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)
Daniela says
Making these tonight! I love cashews for their versatility, tonight cashew cheese fondue is on the menu along with this.
Quinn says
I did an adaptation of these for dessert for Mother’s Day! Ahh it was so so tasty. Thanks for sharing and I hope you’ll look at my adaptation (it should be on my blog in a couple days).
Kat says
Dear Dana & John, I have been admiring your work from afar for a while now. And finally I found the courage and circumstance (weekend, soaked cashews leftover from making cheese) to try this! I am thankful I did. It is so much easier than I thought! Nomen est omen.
Also, I made a sweeter, unstable one out of the leftovers from your recipe and tried the vegan caramel sauce without the booze ;)
Keep on doing this! Your work is amazing. Thanks a million from Germany, Kat xxx
Andrew says
I tend not to use oils in most of my baking recipes and tend to replace them with applesauce instead. Is this an option for this recipe?
I wouldn’t replace the oil with applesauce, I would just omit it and sub in more coconut milk.
Andrew says
Thanks for the quick reply and suggestion!
Catherine says
These look amazing! Would like to make these for a fete but wont be able to keep them refridgerated (cant think they’ll be round for too long though!) will they be ok or will they melt?
They will melt, sadly : (
Trista says
I am absolutely in love with this recipe. We have potlucks at school so I made a batch of these as I am usually the one to bring the dessert, and they were a totally hit! I have a vegan classmate, as well as another classmate that doesn’t eat gluten, and I am trying to avoid dairy, so these were perfect.
Nice! So glad everyone enjoyed them, Trista! Thanks for sharing.
sparkle says
‘Keeps 1-2 weeks in the freezer.’ HA HA HA HA HA HA! :D
Kush says
This is one of the best recipes I have ever tried. I made it for the first time (with the help of a colleague) for a healthy cooking competition at our workplace. It was easy as cake (pun absolutely intended) and super tasty. I made this with 3 mini cupcake trays (24 pcs X 3=72pcs) and made 72 of them. There were 56 guests for the party and each one of these were gone and everyone was asking me for the recipe. So your site is probably going to see more visitors in the near future.
One of the guests also requested me to come to our community temple and making it for the entire community.
I truly appreciate your sharing this with us.
Lee Ann says
I’m so glad you posted this. I was worried about using my mini cupcake trays since the recipe calls for a standard cupcake tray. I only have two trays so will use small mason jars for the leftovers. You’ve eased my mind, thanks!
Sutha says
Although I am not a vegan, I love trying out vegan recipes. Especially considering health issues within the family. These cheesecakes sound so delicious and so very simple! Absolutely love the fact that you don’t need a billion ingredients and they are even customisable! Will have to try these at the weekend. Thank you for sharing!
Oh good! Glad you enjoyed them. I agree that even if you aren’t vegan, it’s healthy and fun to be adventurous in your diet and try dairy-free dishes for variety’s sake. Thanks for sharing!
Leah says
Oops, wasn’t done typing. Anyway, I wondered if you had tried making lime cheesecakes? Could I add some lime juice & zest, or would the juice make it too runny? Sub lime for the lemon? It would go with my menu, but if not, I’ll try blueberry.
Yes! Check out the key lime pie bites :D
Leah says
Can’t wait to try these for a vegan dinner party
Maria says
I made these last weekend to take to a party and the guests loved them! Wish I could say I loved them too but I’m on a self-imposed ‘no sugar/sweets’ during Lent.
I will make them again (maybe for the family Easter Sunday get together) just so that I can bite into one and see what all the fuss is about ;)
Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Lisa says
The bourbon caramel sauce you link to is not vegan – suggestions?
Yes, I have a suggestion in the notes to sub coconut cream for the whipping cream. Hope that helps!
Kristie says
I was sooooo wanting to serve this tmw for morning tea, but my mixture didn’t turn out. It was grainy. Please why?
It’s probably your blender. If it’s not powerful enough OR you didn’t blend long enough OR there wasn’t enough liquid it can’t liquify and thus won’t be very creamy.
Alex says
These look so delicious! I made some Raspberry Lime Mini Cheesecakes the other day and they were absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to give these a try.
Cel says
From what I’m getting from the comments, the crust can be made from dried fruit + nuts/oats? Let’s say I use raisins and oats, would I have to bake it? I’m not really familiar with raw oats.
Great recipe! Looking forward to trying this soon!
Nope! Just leave it raw :D
linda says
Just made my 3rd batch & I live alone!!! – this time with the peanut butter and topped w/ toasted coconut shreds. I share with family & friends or enjoy all to myself. The muffin tin makes the perfect portion controlled size.
haha, no judgment here! So glad you’re enjoying these, Linda. The muffin tins help keep the portion size in check for those of us who need it (myself very much included). Cheers!
Keisha says
I made these a few weeks ago… They are amazing. I used less agave because I don’t like things too sweet. Thank you for sharing!
Yay!
Justine says
I just made this today! it was AMAZING!! I used soy milk instead of coconut because I couldn’t find coconut but it came out lovely. plus I added some coffee extract, absolute heaven!
Lovely! So glad you enjoyed these, Justine!
Sam says
Well done these look YUM , my friend had something like this at a local raw cafe. Sadly I am unable to have cashew nuts, is there something else I could use instead maybe soaked blanched almonds?
Thankyou
Denielle says
Love this!! Could I use these same measurements to make one whole cheesecake in a springform pan?
Denielle says
Nevermind! Just saw that this question was already asked and answered! Thanks! :)
Cassandra says
I would love to try these, but do you think it would taste good if I did pop them in the oven for a bit? I really like a dry crust and my family won’t eat it if it’s not baked (they’re not vegans so this entire recipe would be something new for them).
If you cook these I honestly don’t know what would happen. I kind of just think they would get runny, but maybe if you chilled them after that they would be a descent texture? Let me know if you give it a go!
Moa says
I forgot to mention, I also added a teaspoon of vanilla bean as one other person suggested in the comments. Yum yum yum!
Moa says
I just made this, YUM! However I didn’t have a muffin pan so I used a regular cake pan (I think it’s 8×8 round shaped) and it filled up nicely. Not sure how long in will take in the freezer to fully chill, I put it in 3 hours ago and I have already started to nibble the edges but it will probably need a few more hours to set. Anyways it’s super delicious! I will probably add more peanut butter next time, and add a slightly larger pinch of salt to the crust. Thank you for a great recipie! I might eat only this from now on.
Ha, good plan! Don’t forget your veggies though! ;D Glad you are enjoying this so much, Moa.
Ceecee says
Hi Dana,
Have you ever tried vegan cream cheese? I have a tub of Tofutti one though I’ve never tried to make cheesecake from it. Maybe it’s possible to sub that for a nut-free recipe?
Ceecee, I have used tofutti before but I recognize that it’s a fairly processed item that should be eaten in moderation. In the case of these cheesecakes, I think it could be subbed in but you’d need to do some adjusting with amounts/flavors. Play around with it and see. I don’t think you’d need to freeze it since the cream cheese is so thick. Hope that helps!
PaleoBaker says
How do these last in a fridge. Can they live for very long outside a freezer or do they get too runny?
They don’t stay stiff out of the freezer, but if you keep them in the fridge they’ll keep for a few days. They will be closer to a thick pudding consistency when not frozen. Hope that helps!
Gigi says
These look so good, but I wish they weren’t a cashew-based dessert because I can’t have any nuts!!
Do you think there could be any alternatives for the cashews?
None that come to mind, but let me think about it!
Elizabeth says
Hi Dana,
I tried to make this recipe yesterday, and my cheesecake had a very strong coconut aroma.
Is it mean to be that way due to the coconut oil?
Or maybe did I use the wrong coconut oil?
Btw i used Virgin Coconut Oil..
Thanks
They are coconutty, but it shouldn’t be overwhelming. I used Virgin coconut oil as well. If you’d like to mask the coconut flavor a bit more, sub rice or almond milk for the coconut milk and add another item to flavor, such as the blueberry, caramel or peanut butter I suggested. PB seems to mask it best. Hope that helps!
Amelie says
Does it work with roasted & salted cashews? :S
No. You have to use raw :D
Angela says
Aww man! I scrolled and scrolled to find this answer. I can’t find raw cashews anywhere around and we don’t have any vegan cheeses here either :(
Sydney says
Hi-do you think I could sub soy milk for the coconut milk or would that make it totally different? I’m not sure if soy has as much fat.
If anything, I would sub rice or almond milk for a more neutral flavor. Hope that helps!
Laura says
I made these yesterday, froze them overnight and tried them in the morning. I followed your instructions and really appreciated your photos and level of detail. They were absolutely delicious, no issues with the crust. I’m bringing them to a crowd with discerning taste and am confident that they will love them too.
A few notes-
I used coconut creamer bc the recipe did not specify canned coconut milk, but it was perfect. Thick, creamy-very nice.
I did not use your parchment trick, but regretted it. The butter knife idea worked fine, but it would have been prettier/easier with the parchment
I made a few of the plain cheesecakes with a pinch of finely grated lemon rind, so they tasted like lemon cheesecake. Excellent!
While it was more clean up, I did use a food processor for the crust and a quality blender for the filling.
What I love about your recipe is that it uses whole food. No vegan cream cheese and strange subs. Just heavenly :) thank you!!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed these, Laura. Thanks for sharing your experience and such helpful tips. Cheers!
Suzy says
We don’t have a food processor.. What would you suggest I do for the dates? Would a blender be just as good?
I would suggest either super fine chopping them with a knife or using the blender, as long as they’re soaked or just super moist on their own. Hope that helps!
Mariana says
Hello Dana!
I’m planning to make this again (already tried the recipe last week and loved it!), and I wanted to know if you think it’s ok to replace the dates with prunes. Thanks!
I do! I don’t know how it will affect the flavor (it will likely be different), but the texture should be spot on!
Mariana says
Great! Thanks! I’ll let you know how it goes :)
Shelby says
Made these twice now… both times halfing the recipe.. AMAZING! They came out perfect each time. I agree, peanut butter is the best! I added in some mini chocolate chips……. :)
Love to hear it! Great idea with the chocolate chips. Smart lady!
Pame says
And they taste just so healthy and refreshing!
Pame says
At first I was a little hesitant about how sweet they were going to be and also how well the lemon jiuce would go with everything but they turned out awesome!!! I made all mine with wild bluberries with a friend helping me (not vegan, I am), and I am going to give these mini deliciousness to all my friends :)
Jennifer D. says
Awesome recipe! They tasted amazing and my whole family loves them. My only concern is the 22g of fat in each one. I know the kids need some fat, but I don’t, lol. Is there anyway to make them less fatting and do u know what the nutritional value would be if u did?
Thanks for the great food!
Jennifer, that’s a valid concern but these are definitely the healthy, good kinds of fat from heart-healthy nuts and coconut. If you want to cut it back a little, reduce the coconut oil by half, use light coconut milk and sub half of the nuts in the crust for oats. Hope that helps!
Mariana says
I just tried this recipe yesterday and you have no idea how much I love you right now! hahahaha, I never thought I could have such an amazing, creamy, delicious vegan dessert. I’m starting to explore vegan cooking (I’ve been vegetarian for 4 years) and this just made my day! (and my boyfriend loved them too!) Thanks for sharing!
Kaileigh says
Could i just put the filling in a springform for a large cheesecake?
Kaileigh says
Could i just put this recipe in a springform for a large cheesecake?
Yes :D
Amy says
OH I Loved these! Almost as much as “normal” cheesecake. I don’t like desserts too sweet though so I’d like to cut down the honey in half and use less dates for the crust. But so yummy, thank you for sharing.
Stacie says
Cheesecake is my favorite! I don’t have a sweet tooth like my husband and I could probably go the rest of my life without another cookie or brownie and be just fine. Buttttttt… The idea of going without cheesecake is devastating. We are not ‘strict’ vegans yet – working up to it. I’m happy to say that I may still have to indulge in a Junior’s cheesecake from New York when my mother in law has them at Christmas, but this recipe will keep me for the rest of the year. They are rich and creamy! I topped half with fresh blueberries and the other half with frozen raspberries. The hardest part was waiting for them to freeze hard so we could eat them! Thank you!!!
I couldn’t go on without cheesecake either! Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Stacie.
Deb says
Is it essential for this recipe to soak the cashews prior to making the cheesecake?
Yes, but there is a cheat around the length of time you soak. If you soak the cashews in boiling water for 1 hour, it has a similar effect. 4-6 hours in room temp water is still ideal, but the boiling method works in a pinch. hope that helps!
Jaime H. says
do they still need to be soaked if using a vitamin. when i make nut cheeses in other recipes i usually don’t soak because the blender is so powerful.
Jaime H. says
vitamix*
Deanna says
I used this recipe and I adore it. I am a huge cheesecake fan and I am both lactose and gluten intolerant. My kids who are pretty picky about everything loved them as well. I will certainly be following your blog for more delicious recipes. Thanks
Melanie says
Man, I made these last night and just did a taste test (this morning…) and they are incredible!! I’m not vegan or even dairy-free, but I’ve been trying to cut back on my sugar intake and just generally put better foods in my body. This recipe caught my eye because I feel like so many vegan recipes include strange add-ins (like xanthan gum, soy). I was excited to see a clean recipe that looked so yummy! And it is!
Seriously, I found your site two days ago and I’ve already made two recipes. The beet lava cakes are next! :)
Ah, this makes me so happy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. I try to stay away from gums when possible, only relying on them for GF baking when necessary. The more natural the better! So glad you’ve found us. Stick around and let us know if you have any recipe requests in the future!
lisa says
Tried these today. Unfortunately my blender crashed halfway through the process :C
Had to mix the cheesecake filling with a very old blender that didn’t work so well. The mixture stayed a bit grainy and didn’t seem to get very smooth. Hope they at least still taste good :P
Bummer! Recipes like these can be hard on blenders/processors. Sorry it gave you issues! Hopefully they still taste good.
lisa says
Yes I guess our blender just hasn’t enough power, especially processing dates is always really difficult.. However they still tasted delicious! Will definitely try this recipe again, so amazed that you can make this out of cashews ;)
Elisabeth says
I went with a lemon curd because I’m contrary that way. :) These are SUPER AMAZING! I decided to half the recipe since I’ll be the only one eating them …only I forgot I was halfing it…I halfed the cashews, and the crust, but added normal amounts of everything else. It still turned out super amazing!! I can’t wait to make it properly and see what happens!
lemon curd?! amazing idea!
Robin says
Looks like will be a tasty recipe to enjoy the weekend with family.Loved the idea someone ready to use the peanut butter, blueberries & caramel. The parchment tabs worked perfectly,
Amy @ So There. by Amy says
This parchment paper trick is GENIUS!
These cheesecakes also look pretty amazing. And so simple.
Thanks!! :)
linda says
this recipe is the BOMB! – I have been dairy free for the last 5 years & this hits all the notes of what I have missed – thank you so much for sharing! (a bit of prep, however well worth the effort). These will stay in my freezer ALL THE TIME!
byw – I loved the suggestion someone made to use the peanut butter, blueberries & caramel. The parchment tabs worked perfectly, but am wondering if paper muffin liners would work the same. Also, how long does the coconut cream last in the fridge after opening.
Linda, thanks for sharing! So glad you liked this recipe. You could definitely use paper liners – I just didn’t want little ridges. But I actually have another recipe coming up that uses them so I know for sure it works! And high fives on using all three flavors! That sounds AMAZING.
Lisa | Je suis alimentageuse says
I may or may not have gone on a pinning spree from your blog. I was just catching up on my blog reader and some blogs have recipes that I just mark as read because they don’t look intriguing, but I consistently always want to click through and see yours. Your recipes are always inspiring, simple, and look so delicious!
Thank you for sharing great, simple recipes that look amazing =) You’re one of my new favourite blogs evaaaarrrrrrr.
I also love the parchment paper tab idea. GENIUS.
Ha! Thanks so much for the kind words, Lisa! And for the pins/shares. It means so much! Parchment tabs for the win. So glad we could connect!
terya says
What can sub for the dates?
If you can have them, apricots, prunes, raisins or dried cherries?
Denisse @ Le Petit Chef says
These look great! Will they hold up out of the freezer or will they melt and get runny?
They will definitely get soft. But if you’re OK with that, they’ll be fine! I just preferred mine in the freeze for freshness and firm texture.
Ginny says
Hi there! I’ve just made these and am freezing them overnight to take to a morning tea. they’ll be out of the freezer and not able to be refrigerated for about an hour and a half before they get eaten, I’m now really stressing they’ll be a mess!! What do you think?
Thanks,
Ginny
Hi Ginny! They usually maintain their shape for about an hour at room temperature. So you should be ok, but any longer I would recommend refrigerating them.
Cathleen says
Yumm I made these and they were delicious! For the crust I used a walnut/almond blend, and I omitted the coconut oil, and then swirled in some blended fresh strawberries! I used muffin liners instead of parchment, and that solved the problem of getting stuck. Overall, these were really really good! Thank you for the recipe!
Karen Joy says
Thank you for this comment! I kept wondering if there was a reason that baking cups would NOT work. Apparently, they do!
My 13yo son is excited for me to try these. I make pumpkin cheesecake every year, which he cannot have, because of a severe dairy allergy. He also has celiac disease, so needs to be gluten-free. I’m hoping that these taste as awesome as they look!
Thanks Karen! Hope all goes well! xoxo
Caroline says
Hi! I would like to say that I love your site, and have made a few things already, but these are absolutely perfect!! Despite being a vegan for years, I never made a raw dessert before, since I don’t own a Vitamix but I made everything in my food processor and it was extremely easy! I suggest adding a vanilla bean to the cheesecakes, it made them even more delicious. Just wondering, if I were to make these into chocolate cheesecakes, how much cocoa powder would you recommend??
Lots of vegan love, and thanks for all you do!!
Caroline
So glad you enjoyed these so much, Caroline! To make these chocolate cheesecakes I might suggest adding melted dairy-free chocolate into the mix! Otherwise, CACAO powder or any dutch process COCOA powder would do! Hope that helps.
Carrie says
I made these for my Valentine. I added a little vanilla and cinnamon to the crust and filling and they were fantastic. I had no trouble with the crust being too sticky or the cheesecakes sticking to the pan (I coated the pan with coconut oil and added the parchment flags). I made half PB and half Blueberry. Will certainly make again! :)
So glad these worked so well! thanks for sharing your experience, Carrie. PB and Blueberry are excellent flavor choices.
Kasha says
I made these last night, but used prunes in the crust. Delicious and very sweet! Thanks for this awesome recipe. I am spreading the word!!
Lee says
Thanks! That was my questions … glad to know it works!!
Jenna says
I’m hoping to make these for a dinner party on the weekend as I have a guest who is gluten & vegan free. I was wondering if you thought lime or lemon zest in the cheesecake filling might be good? I’ve never made anything with soaked cashews before & so am not sure if it would fit with the rest of the flavours or not..
That would be a great addition, Jenna!
amy says
Wow i never thought I’d want to try to make vegan cheesecakes, but you have swayed me with this post!!
They look scrummyyyy!!
RavieNomNoms says
This is amazing! I have to try these ASAP!
Fabienne says
These look vegan cheesecakes are great. I have a question; my stomach can’t handle coconut milk, but I’m not vegan. Could the coconut milk also be replaced with regular milk? Or something else?
Molly says
This would be fantastic with a little acai mixed in with the filling and fresh blackberries on top!
Ooh, great idea! Let me know if you give it a go, Molly!
Tracy | Pale Yellow says
Wow, another fantastic use for the bourbon-caramel sauce! I love three recipes in one!
Sophie says
Oh my gosh, I’m dying. I’m thinking peanut butter chocolate chunk. YASSSS.
UH YES. Agree!
Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says
Oh my gosh! These look so good! Can’t wait to try them :)
sara says
I made these tonight. I also had a problem spreading the crust into the pan without it sticking. I found out after I put the pan in the freezer to let the crust set, it was easy to spread the mixture with no sticking. So if youre having trouble, just stick the pan in the freezer for a few minutes.i havent tasted them yet. Looking forward to that tomorrow. I know what Im having for breakfast! Haha
How’d you like the flavor/texture, Sara!?
sara says
I didn’t care for them. I’ve had some amazing vegan cheesecakes (post punk kitchen and skinny bitch both have amazing recipes), but these didn’t taste like much of anything. I didnt make the caramel sauce so maybe if I did that and the whipped cream they’d be good. Also, the date crust was mushy, not like a regular cheesecake crust. They are healthy so I appreciate that.
sara, thanks for being honest! this is the first vegan cheesecake I’ve tried and I personally loved it. The crust texture was spot on for me. I’ll have to check the sites you mentioned for further reference. In any case, thanks for giving them a shot and sharing your experience! I appreciate it.
Travis says
This is a much better dessert than the coconut ice cream I usually get at the store. I love the simplicity of the ingredients.
I had a little difficulty with the crust sticking to my fingers and cup as I tried to condense it to the bottom of the muffin pan. I had a glass cup that fit inside the muffin tin perfectly, but the batter would stick to the bottom when I compressed the almond/date mixture, and when I tried to get it off with a spoon it was no longer the perfect circular shape.
They came out delicious but just with a little uneven crust on the bottom.
I had a little extra so I put it in cups which is making for an indulgent instant satisfaction in single servings from the freezer. I’ll probably make them crust-less next time to reduce the stickiness hassle and increase the amount of time I can spend enjoying these.
Thanks!
Travis
Travis, next time try putting a cut out circle of parchment paper between the glass cup and the crust. I’ll add that tip to the notes!
Zehava says
Travis, I imagine this would solve your problem: Cut our a circle of parchment paper one and a half inches bigger than the circumference of your glass cup. Fold it around the bottom of your cup. Secure in place with a rubber band.
That’s what I’m going to do.
Thanks, Dana!
Vladyslav says
I have another tip:
I made the walnut/dates dough beforehand, pressed it into a one big ball. And then split into 12 even smaller balls, and just put and spread each one in muffin cups. This way you don’t have to press hard with a glass or a spoon, because you’ve already made a firm dough out of it.
Izy says
THESE ARE SO CUTE!
I am also insanely jealous of the wild blueberries, I’ve never seen them in the UK before. They’re so small, omg I want them ALL.
Also okay now I wanna make this cheesecake so much. I’d seen people make raw vegan cashew cheesecakes before and was all pssshht yeah, sure, like that’s gonna taste like cheesecake. It’s nuts and lemon juice. But girl, I trust your judgement and am gon’ go soak some cashews right NOW.
Wild blueberries are the best! Hope you get your hands on some. Yes, Izy, you need to try cashew cheesecake! You’re going to freak it’s so good. You know I wouldn’t lie! :D
Melissa @ Nourish By Melissa says
these look phenomenal! :)
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says
Can you please fedex these straight to my address in Belgium please?? I will send you Belgian truffles in return! ;P These look fantastic!!
haha, OK! Deal. An even trade.
Amber says
I can’t have dates or walnuts, can I use almonds instead???
Hmm, I would suggest subbing raisins and almonds :D
Amber says
I can’t have raisins either, :(
Lilla says
Oh my oh my!!!! These look looooovely! And I bet they’re delicious, too! Can’t wait to try them – maybe even tomorrow :)))) Love a good recipe like this one.
xxx,
Lilla
Leigh says
Hey Dana! It’s me again. I just got from a baking shopping spree yesterday and decided to do this this morning. My boyfriend was excited as he loves cheesecake but is vegan. The end result is good but I think I can do better next time! One thing is I overprocessed the crust so it ended up being more like raw vegan ball batter than cheesecake crust. Which probably resulted to this other thing – I can’t get it out of the muffin pan!
I used baking sheet as strips. Is it so different from parchment paper? It would tear than pop the cheesecakes out. The butter knife method didn’t work either. :( Any suggestions?
Leigh, hmm, perhaps over-processing the dough was the thing that made them difficult to remove. Sorry you had trouble! Next time, try and process the crust less and then lay parchment paper circles (just cut them out) down in the bottom of the pan to make them easier to pop out. As well, spray the pan with a little nonstick spray so they slide out easier. If you put a butter knife down in the sides and push they should pop out! The only reason I can think this wouldn’t work is that maybe they aren’t all the way frozen yet? Hope that helps! Let me know!
Nina says
I sprinked a little dry grated coconut at the bottom and also used a silicone muffin pan. Very easy to pop them out. Delicious!
Anonymous says
Why 3 out of 5 stars if they’re delicious??
Sarah @ The Woks of Life says
I can’t believe I haven’t found your blog until now. Gorgeous photos. Those cheesecakes look heavenly. Of course, I’m a sucker for any “mini” dessert. Glad to have found your blog!
Thanks Sarah! So glad you found us, too!
Nichol says
Can you make these full size?
Stefanie says
This sounds great! Unfortunately I am fructose intolerant and cannot eat dates. Do you have any suggestions for alternatives?
Erin Yeschin says
I too am fructose intolerant and dates aren’t an option for me either. Any suggestions on a substitute would be greatly appreciated! :)
Tiffany Sonterre says
I just used a graham cracker crust, subbing vegan butter!
Katie | The Surly Housewife says
I love any cheesecake recipe that doesn’t involve a springform pan. Plus everyone loves mini desserts! Well done :)
Kate says
I’ve so missed cheesecake, since I’ve had to go dairy free. Thank you for sharing, can’t wait to make!
xx Kate
Medeja says
They look fantastic! I would like to try all of them :)
Beryl says
I am nowhere near vegan and I really want to make these…
now THAT is a huge compliment. Hope you make these and fall hardcore in (vegan) love.
The Sentimentalist says
You guys are making me want to become a vegan…
At least for this cheesecake! Try it! :D
Meghan says
This looks delicious!! I have a question..think it is a dumb one, but I. Really am confused and I see coconut milk on a lot of recipes,..so here we go
Katy says
Wow, I love these and especially the fact that you can choose different flavours without making an entirely new batch! Cashew based desserts are awesome and they have that wonderful ability to be secretly good for you while not tasting as such.
a cheesecake that’s good for me = magic. Glad you agree, Katy!
Elaine says
Can you use strawberries in this recipe also?
Elaine
Yes, that should work!
Angela @ Happy Fit Mama says
Are you serious???? These looks so insanely good and flippin’ easy! Can you tell I’m a little excited to make these? ;)
Micheline says
AHHHH! I’m in LOVE with this. I’ve seen cashew cheesecakes before but your photos, the parchment tab ideas, and just the entirety of this post really excites me. I must make these.
Yay! Glad I convinced you to give them a shot. Let me know what you think, Micheline!
Alanna says
These are adorable and brilliant, Dana! I LOVE the parchment tabs to get them out of the pans, and all of the flavors sound glorious. Yum! Also, I’m really jealous of whoever got to take the bite out of that last shot. ;)
I hate springforms…so confusing. The tabs made it so easy! Spoiler alert, I got to take the bite on the last shot. Followed by 5 more bites :D
Alanna says
Lucky thing!!
Regina says
I love these little cheesecakes but my muffin tin wouldn’t fit in my tiny freezer so we used an 8″ springform pan and it worked great and looked so elegant. Crisis averted. Even our non vegan friends loved them?
Susan Pantle says
Well, that would be absolutely! Oops!
Hope you like these, Auntie!
Susan Pantle says
Yum, absolutley!
Sayuri @ Vintage Breeze says
This post got me so excited!!
Gorgeous photos, it’s vegan and make everything even better, it’s only 7 ingredients?
I’m so making these soon!!
Thanks for a great post/recipe!!
Have a great weekend!!!
Yay! Glad you like these Sayuri! You can’t go wrong with 7 ingredients, no? Happy weekending!
Mimi @ Culinary Couture says
I want ALLLL the flavors!
Dude me too. I actually put blueberries in the peanut butter ones and then ate them with caramel. BEST CHEESECAKE EVER.
Emma says
That parchment paper tip is great! I love a good raw cheesecake but it’s frustrating when the minis get stuck in the tin.
PB would be my flavour of choice too :D
Nancy says
I’m allergic to coconut any suggestions to replace the coconut milk and oil?
Hmm, I’m not sure how it would affect the flavor and texture, but possibly subbing almond milk would work? And either omitting the coconut oil altogether or subbing it with another neutral oil, such as grapeseed oil….Hope that helps!
Rebekah says
I’m so glad someone asked. I was wondering what the oil was needed for. These look delicious.
Lindsey says
I would assume the coconut oil is needed because it is solid at room temperature. I pretty much only see coconut oil used for freezer baking recipes.
Rebekah says
I didn’t use oil, I never do, and they were delicious.
Louisa says
Or cacao butter. Almond milk and cacao butter works for me when im not using coconut oil :)
Lauren says
So you substituted almond milk for the same amount of coconut oil the recipe requires? I’m in college and want to know if the coconut oil is worth the cost! And I’m not vegan so any substitute is fine with me.
Jennifer says
Thanks for the suggestion! I have long been uncomfortable with coconut oil in cooking because of the saturated fat content. I looked up the difference between cacao and coconut and it is huge! Cacao wins for sure. Going to buy some cacao today.
Lacey says
I would substitute another vegan fat that is solid at room temperature, like palm shortening for the coconut oil. As for the coconut cream, there’s not a perfect non-dairy milk sub, but you could probably either also use the palm shortening or just use another plant milk like almond or soy.
Dusty says
You could use one of the silk creamers.
Kate @Almond Butter Binge says
I love date and nut crusts! It’s crazy that something that looks that cheese-laden would be vegan — and paleo and gluten-free, if I’m reading that right. Thanks for sharing!
Yes! Should check all three of those boxes. Crazy, right? And so good!
Stacey Hoffman says
This recipes looks amazing. My husband is allergic to most nuts, except cashews. Is there anything I could use the sub the almonds/walnuts for the crust?
Yes! Oats :D
Nai says
Great! I had the same questions! Do you use raw oats or do you have to cook them first? *cook noob ;) *
Trudy says
I believe raw.
Bianca Solomita says
Definitely raw oats ! Maybe combine that with a little coconut oil or agave nectar or maybe butter if you they have it vegan. I’m not even vegan but was just looking around here and saw this recipe it looks amazing I’m gonna try it !
janelle says
Froothie tv have a nut free cheesecake .its delicious.
Abbie @ Needs Salt says
These little cheesecakes look amazing! So elegant and pretty. I love them!
(I’d definitely go for blueberry. Or blueberry + caramel! mmm.)
Pinned!
Blueberry + caramel = magic. Happy cheesecaking, Abbie!
Roisin says
hi there,
for the coconut milk..is it coconut milk from a tin(the one thats used in curries)..or is it the milk in a carton.?
Can!
But I should clarify, both will work – but the can is better :D
Natalie says
Would it be the same if you used coconut cream can instead of coconut milk?
Thanks
Yes!
Kayla says
Can i use coconut cream instead of coconut milk?
Yes!
Kim @ Hungry Healthy Girl says
I totally believe you that these are wonderful….. I just recently made a vegan cheesecake with a nut/date based crust and it is one of my favorite recipes on my blog. It’s amazing what you can do with cashews. I love your trick with the parchment tabs. I will definitely be trying that.
cashews really are gold. More recipes featuring them coming soon!
Evelina says
Hi Dana! I couldn’t find a way to post a comment on a mobile version, so will just reply here. Do you think refrigerating these lovely cheesecakes overnight would be OK too? My freezer is not that great, I’m afraid it might ruin them.
comfort says
this looks and sounds like its gonna be a festival in your mouth but as i am allergic to nuts do you have a suggestion to replace the nuts with. thanks
Maybe you could try subbing a raw seed, such as sunflower? Otherwise, I’d recommend doubling up on coconut milk and upping the oil a little. Good luck!
Cherie says
Hi Dana,
Do you have to use full fat coconut milk or can you use the lite version?
Thank you
Maryea {happy healthy mama} says
Very excited to try these! I love the simplicity here.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
I loooove when recipes are so good you just can’t wait to share! These little cheesecakes look awesome!
Megan - The Emotional Baker says
These are so neat! I’ve made a vegan cheesecake before, but I baked it. It’ll be fun to give these mini ones a try :)
f. says
WOW, just WOW :D you made my day!!
Lily (A Rhubarb Rhapsody) says
I believe you, these really do look completely yummy! I’m hanging out for the blueberry one. I love that these have readily available ingredients and so few of them too! Accessible and healthy, sounds good to me!
Avi Strauss says
We loved that you made this in personal sizes. And you can refreeze for another date. Any cupcake tray would work?
J says
It’s a great idea! But you could also make them directly into a small mason jar, I think. I’ve done this with pies, and it works very well.
livvy says
Any tray would work hehe ! ;) xD
Moniq says
Hi Dana!
I’m in love with your recipes & food pics!! And would love to try this vegan cheesecake ASAP. The major problem is, I have a very small & full freezer, no way I can fit the muffin thin in there. So, can I bake them instead? If yes, on what temperature? and how long?
Louisa says
Just chill them in your refrigerator, you will have a messsss if you try to bake them, those ingredients will not set better if you heat them, they will seperate. Chill them in your fridge for 4-6 hrs instead. :)
Moniq says
Hi Louisa,
I thought I have replied to you much earlier, but apparently not yet and I just realized it now after someone else (Alhy) posted her reply below. So.. Thank you for your tips as well! :)
Alhy says
I made these in a muffin tin before but today I decided it would be cute to put them in paper muffin cups. Super cute and solves the space thing in my opinion. The paper cups took up less space in my freezer than the tray did. Plus I don’t have to worry about trying to get them out of the tray. Also my advice is to bleed the almonds/walnuts for the crust BEFORE the dates as the dates stick so they leave stuff on the blender. So blend nuts first then dates, then blend them together as stated in recipe.
Moniq says
Hi Alhy,
Thank you for sharing the tips! I will definitely try it! :)
Jenny says
Omg thanks Dana for your delish vegan cheesecakes totally your very clever
MARY RYAN says
I made the cheesecake with cashew cheese spread instead of cashews and came out with a tangier cheescake