Today, I turn 28.
Of the many things I’ve learned I realize the bulk of those lessons have come in the last couple of years.
I’ve learned to trust my instincts and be OK with the unconventional. I’ve learned the importance of doing what I love even if it feels silly. I’ve grown to love food photography even more than I did when we first started this blog. I’ve learned that running a food blog with your spouse can not only be fun but also ridiculously fulfilling. I’ve learned I still love cake and pancakes and simplicity and saying “hubba, hubba,” and probably always will.
Enough about me. This space is about you guys, really. I love to cook and take photos of the things I make and then share them with you all. That is what makes me supremely happy – the best birthday gift ever.
To celebrate all of these wonderful things, I made you cheesecakes. Peanut Butter Cup 9-ingredient vegan cheesecakes that scream simplicity: No springform pans, no water baths, no baking (besides the 5-minute crust). Just pure chocolate-peanut butter goodness that even the amateur cook can master.
If you have the ability to blend and pour, you can make these little bites of heaven. All you need is 30 minutes and a muffin tin and you’re golden.
Yes, oreo cookies are vegan! I think it was the universe’s way of saying “vegans can have fun, too.”
This crust is the only part of the recipe that requires baking (5 minutes) and it’s optional. I just prefer a bit more firm crust. But if you’re OK with more crumbly, leave the oven off for today.
The filling? Simple.
Soaked cashews
Salted peanut butter
Lemon
Maple syrup
Coconut milk (or another non-dairy milk)
Coconut oil
The 2-ingredient chocolate ganache? That’s optional (but oh so recommended).
Swirly McTwirly and you have a masterpiece on your hands. The only thing left to do is top these beauties with a chopped mini dark chocolate peanut butter cup. Hubba, hubba.
These cheesecakes are near perfection. They’re
Creamy
Sexy
Peanut buttery
Perfectly sweet
Infused with dark chocolate
Sealed with an oreo crust
Loaded with PB Cup flavor
Seriously satisfying
& Perfect for parties and celebrations
While I do keep health in mind most days, birthdays are my excuse to go all out (hence these cheesecakes). These may not be health food but they are a smarter dessert with (mostly) healthy fats, lots of protein, and portion control built in. Happy birthday to me.
If you make these cheesecakes, do me a favor? Take your ooey-est, gooey-est photo and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram! It literally makes my day to see what you guys are cooking up.
Virtual hugs from me to you. Cheers!
No-Bake Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecakes
Ingredients
CRUST
- 10 ounces crushed Oreo cookies (find GF varieties in select stores, such as Trader Joe’s)
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil (or sub melted or vegan butter)
FILLING
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked in water 4-6 hours then drained)
- 1 large lemon* (juiced)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil (melted)
- 2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk (see instructions for note)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup or agave nectar (or honey if not vegan)
- 1/3 cup salted natural peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
CHOCOLAGE GANACHE SWIRL
- 3/4 cup dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips
- 3 Tbsp full-fat coconut milk (warmed to a simmer)
TOPPINGS
- 18 mini dark chocolate PB Cups (vegan-friendly // chopped)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and blitz Oreos in a food processor until a fine meal remains. Add melted coconut oil (or vegan butter) and pulse once more.
- Cut 12 small strips of parchment paper (or use paper liners // adjust amount if altering batch size) and place them in a standard, 12-slot muffin tin. One at a time, hold down a strip in the center of the tin, add 1 generous spoonful of crust mixture, then use a small cup or your spoon to pack it down as evenly as possible. I like using a small glass because it packs it in really tightly and gets the top flat. Continue until all tins are filled and no crust remains.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Then remove and set aside to cool.
- NOTE: 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.
- Add drained cashews, lemon juice, coconut oil, coconut milk, maple syrup and peanut butter to a blender and process until very smooth and creamy – about 3-4 minutes – scraping down sides as needed. You need to make sure you get it really smooth with no small pieces or you’ll taste them in the final result. If your mixture is too thick, add a bit more coconut milk or oil to get it going. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Pour evenly into muffin tins on top of crust and gently top on counter to remove air bubbles.
- Prepare ganache by bringing smaller measurement of coconut milk (3 Tbsp as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) to a simmer in the microwave (30 seconds) or on the stove top in a small saucepan. Place the chocolate chips in a small mixing bowl and pour the coconut milk on top. DON’T touch for 3 minutes so it has a chance to warm the chips. Then stir gently until smooth. Microwave or set over a double boiler briefly if the chips didn’t fully melt.
- Spoon 1/2 Tbsp amounts of ganache over the cheesecakes and swirl with a toothpick or knife.
- Sprinkle 3/4 of the peanut butter cups on top of the cheesecakes and press down slightly.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze until firm – at least 3 hours.
- To remove from muffin tin, simply pull on tabs at the same time and the cheesecakes should release. Otherwise, use a butter knife to pop them out. Serve immediately frozen or let soften for 10-15 minutes.
- Top with any remaining ganache (reheated), chopped peanut butter cups and/or coconut whipped cream.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Kristin says
Hi! I’m making this for the first time and I wanted to shortcut the cashew soaking time. Your Roasted Beet Salad with Vegan “Goat Cheese” recipe gives two options, one in which you can soak the cashews in boiling water for 20-30 minutes instead of cold water overnight. I ALWAYS use the boiling water method to save time. Would that work for this too or will the hot water mess up the texture?
Hey Kristin! The boiling water method should work! Just make sure to strain the cashews after soaking! Hope this helps. xo
Abby says
Hi! These look phenomenal! I want to make this in a 6 inch spring form pan and was wondering is I should make the whole filling recipe or halve it? I already used a crust I usually make so I only need the filling. Just wondering if you think the entire filling would be too much for a 6 inch spring form. Can’t wait to try it! Thank you :)
Hi Abby, we think the entire amount would be good! We’d recommend baking the crust in a springform pan, then chill, pour in the filling, and freeze to set. Then let set out at room temp 30 minutes before serving. Hope this helps!
Trisha says
I have a coconut allergy what do you recommend for oil & milk substitution?
Thank you
Hi Trisha, for the coconut milk, you could try cashew cream, or just add more cashews. And for the coconut oil, vegan butter. Hope that helps!
Kristi Gladd says
Oreos are not vegan….they have milk as a cross contact. But they are suitable for vegetarians.
Abby says
Some vegans who aren’t allergic to milk don’t mind cross contamination bc no animals were actually harmed to make the product. So cross contamination isn’t really hurting anyone for that specific product. Most vegans consider Oreos to be vegan. If you applied fhag rule then you wouldn’t even be able to buy any vegan product if the company processes non vegan items too. It’s too strict and unnecessary for most ppl. If you don’t wanna eat them then that’s fine but it’s not fair to label them off limits bc of that.
Georgia says
THIS RECIPE IS EVERYTHING! Thank you so much for providing a vegan friendly dessert that is crowd pleasing for all, and so easy to make. I’ve always shyed away from making vegan desserts because of all the ingredients, but was able to whip this up with majority of household things. Tasty, naturally sweet and just delectable.
Can’t wait to make them again.
* I bought flavour free organic coconut oil (by mistake) so never had an overpowering coconut flavour. Had exactly the flavour of peanut butter and chocolate.
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Georgia!
Stephani @ In Fine Fettle says
These are absolutely delicious and addictive! I ran out of time, so decided not to do the ganache on top and I don’t think they needed it. They’re delicious even without it. Next time I make these I may try an almond flour crust. Nothing wrong with the Oreos (they are so so good!) but made the recipe quite a bit sweeter, so I’m curious how it will be with a different crust. I am gluten-free and used Glutino Oreo-style cookies and they worked perfectly.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Stephani! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Melissa Shannon says
I made this exactly as written and we LOVED it. You could definitely taste the coconut over anything else but we love coconut so it was perfect. Your recipes are always a hit. Thank you!!
Meaghann says
I wanted to leave a review because I made a couple of adjustments I didn’t see any other reviewer make and I think it could be helpful for others! I did one normal sized cheesecake and since I didn’t have any oreos on hand, I just did a graham cracker crust (10 graham crackers, 7 TBS melted vegan butter, 3 TBS brown sugar, blitzed in a food processor); I used the same exact recipe for the filling and it was phenomenal. I used all of the chocolate ganache and spread evenly with a knife over the top to get a marbling effect. I did use LITE coconut milk for both the filling AND the ganache and it tasted phenomenal, I was worried it wouldn’t work as well as full fat (I didn’t have full fat on hand and the stores were closed). I did not do any other topping. I froze overnight and served for christmas, letting it thaw for 10 minutes to cut. 10/10, everyone LOVED it. This was the best cashew cheesecake ever.
Great idea, Meaghann! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Amanda says
Hi Dana! This recipe looks amazing! I would love to make this using a mini cupcake tray as I was making this for a party and wanted smaller pass-around sized desserts. Would this be possible? If so, what would you recommend to adjust.
Thanks!
Xx
We think that would work well! Can’t think of any adjustments other than maybe making a smaller batch or using multiple trays. Let us know if you give it a try!
Melissa Swan says
I followed the recipe as written and it was incredible. We are not a vegan family, but my daughter has a dairy allergy and I’ve been trying to find a treat that the whole family loves. This was perfect. We will definitely make it again! Thanks so much!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Melissa. We are so glad your family enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Rachel says
Another cheesecake hit! I made this today and it was delicious – really creamy and peanut buttery without being too sweet. I made a few modifications based on reading previous reviews and my own personal taste – I added less sweetener (I used honey, about 1/4 cup), added more peanut butter (1/2 cup) and swapped the crust with the one from MB’s Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake which used dates and walnuts/oats (which I made before and was awesome!).
This recipe is one I’ll definitely make again. :) Thanks for the great recipes!
Yay! Great idea, Rachel! So glad you enjoyed it! xo
Emmy says
They are delicious and easy! This recipe did make more crust then I needed so it would reduce that some. Also I would cut back on the lemon juice next time and add a bit more peanut butter. The no bake was so easy and made a yummy vegan cheesecake. Great texture and decadent!
Ciara says
I made these the other day because, since I have become vegan, I haven’t had anything remotely similar to cheesecake (which is a dessert I love). I was impressed by the peanut butter cheesecake part – while not being exactly like cheesecake it was “cheesecakey” enough and delicious. I used vegetable oil in place of coconut oil in the filling and vegan butter to replace the coconut oil in the crust. It worked very well. I also used agave as my liquid sweetener. My filling, after reaching room temperature, held its shape perfectly.
The crust and ganache worked well, but I found the combination of all three elements to be far too sweet and rich. This is obviously due to personal preference. Next time I think I might try leaving off the ganache or changing out the oreo crust for graham cracker crust and simply applying less of the ganache. If you are one to love intensely rich, decadent, and sweet desserts, I wouldn’t recommend changing anything, as each element was great on its own.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It was very fun to make. I look forward to playing around with it to fit my own taste preferences.
meeshy-keen says
OMG. If you’re debating making these—make ’em! I recently had friends over for dinner and needed to make a dessert that was vegan for one friend, gluten-free for another friend, and CHEESECAKE for a third friend. I subbed Glutino cookies for the Oreos, and this was a smash hit that everyone could enjoy. Definitely a “special occasion” treat as they’re pretty rich and a bit time consuming… but they were so worth it. Thanks, Dana, for this awesome recipe!
Anahita says
Hi,
Do we use the oreo cookies with the filling or the filling needs to be scraped out before making the crust?
No need to scrape it out! You can use the entire cookie, including the filling. Hope that helps!
Eliza says
This looks beautiful! I’m obsessed with peanut butter, and cheesecake, but sadly for me I’m a little bit lactose intolerant. I’ve been worried that if I make a vegan cheesecake it won’t be as creamy and cheesy as the cheesecakes I love, so I was wondering how do you make this one taste cheesy?
Fawn says
I wish there were a way to post a picture! I made this and their absolutely delicious and beautiful :) I’m always posting on Fb and sharing your recipe with everyone I know! Thank you :)
Hi Fawn! If you post your photo on Instagram and use the hashtag #MinimalistBaker, we’d love to check it out!
Taylor says
The filling tasted like lemony maple syrup with almost no peanut butter flavor. I continued to try and tinker to address it but it was really inedible. I couldn’t detect a cheesecake flavor or a peanut butter flavor from the ingredients. It tasted nothing like the “Creamy, Sexy, Peanut butter, Perfectly sweet” recipe advertised. The rate the recipe feature is malfunctioning so it is stuck at 5 stars. Unfortunately, this was a true 1 star for me.
Hi Taylor! We’re sorry to hear that you didn’t have success with this recipe. Did you change any of the ingredients by chance? Additionally, we will take a look at the recipe rating feature but if you could let us know what browser and device you were commenting from, that would be really helpful. We’ll do our best to help!
Taylor Dockter says
I followed the recipe exactly, double-checked measurements, and everything was fresh. I tried serving it to friends and no one guessed it was supposed to be a peanut butter cheesecake until I explained. Unprompted they too said it tasted mostly like lemon juice and/or maple syrup. My original review was done on an Apple through safari.
Catalina says
I’ve made these countless times but I wanted to make a full-sized one instead of a bunch of mini ones this time & was wondering if there any adjustments that I would need to make? Do you think it’ll come out just as well?
Hi Catalina! You totally could! We’d recommend just baking the crust in a pie or springform pan, then chill, pour in the filling and freeze to set. Then let set out at room temp 30 minutes before serving! Hope this helps!
Caitlin says
I made these for my daughter’s 4th birthday party yesterday and everyone loved them but am commenting because I had a few leftover today and my sister in law was craving a milkshake so I threw them into the blender with about a cup of califa toasted almond coconut milk and the result is insanely delicious!
Kylee says
How many cookies is 10 ounces? Hoping someone sees this as I want to make it for Christmas in a few days! Also, I have family that doesn’t like the taste of coconut oil. Can I use melted earth balance instead? or would tipple refined coconut oil be the same? supposedly this doesn’t have as strong of a taste.
AC says
Hi! Can this be made with a blender rather than food processor do you think? Thanks!
Melissa Stouffer says
Words cannot describe how delicious these are.
Lucy says
It tastes like coconut. Overwhelmingly coconut. Which is quite foul when combined with maple, chocolate and peanut butter. Everyone who tried it said the crust was amazing, the ganache was the best. But the filling….I was asked to never make the awful coconut filling again.
Kim says
Sounds delicious, but is says ‘no bake’ but you have to bake! LOL
eleonora says
Hi! Your recipe looks gorgeous! Can you please translate it in grams? Thanks :)
samantha says
This recipe looks SO good. I’m wanting to make this for a vegan potluck I’ve been invited to but was curious as to which brand of peanut butter cups you used since Reeses aren’t vegan and I don’t know of any company’s that sell vegan peanut butter cups (without making them myself which would be a bonus to avoid ;)
Moira says
Due to cross contact with milk at the plant, even Oreos company says they are not suitable for vegans. :( Plus, we need to know if the sugar was processed with bone char to make it white. Disgusting but true. To stay vegan, only buy goods with organic sugar or a sweetener other than granulated or cane sugar, even some brown sugars.
Suzie says
Making this today but had to comment…
Just wanted to put it out there that unless an Oreo packet explicitly states it was “made on shared equipment with (which it won’t) or may contain milk”, Oreos do NOT contain or have any cross contamination with milk at all. My son is beyond anaphylaxis with both milk and eggs, and he eats Oreos on a daily basis. His allergy is so incredibly high that if I drink coffee with milk, don’t wash, and then kiss him later he will react. When he was little (diagnosed at 8mos now 7) I called the company constantly and was told the same by everyone I spoke to – if there is ever a chance of cross contamination they will call it out in the label. Oreos are made on a milk free line & are safe for vegans. As any trace of milk would cause my son to react, I completely back them up.
Jazmyn says
do you think the taste would be similar with almond butter <3
Maia Hayden says
These were so so delicious! Perfectly creamy and peanut-buttery. Plus, I love that there’s no added sugar! Amazing!!
A huge fan! says
Hi!
This is a delicious recipe! I made it for the adult option for dessert at my son’s birthday party. It was a HUGE hit! My husband, also a vegan, has a theory that if you call something “vegan cheese” or “vegan bacon”, that non-vegans will already have a built-in bias against it and judge it harsher than if you didn’t call the dish what it is supposed to replace. So… we didn’t call these “chesecakes” but called them “PB and chocolate tarts”. Who knows if that actually makes a difference… although, he is a recovering sales person so he might be on to something.
I did make one modification because my family can’t do oreos. I used the crust from this recipe:
https://minimalistbaker.com/7-ingredient-vegan-cheesecakes/
and added cacao nibs once the nuts and dates had been mixed to form the crust. I believe I added 2-3 T of nibs. I don’t think you can go wrong with more. It didn’t change the consistency or stickiness of the mixture. The result was a gluten free crust with this crunchy little chocolate-y nib surprise.
I got many recipe requests for this and will be making it again for the upcoming Holiday season!
Thanks so much for your brilliance!!!
ULLI says
HI, thank you so much, it was sooooooooo delicious, fantastic recipe!
Michelle frank says
Hey Dana,
It’s Michelle again, never mind about this as I just read it needs to be in freezer. I need to travel 180 miles with it! I’ll find another recipe In Your book or on your website. This looks yummy and will make it when she comes to visit!
Thanks again!
Michelle
Michelle frank says
Hey Dana!
Love everything you make! Do you think this would be okay to make as a cake in a spring form pan? I need to make a vegan gluten free birthday cake for my daughter.
Thanks!
Hugs and chocolate,
Michelle
Christine says
I really want to try this but I’m allergic to cashews :( what’s a good alternative?
See our FAQ for help!
Jo says
Just made these, now in the freezer. Only disappointment is that I ended up looking at the comments afterwards and realised these are to be served Frozen…… not so impressed since I was making it for my vegan step dad.. now he can’t take them home with him …. cheesecake is not ice cream cake FYI ..
Jo says
I take it back .. so sorry for my rude comment. They actually kept their shape once thawed. And it was very delicious . Definitely tasted and looks like cheesecake. Thanks for the recipe .
Rebecca says
Hi – I made these last night and they taste great, mixture seemed right… put them in the freezer for way longer than 3 hours, came out looking good/firm. But once they thawed, they went right back to being the same consistency as when blended, i.e. not firm. So again, they taste great, and fortunately I made them in cup liners so you can eat them out of the liner, but what happened with the setting? I was really careful with measuring the ingredients and in fact made 2 batches and they both came out that way. Any tips? I’d like to make these again, but get them to set this time. More cashews in the mix I guess? P.S. Didn’t get any grittiness or anything, all the rest worked really well.
This recipe needs to stay frozen to keep its shape. To eat, let thaw, but then put right back in the freezer or they will lose their form!
Yvette says
Hi, just found this recipe and am keen to try it out for the weekend’s dinner guests. Do I use a whole Oreo cookie with the white filling in it or can you get them without? Thanks!
Use the whole oreo!
Maryssa says
Oh no I grabbed double stuffed by mistake! Lol hope they still turn out good. ?
Kathleen says
I have two possibly silly questions:
1. Is the coconut flavor very prominent? While I love the flavor, my husband does not.
2. I have made desserts with soaked/blended cashews before but it always remains a little “gritty” no matter how long I blend it. Is there a trick I’m missing to make it more smooth or do I just need a better blender?
1) It’s semi prominent, but not overpowering.
2) It sounds like you need a better blender! If they’re soaked, they should blend with the right quantity of liquid and a good blender! See my favorite blender here.
Hannah says
Oh my gosh these are the best things I’ve ever eaten. My husband now begs me to make them whenever there is any occasion. I didn’t change a thing from the recipe, and they turned out just perfect.
Christine says
What brand of peanut butter cups?!
Erinn says
I made my own with dark chocolate, I’ve never seen dark chocolate Reese’s.
Sam says
I love this recipe. The cashews really even out the overwhelming taste of the peanut butter. I had a hard time swirling the ganache- any suggestions?
Red says
Melt the chocolate a bit longer or add a little bit more milk, that should help :)
Sam says
Thanks! I’ll try that next time!
Kelsea says
Hi! Just wondering if you’ve experimented with dates rather than syrups as sweeteners at all? Looks so great. ?
I haven’t, but it’s worth a try! Let me know if you do, Kelsea!