Forget your to-do list, and make these dairy-free cheesecake bars ASAP. They're sweet and creamy, rich and buttery, and swirled with a quick 3-ingredient strawberry sauce. Besides, swirling the sauce through the filling is the most satisfying thing you'll do today.
My vegan cheesecake bars are a happy medium between the vegan cream cheese and 100% raw versions. We've got a buttery biscuit base (arguably the best part about cheesecake) and a creamy cashew-based cheesecake filling. SWOON.
How to make dairy-free cheesecake bars step-by-step:
The first thing we are going to do is soak our cashews to make them easier to blend. You can do this overnight, but a quicker option is to cover the cashews with boiling water and soak them for 10 minutes (photo 1).
Meanwhile we'll prepare the cheesecake base by crushing up some digestive biscuits and mixing in melted vegan butter, then pressing it into a load tin (photo 2).
Prepare the cheesecake filling by blending our (drained) soaked cashews with coconut oil, agave syrup, vanilla extract, lemon juice and dairy-free milk (photo 3).
Photo 4 shows the ready and blended cheesecake filling. YUM. Then we'll spread this onto our base (photo 5) and swirl through the homemade strawberry sauce using a toothpick (photo 6).
Finally (and this is the hardest part), leave the cheesecake in the freezer for 1-2 hours to set before serving!
Notes on this recipe
- I like to make this vegan cheesecake in a loaf tin and slice it into 8 individual bars. You can easily double the recipe to use in a square traybake tin or a round cake tin if you wish.
- Make sure to use a high-speed blender or food processor to ensure the cashews are fully blended. The cheesecake filling is very thick!
- You can crush the biscuits in a blender or by placing them in a sealed sandwich bag and bashing with a rolling pin!
- I like to strain the homemade strawberry sauce to remove any seeds, but this is optional.
FAQ
Feel free to substitute graham crackers if you are in the US, or any cookie of your choosing!
Yes and yes! You could also be wild and top your cheesecake with chocolate chips 😉
Unfortunately cashews are important in this recipe as they create the creamy filling. If you have a nut allergy, try making a vegan cheesecake using a nut-free vegan cheese (here is a recipe from the Big Man's World which looks divine!)
More no-bake vegan dessert recipes:
- No-bake chocolate peanut butter energy balls
- Chocolate coconut slice
- Homemade vegan ice cream sandwiches
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it, please leave a rating + review below and share your photos on Instagram tagging #shivanilovesfood!
Dairy-Free Cheesecake Bars
LEAVE A REVIEW PRINT RECIPEIngredients
For the cheesecake base:
- 12 Digestive Biscuits (180 grams) can sub Graham crackers or any cookie of your choice!
- 3 tablespoon Vegan Butter melted; can sub coconut oil
For the cheesecake filling:
- 1 ⅓ cup/ 200 grams Raw Cashews
- 2 tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 3 tablespoon Agave Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
- ⅓ cup/ 75 ml Dairy-Free Milk of choice
For the strawberry sauce:
- ¼ cup/ 30 grams Strawberries fresh or frozen; can sub any berry of your choice!
- 1 teaspoon Agave Syrup can sub maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon Cornstarch aka cornflour in the UK
Instructions
- Add the cashews to a medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the cheesecake base: Process the digestive biscuits into a sandy powder by either blending them or placing in a sealed sandwich bag and bashing with a rolling pin. Transfer the crushed biscuits to a bowl and stir in the melted vegan butter. You want the base to have the consistency of wet sand - if it feels too dry, add an additional 1-2 tablespoon of melted vegan butter.
- Press the biscuit base into a loaf tin lined with grease-proof paper, making sure to press all the way to the edges. Transfer the base to the freezer to firm up whilst you prepare the filling.
- Prepare the strawberry sauce by adding the strawberries, agave syrup and cornstarch to a small saucepan. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick. Optional: strain the sauce through a sieve to remove any seeds.
- Prepare the cheesecake filling: Drain the cashews and add to a high-speed blender or food processor along with the coconut oil, agave syrup, vanilla extract, lemon juice and dairy-free milk. (Tip: measure the coconut oil before the agave syrup so the syrup glides off the measuring spoon!) Begin blending on low and gradually increase the speed until the filling is thick and creamy. Taste the filling and adjust the sweetness by blending in an additional 1-2 tablespoon agave syrup if desired.
- Remove the biscuit base from the freezer and spread the cheesecake filling evenly over the base. Dot the sauce on top and use a toothpick to swirl the sauce through the cheesecake filling. Transfer the cheesecake to the freezer for 1-2 hours to firm up before slicing into 8 bars. Enjoy!
Notes
- After freezing the dairy-free cheesecake, you can slice it into bars and store in the fridge to maintain the creamy texture.
- I like to make this vegan cheesecake in a loaf tin and slice it into 8 individual bars. You can easily double the recipe to use in a square traybake tin or a round cake tin if you wish.
Mayur
Hi Sweetie, it's daddy here.. I absolutely loved your Cheesecake bars ! Ly xx
Shivani Raja
YAY!!