A no-bake vegan blueberry cheesecake recipe that’s easy to make with only nourishing ingredients, refined-sugar-free, gluten-free and paleo! This vegan cheesecake with cashews is creamy, sweet and tastes like the real thing – without dairy or refined sugar!
Often people will ask you why you want to eat a vegan cheesecake if you don’t want to eat dairy in the first place. Well, being vegan is a lifestyle that consists of refusing animal food to be kind to the planet and animals. However, it doesn’t mean you are ready to give up on tastes and flavors of the food you used to love.
Somehow, creating vegan versions of the desserts we love became a passion that brings joy and happiness to my home. I always find satisfying when non-vegan family members ask for more of this vegan cheesecake, that they first mocked beause it was made with no cheese or dairy.
How to make vegan cheesecake with cashews?
I am very excited to share this vegan blueberry cheesecake recipe with you. It is a pretty simple recipe that I guarantee everyone will love, vegan or not. The method is very similar to many no-bake vegan dessert recipes. If you want to ensure complete sucess with this no-bake cheesecake recipe, you need a powerful blender to turn your soaked cashews into a creamy ‘cheesecake’ like texture.
No-bake vegan cheesecake ingredients
With that in mind, let’s see the wholesome ingredients you need in order to make this creamy vegan cheesecake cashew recipe.
- Cashews – I recommend buying cashew pieces from Indian supermarkets, it is much cheaper than whole cashew. See below my tips to soak cashews to perfection
- Liquid sweetener – I love the flavor of maple syrup but you can also use brown rice syrup to half the GI and carbs, or sugar-free monk fruit syrup to make a vegan sugar-free dessert
- Lemon juice
- Coconut oil – if you don’t like coconut oil flavor, use refined coconut oil
- Coconut milk or almond milk or soy milk
- Blueberries fresh or defrosted, don’t use them frozen it wouldn’t work!
- Vanilla
- Almonds – roasted or raw unroasted
- Unsweetened desiccated coconut
How to soak cashews?
The most crucial part f this vegan blueberry cheesecake recipe is to perfectly soften the cashews, soaking them in water. There are the two methods available to you for this.
- Fast method – place the cashew nuts in a bowl and cover entirely with boiling water. This is the fastest method as you only need to soak the nuts for 45 minutes. The drawback of this method is that it removes important nutrient from the nuts as you are using boiling water.
- Overnight method – place the cashew nuts in a bowl, cover entirely with cold water and soak overnight – for at least 12 hours. This is the best method to keep all the nutrients from the nuts and make a raw and vegan cheesecake.
Once done, always remember to clean and dry the cashews before putting them in the blender.
More vegan no-bake desserts recipes
If you love no-bake vegan desserts I highly recommend you try our following recipes
Have you made this no-bake bluerry cheesecake yet? Share a picture with me on Instagram!
Your friend, Carine
Vegan blueberry cheesecake
Ingredients
Cheesecake Base
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut (50g)
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons almonds raw or roasted (140g)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or brown rice syrup (60ml)
- 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil (15 ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Blueberry cheesecake layer
- 1 cup cashews soaked, drained
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice (30 ml), at room temperature
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or brown rice syrup (60ml), at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cup blueberries fresh, at room temperature (if frozen, defrost before using)
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
Vanilla cheesecake layer
- 1 cup cashews soaked, drained
- 1/4 cup coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice at room temperature
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or brown rice syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Instructions
- Before you start, make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. Melted coconut solidifies below 20C, if you place frozen blueberries in contact with coconut oil, it will form oil lumps, you don't want this to happen! If you want to use frozen blueberries, defrost overnight or at least 4 hours before making this recipe
Soaking cashews - overnight method
- The day before making this recipe, prepare two clean bowls, add 1 cup of cashews nuts in each bowl. Cover each bowl with cold water. Soak at room temperature, overnight - at least 12 hours.
- Rinse, drain and use in the recipe
Soaking cashews - fast method
- Prepare two clean bowls, add 1 cup of cashews nuts in each bowl and cover each bowl with boiling water. Soak for 45 minutes.
- Rinse, drain and use in the recipe.
Cheesecake base
- Line the bottom and sides of a round cake pan with parchement paper. Set aside.
- In a food processor, with the S blade attachment, add almonds, desiccated coconut, maple syrup, melted coconut and vanilla.
- Process on medium/high speed until the ingredients comes together into a sticky coarse flour/crumb. It takes about 90 seconds max to form a sticky crumb that holds together. You may have to stop the food processor every 30 seconds, scrape down the sides/bottom of the bowl, process again until the nuts are processed into a crumb.
- Evenly press the cheesecake base crumb onto the cake pan. Use the back of a spoon to spread evenly and firmly.
- Freeze while you are making the blueberry cheesecake layer.
Blueberry cheesecake layer
- In a blender add soaked drained cashews, lemon juice, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, blueberries (fresh or defrosted, not frozen or cold)
- Blend on high speed until creamy and smooth.
- Remove the cake pan from the freezer and pour the blueberry cheesecake batter.
- Shake/tap the the pan to spread the cheesecake batter and remove any air bubbles.
- Freeze 20 minutes while you are making the vanilla layer.
Vanilla cheesecake layer
- In a blender add soaked drained cashews, coconut milk, lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla and melted coconut oil.
- Blend on high speed until smooth.
- Remove cake pan from the freezer and spread the vanilla cheesecake layer on top. Use the back of a tablespoon to spread the layer evenly.
- Bring the cake pan in the freezer again for 30-40 minutes or until the layers are set but still soft. If you freeze it too long that is ok, simply keep the cheesecake out of the fridge 10 minutes before slicing until it reach a smooth cheesecake texture.
Serving ideas
- Decorate with fresh blueberries on top and serve with a drizzle of blueberry syrup.
Storage
- You can freeze the whole cheesecake in a airtight cake box and defrost in the fridge the day before serving.
- Store in the fridge up to 4 days in an airtight container
Video
Nutrition
Hi, this recipe looks so good, will try. Though how can one reduce the amount of cashew nuts used to make it a bit budget friendly?
Thanks
Hi, You can’t decrease the amount of cashew or the texture will be very thin and not heesecake like. However, I always shop broken cashews (cashews pieces) from Indian supermarket to make this recipe. It is about 1/3 cheaper than raw whole cashews from regular supermarket. May be you can try that 🙂 Enjoy the treat, XOXO Carine.
Lovely. Is there a substitute to coconut oil/oil actually? I am now on a WFPB diet and avoid gluten, dairy and oil completely. Thanks much 🙂
Unfortunately it won’t hold without oil. Coconut oil give all the texture, cocoa butter will work but it is an oil too and much more expensive. Enjoy the recipe around. XOXO Carine
I made this! It was good! My first vegan recipe
Congrtulation on making your first vegan recipe! I am so happy it was one from my blog and that you love it! Enjoy all the vegan recipes around here. I can’t wait to see what you are making next. XOXO Carine