? Which substitue would you recommend?
Hi Karl, we’d suggest maple syrup over stevia for this recipe. It might affect the flavor slightly but should still be delicious!
Brenda says
I adore these! Sooooo good. Do you have more no bake vegan desserts on here?
Most if not all of these recipes could be made vegan:
“10 Desserts No One Will Guess Are No-Bake”
https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/no-bake-dessert-recipes
Hi Brenda, we’re so glad you enjoy them! We do have more =) You can find them in our recipe index by selecting “No Bake” in special diet and “Sweet” in recipe type. Hope that helps!
Grace Denton says
hello, is this recipe something that can be reposted in our company newsletter? if so, how would we give you credit for that?
Hi Grace, you can find our sharing guidelines here. Hope that helps!
Cecillia Cornejo says
Thank you so much for this recipe! My baby is lactose and allergic to eggs and your page has helped me out so much!!
We love to hear this! Thanks for the kind review, Cecillia! xo
Molli Hansel says
These are DELICIOUS. My non-vegan husband even craves them. You can fool anyone with this recipe and it’s SO easy!!!! I like to add berries to half reserve and sometimes add to Oreo/vegan butter crust. UH-MAY-ZING.
Thank you so much for the lovely review, Molli. We are so glad you both enjoy these cheesecakes! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Donna says
I made these and they turned out great. I especially appreciated the detailed instructions for using the parchment paper strips to remove them easily from the cupcake tins. I made a recipe from another blog for a raw tiramisu that I prepared in a 3” spring form pan and the whole thing fell apart when I tried to remove it. No instructions were given for removal. Thanks again for the great recipe.
We’re so glad that tip was helpful and that you enjoyed these. Thanks for sharing, Donna!
James says
Thank you! It’s impossible to find a Vegan desert recipe that’s tasty, but this was amazing. Even my 8 year old son loooooves it! And so healthy! You’re wonderful!
Woohoo! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the lovely review, James!
Sara says
Hi, thank you for your wonderful recipes! I couldn’t find my particular question in the comments. Can the oil be omitted entirely and the coconut milk replaced with a creamy almond milk? I don’t consume oil but would love to make these.
Hi Sara, unfortunately we don’t think it would set up properly with those modifications. For an oil-free version, we’d suggest the filling in this recipe (it does contain coconut cream, but could possibly be subbed for a thick cashew cream or dairy-free yogurt). Let us know if you do some experimenting!
James says
Hi Sara, why don’t you consume Oil? Healthy oils such as coconut oil and ghee are essential for good health and to prevent dementia.
Jahsalyn says
Actually the best oil is olive oil. Otherwise most oils are not great for consumption. Check out Dr. Gregers review over tons of research done on the pros and cons of different oils for consumption. It opened my eyes as I also thought coconut oil and avocado oils etc were healthy. That being said, when you eat it in moderation, and for desserts I can understand how it would be hard to replace and it probably won’t hurt.
Miki says
Hello!
This recipe looks great and I’m super excited to try it – I just wonder, can I just whip it up in one big spring form instead of multiple tiny ones? Or is there a special reason not to?
Best regards and many thanks!
Hi Miki, other readers have done so with success! If you press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac, a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for specific words (such as springform) in the post and comments. Hope that helps!
SV says
I’ve made this a few times now and it’s become a holiday/party staple for my family. This time, I was trying to go with a galaxy theme, so I added blueberry and blue spirulina powder and felt the need to share because they turned out sooo beautifully. Spirulina’s taste can be off putting in large amounts so I added just enough to achieve the desired color, little by little, after all the filling ingredients were already blended. Then I marbled the juice from frozen but thawed blueberries into each cheesecake and topped off a few blueberries. I’ve found that I prefer using canned coconut cream instead of milk, gives a really rich texture. Don’t shake the can first!! This cheesecake recipe is super solid and so customizable and I will definitely continue to make it and try fun new combinations!
We’re so glad you enjoy it! Love your creative spin and tips. Thanks for sharing! xo
Sukhi says
Hi, could hazlenut replace cashew? I’m slightly intolerant to cashews..
Thank you.
Hi Sukhi, we don’t think hazelnuts would get as creamy. The closest option would be macadamia nuts.
Kristina says
I’ve made this a few times in the last few years and it’s delicious every time. Personally I love it plain or served with raspberries in any form. I make it in a springform and it turns out great as a mock cheesecake. My son has a walnut allergy, so I tried making it with the regular crumb crust which I baked and cooled prior to assembling.
Thank you for the great recipe ❤️
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Kristina! Love your creative modifications too. Thanks for sharing! xo
Melody Nydam says
I don’t have enough words to say what a success these were, but I will try!
A breakthrough for me in finding a healthy dessert that tastes delicious too. It has it all.
Creamy, silky smooth, bursting with fruity flavor and so satisfying.
Here’s what I did to adapt them to my taste:
Added finely grated lemon peel to the filling, plus more lemon juice.
Switched the Coconut milk to Almond milk.
Put 6 frozen blueberries on each crust before pouring filling over.
Used a strawberry lemon puree for decorating the top and enhancing the fruitiness. It was perfect.
Sounds amazing! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Melody! xo
Eve says
Hi! Is it okay if I omit the coconut oil? I only have coconut milk! This looks so good by the way :)
Hi Eve, we’d suggest using another oil such as a mild-flavored (light) olive oil or avocado oil. Let us know if you try it!
candice says
Perfection! Made as written twice already and has been such a hit. So yummy! Thank you for another delicious recipe!
Yay! Thanks for the lovely review, Candice! xo
Kristina says
I made these over the weekend and I am officially obsessed!! This recipe is amazing! I made all of them caramel flavored and they turned out delicious! I’m excited to make them again and try the other flavors. Thank you for this recipe!☺️ You never disappoint, Dana!
Yay! Thanks for the lovely review, Kristina! So glad you enjoyed! xo
Nasser says
I just made this a few days ago and it was amazing! Thank you for this recipe :)
I am thinking of adding salted caramel next time, but I am not sure if I should mix it with the filling or just add it on top. Wouldn’t the caramel harden if it’s in the freezer?
What do you suggest?
Hmm, what kind of salted caramel? I’d personally swirl it!
Nasser Alsadhan says
Salted caramel sauce. I might have to experiment with it then, or add it on top at the end before serving it.
You could swirl it into a few, and on some others add it on top? Let us know how it goes!
Stephen Williams says
Hello,
I loved your vegan cheese cake recipe. I made this at home and this was as delicious as it looks. The steps were simple and time-saving.
I loved your recipe so much that I have featured this on my recent blog. Let me know if you would like to check it out. “
So great! thanks for sharing, Stephen! xo
Rosi says
Hi, I loved this recipe, hadn’t thought of dividing into small portions using the muffin tin, so thanks for the idea! Perfect for a garden party :))) just had a question about using coconut milk – is it possible to over-whip it? Such as it is in case of using dairy products. I got afraid that I overdid it as I’m new with vegan recipes, but perhaps I simply didn’t blend it for long enough haha
We haven’t had personal experience with over whipped coconut milk, but it does seem possible. If it starts to separate and get oily it may have gone too far! Hope this helps!
Stephen Williams says
Hello,
I loved your vegan cheese ball recipe. I made this at home and this was as delicious as it looks. The steps were simple and time-saving.
I loved your recipe so much that I have featured this on my recent blog. Let me know if you would like to check it out.
Gretchen says
Could I sub almond flour (or almond meal) for the raw walnuts in the crust? Any guys what the amount would be?
Hmm, I think that would work but am not sure on the quantity! I’d say start with 3/4 cup and work your way up?
Eddie says
Hi there, the recipe looks amazing. I will try it tonight. Just wondering where did you find these – shall I say – the smallest blueberries in the world? Love them!! Thanks, Eddie
Hi Eddie, you can find wild blueberries in the frozen section at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and most other health food stores.
Tiffany says
I’m not having much luck with mine I used a bread Tim as I don’t have a cheesecake tin or mufffin pan 😩… it’s not setting for me it has a frozen smoothie texture 🤦🏽♀️… I forgot the oil could that be the problem? Should I scrape it back in the blender and add it?
Hi Tiffany, Sorry to hear that! We think omitting the oil could definitely be the issue. We’d suggest re-blending to see if that helps!
Tiffany says
It helped a bit it’s still loose when thawed I’ll definitely make it again though because the flavor was spot on !
Charlie says
Hi there
I have a question about the measurements from cups to metric.
If I set the recipe on 2cups cashews, the metric calculates it to 240g.
But everywhere online and in books, 1 cup of raw cashews is 150g. So 2cups would make 300g.
Is it just a mistake on this recipe or ?
Thank you so much!!
Hm, we only measured in cups and then converted. Our source says 1 cup = 120 g. If you have access to cups, it would be best to use them here. But we’ll see if we can measure with the scale soon to double check.
Hi, thanks for bringing this to our attention. We were able to double check this and found that 140 g = 1 cup cashews. We’ll update the recipe to reflect this.
Katy szarko says
I made this today for my reluctant hubby and teens. WOW! So easy and so delicious. My tribe were full of praise. This is definitely my go to healthy pud now!
I made it in a springform cake tin and it froze fine. Left out of freezer for 15 mins before serving.
There is half a cheesecake left and I think that next time I try this I will make individual portions as per your instructions. They can be left in the freezer then for puds throughout the week.
Amazing! Thanks for sharing, Katy!
Aerryn says
I absolutely love these! I haven’t tried making blueberry ones yet but the peanut butter and caramel flavours are amazing! (I added caramel into the cheesecake mixture to make the flavour even stronger because I love caramel)
All of my non vegan family loved these and still ask for them!
Thank you for this easy delicious recipe!!
Yay! We’re so glad you and your family enjoy them. Thanks so much for sharing, Aerryn!
Nina says
Three words: A – maz- ing!
I made these in a 6″x9″ glass baking dish (didn’t have muffin tin on hand..). Lined it with parchment first, and pressed the crust into the bottom, then froze it, then poured in the filling (essentially just following the recipe), and froze it again. To store, I cut them into squares. I used maple syrup for sweetener. I initially tried to make the filling in the food processor to save on dishes, using it after making the crust, but I found that the filling didn’t come together well. I ended up pouring the batter into a vitamix and that smoothed it out perfectly. I used a tad more maple syrup, coconut cream, and cashews than the recipe called for. I found it to be too lemon-y otherwise, but some might prefer that!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Nina. Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!
Eliza Smith says
Can this be made without the lemon juice? I have to avoid citrus fruits.
Hi Eliza, the lemon is what gives it the tanginess of cheesecake! We’d suggest one of our other vegan cheesecake recipes that uses vegan cream cheese if you want to omit the lemon. Hope that helps!
Nikki says
I’m interested in making this however, is there a substitute for all the coconut that was used in this recipe? My fiancé recently transitioned to vegan and i plan on starting myself but he is allergic to coconut, so I’m unable to use anything coconut.
Hi Nikki, you could maybe try a thick homemade cashew cream and perhaps a mild olive oil or avocado oil for the coconut oil. Let us know if you try it!
candice says
Made these just as recipe stated and came out creamy and delicious! Love all of your recipes! thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Candice! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Nicole says
I absolutely love cheesecake and since finding out that I am lactose intolerant as well as having a gluten sensitivity this is one dessert I am really missing. I love the idea of a GF and DF cheesecake recipe, but I am HIGHLY allergic to cashews. Can you sub out the cashews for another nut?
Hi Nicole, macadamia nuts would be the closest sub, but they don’t get quite as creamy.
Renee says
Have you tried these without sugar, or substituting with apple sauce?
We haven’t. Let us know if you do!
Ngozi F Iroanyah says
Thank you for this great recipe! I tried making a full cheesecake following your recipe but it came out with the consistency of cottage cheese. I bought a Breville Food processor (the 12 cup sous chef) and it did not give me the consistency for a cheesecake. Like at all lol.
I am looking for the smooth finish and for the life of me I can’t find a product to give me one.
What food processor would you recommend? Or would you recommend a high powered blender?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Ngozi, a high-speed blender is best (see our blender review here). Food processors typically can’t get it creamy enough.
Anna says
Can I make this into one big cheesecake in an 8 inch cake pan?
Yes!
Anna says
It worked out perfectly in one big pan! I wouldn’t say you would be fooled that it is regular cheesecake, but it still tasted great!
Thanks for sharing, Anna! For a more traditional cheesecake, we’d suggest this recipe.
Taylor says
I realized my muffin tin does not fit in the freezer…will these set in the fridge if I leave them in for longer? Or am I better off making it into one cheesecake in a pan that fits my freezer?
Hi Taylor, They will be closer to a thick pudding consistency if you put them in the fridge instead of the freezer. Hope that helps!
Kinsey says
Wanted to share that I had absolutely no issues using roasted nuts (walnut for the crust, cashew for the filling) with this recipe. Absolutely delicious! I did 1/3 plain, 1/3 peanut butter with caramel swirl, and 1/3 blackberry. Can’t wait to make again!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Kinsey!
Madalyn Higgins says
I literally came to the comments hoping for an answer for this! This is great news I’ll be trying these soon 😁
Lee says
My husband loved these! Will be making more ASAP.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Lee. We are so glad you both enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Lee says
Oh guess I didn’t click it. Sorry about that. Hopefully this will work.
Krystal Montague says
Can you replace the walnuts for almonds? My boy is allergic, so trying to find a substitute. Thanks :)
Yes, that should work well!
Samara Elliman Durling says
Could I use coconut condensed milk as a sweetener?If your unsure or haven’t replied I might give it ago tomorrow and report back:)
Hi Samara, that might work in place of some of the coconut milk and sweetener. It depends how sweet it is.
Samara says
Hi,
I tried using coconut condensed milk as a sweetener and it worked out fine, I just adjusted it until I liked it and didn’t use any other sweetener. Also biscuit bases work out amazing. Thank you so much for responding😁
We’re so glad it turned out well! Thanks for sharing, Samara! xo
Lilly says
Amazing – made the caramel version and we loved it! Thank you for providing the metric conversion as well!
I did have a problem with the mixture curdling initially, but it came together easily. I used the same method as when Swiss meringue buttercream curdles – I put around 1/3 of the mixture in another container in the microwave and heated it gently, and then added this back to the main mixture. This seemed to help “melt” the curdled coconut cream and it came together almost instantly after that! Thought I’d post just in case anyone else has the same problem.
So helpful! Thanks for sharing, Lilly!
Shea says
I decided to make these because I had some left over coconut milk I didn’t want to go bad. I think that is one of the best parts of this recipe – that you can make it with stuff you probably having in your cabinet if you good vegan/gf often. I would say having a good blender really helped the filling, it was pretty grainy but with a vitamix I didn’t have any issues. Also I didn’t have cupcake tins, only jumbo muffin tins, so I doubled the crust serving (2tbsp per cup) and spread the filling equally among 6 instead of 12. It was quite a bit of filling for each one given the size. Definitely be mindful of that – I think if I were to make again, I would make twice as much crust but keep the amount of filling, and fill them a lower amount to get a better ratio. Or, you know, make them in regular cupcake tins :)
Thanks for sharing your experience, Shea! xo
jen says
hi! long time listener, first time caller. i’ve had to cut out most coconut and palm oils due to cholesterol risk, what do you recommend replacing them with for recipes such as this?
Hi Jen, we haven’t tested it with other oils, but we think a light olive oil or avocado oil might work. Let us know if you try it!
Liz says
I’ve used 1 cup peeled, chopped raw zucchini in place of coconut oil.
CMH says
This is a great and easy recipe. I added 2 tbsp ground flax seed to give the filling extra texture. Very tasty!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Connie. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Ladina says
I made the peanut butter version and me, my mom and my grandma (all non-vegans) loved these cheesecakes. I will definitively make them again.
Also, I think it’s great that there is a metric version of the recipe. That way I don’t have to “translate” it myself.
We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed them, Ladina! Thanks so much for sharing!
Addison says
Can you use this recipe to make a raw vegan strawberry cheesecake? I thinking I can replace the agave with strawberry syrup for strawberry taste and sweetener?? any suggestions.
P.S. we made this recipe and it was awesome!! Thanks
Woah, sounds amazing! Let us know if you try it!
Jennifer says
I made this 3x in less than a week. We love this recipe!!! I may have to make a secret one just for me! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy them, Jennifer! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Malaaika saleem says
This is a bomb 🤩🤩🤩🤩🥰🥰 . I made a cake version of this yesterday for my brother-in-law birthday and everyone enjoyed it very much specially birthday boy. JazakAllah khairan 😍😍😍💗.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Malaaika!
hail says
hi, my freezer is broken haha, would these set if i left them in the refrigerator overnight? :)
Hi Hail, They will be closer to a thick pudding consistency if you put them in the fridge instead of the freezer. Hope that helps!
Sarah says
Hi! Quick question – could I use pecans for the crust in lieu of walnuts or almonds? I have a TON :) can’t wait to make this!
That should work, but it may be more oily. Let us know how it goes!
Tamara says
This recipe is amazing! Super easy and absolutely delicious!
Whoop! So glad you enjoyed it, Tamara! Thanks for sharing!
Lilly says
I made the baked version two weeks ago and decided to give the raw version a try… I LOVED IT! My mom still prefers the baked version, but I like the raw version better. I do have to say, for me the taste resembles a cross between cheesecake and coconut-cashew ice-cream. Which is actually perfect!
I also made some modifications – I have a 9″ springform at home, so I used 3 cups raw cashews and 1/3 cup maple syrup (should have put more), 1 can of coconut cream. Definitely blend the cashews on its own first unless you have a Vitamix.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lilly! Thanks so much for sharing!
Alexis says
This is by far the best vegan cheesecake recipe out there! Sooo simple and tastes delicious every single time. I’ve made lots of different versions of this cheesecake, and each turns out great. My favorite uses lime juice instead of lemon juice and adds lime zest for an easy key lime pie. I also have made this recipe and added about 1/2 c of canned pumpkin and 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice for an easy pumpkin cheesecake. So good! I always buy a store bought graham cracker crust to make it even easier. I’ve shared this recipe with a dozen people at this point, and each one loves it!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Alexis!
Orphy says
Can we use overnight soaked cashews or is it better to do the quick soak?
That works!