Cheesecake can feel like an undertaking, but not anymore! These 5-minute, no-bake vegan cheesecake cups solve your cheesecake challenges – all of the flavor, none of the waiting!
Layered with crushed granola, a creamy cashew cheesecake filling, and fresh berries, these parfaits are not only adorable, but perfectly sweet and oh-so delicious! Swap in your favorite seasonal fruit to enjoy this naturally sweetened dessert year round! Just 7 ingredients and 1 blender required. Let’s make cheesecake cups!
How to Make Vegan Cheesecake Cups
First things first: our cheesecake cups need a “crust”! To keep things quick and easy (a.k.a. the best way!) the first layer is a base of granola optionally blended up into a crumb texture. Nearly any kind of granola will do, or you can use crushed graham crackers for a more indulgent result!
Then it’s time for the star of the show: the “cheese”cake filling! A base of raw cashews combine with maple syrup, coconut yogurt, lemon juice, and salt for a creamy, tangy, perfectly sweet result. Just blend ’em up and vegan cheesecake cup dreams will come true. Cheesy peasy!
Lastly, the sweet-tart “cheese” tops the granola “crust” followed by fresh fruit in what critics are calling “the most delightful dessert of 2023 (so far)”. You heard it here first, friends. You can chill the cups before serving, or jump right in!
We hope you LOVE these cheesecake cups! They’re:
Creamy
Perfectly sweet
Tangy
Quick & easy
Wholesome
& SO delicious!
As adorable as they are delicious, they’d be perfect for birthdays, baby showers, brunch, and beyond!
More Fan-Favorite Vegan Cheesecake Recipes
- Easy Baked Cheesecake (Vegan + GF)
- No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecakes
- White Chocolate Lemon Cheesecake (Vegan + GF)
- Vegan Snickers Cheesecake
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
No-Bake Vegan Cheesecake Cups (5 Minutes!)
Ingredients
CHEESECAKE
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews
- 3/4 cup plain, unsweetened coconut yogurt (or store-bought // we like Culina, Cocojune, and Coyo)
- 6 Tbsp maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice (1 lemon yields ~3 Tbsp juice)
- 1/8 heaped tsp sea salt
TOPPING
- 1 heaping cup granola of choice (homemade or store-bought // we used our Super Chunky Coconut Granola // or sub graham crackers)
- Berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc. // or other fresh fruit, chopped into bite-sized pieces – mango, pineapple, peaches, pears, etc.)
Instructions
- Optional (for more of a cheesecake texture vs. a parfait): Place the granola in a high-speed blender and pulse until the granola resembles graham cracker crumbs (graham crackers would also be delicious in this recipe!).
- Add ~3 tablespoons granola or granola crumbs to the bottom of each of your small jars or glasses (we used 6 oz glasses). Rinse your blender if necessary.
- To a high-speed blender, add all of the cheesecake ingredients (cashews, coconut yogurt, maple syrup, lemon juice, and salt) and blend on high for about 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides and underneath the blades as needed, until smooth.
- To assemble your cheesecake cups, top the granola layer in each jar/glass with ~1/3 cup of the cheesecake mixture, and then top the cheesecake mixture with fruit.
- Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving! Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. If frozen, let thaw for 25-30 minutes before enjoying.
Alicia says
Can I use Greek yogurt as a sub for the coconut yogurt? Or do you have another recommendation for cutting down the high fat content? Hoping to make this recipe this weekend!
Yes, we think that would work beautifully!
Rumy says
I can’t believe this recipe has only 16 reviews! It is so easy to make and so delicious!
The cashews don’t even need to be soaked first and the base can be made from any kind of cookies or granola.
My family’s favorite and even my daughter’s across the pond.
Please make and review it,such an ingenious creation needs a boost on reviews.
Aw, thank you for adding your lovely review, Rumy! We’re so glad you and your family enjoy the recipe! xoxo
Laura Vroonen says
I made these last night for an early Christmas dinner with friends. I soaked the cashews while prepping the other ingredients and forming the base layer (I used biscuits instead of granola). I did not get the mixture completely smooth, because my blender is not that powerful but it still tasted great. A very easy and delicious dessert.
Lovely! Thank you for sharing your experience, Laura! xo
Bea says
Has anyone made this with roasted cashews, and did they work just as well? Raw cashews have a bit of an after taste in “non-dairy” desserts.
Hi Bea, we’re not sure if roasted would work! Another idea would be to soak the cashews to minimize their flavor. That being said, we don’t notice any aftertaste in this one!
Pam says
I’ve made this 10 times at least. I double the recipe and put it in a 8×8 pan. It’s great for breakfast or dessert. Thanks for this amazing recipe!
It’s a favorite to make for guests.
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Pam. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Teresa says
Do you need to soak the cashews?
Nope, no need to soak them for this recipe!
Caelin says
Hey friends! If you don’t have a powerful blender, I would recommend soaking – I just burnt out the motor of my nutribullet trying to blend these cashews without a soak. Whoops!
Michelle says
I’m wanting to make a full-sized cheesecake. This looks like it would work, but would you do 1-1/2 times the recipe or double for an 8″ cheesecake pan?
Hi Michelle, we’d say you can’t go wrong with either! Just depends how tall you want it to be :)
Christina says
Fantastic recipe! I made it as written, and my family loves it! Thanks!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Christina! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Zopi says
This is my all time favourite summer dessert. It’s creamy, satisfying and insanely delicious. I add a dash of cinnamon and a bit of vanilla extract for extra flavour and top up with strawberries and blueberries. Love that I can make this in just about 5 min. Thanks for such a genius recipe.
I reckon this would also go well with mangoes instead of berries.
Ooo, yes! Mangoes would be delicious too. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Linda says
Hi. Any suggestions to replace cashews due to nut allergy? Thank you!
Hi Linda, Cashews are pretty key in this one! The next best option would be macadamia nuts, but they won’t be as smooth and creamy and of course aren’t nut-free. We aren’t sure of a nut-free option.
Jaime Tollefson says
I’ve made this a few times now and find it so satisfying and you can’t beat that 5 minute timeframe. I ran out of berries so used chocolate chips as a topping which was excellent. I also ran out of maple syrup and used a combo of 1 tblsp Maple syrup, 2 tblsp brown sugar (homemade with organic cane sugar and molasses of course) and 1 tblsp honey. I actually liked this flavor combo better! The only drawback is this gave me pretty raucous bloating and gas. I feel like it’s because the cashews aren’t soaked before hand but it could have also been the yogurt. I used Cocoyo which I had never tried before but definitely tasted excellent. Also this batch makes quite a lot which is easy just split into two servings in taller glasses but it is extremely filling.
Hi Jaime, thank you for sharing your experience and glad you enjoy it overall! If enjoying the full batch as just two servings (vs. 6), that could definitely be contributing to those symptoms because that would be a pretty high sugar/fat content for one sitting. Hope that helps!
Pam says
Tonight, I made this for my daughter who cannot have gluten or dairy and she really liked it. I only used three tablespoons of sugar free pancake syrup which was just sweet enough. I will make it again. Thank you for the recipe.
We’re so glad she enjoyed it! Thank you for the lovely review, Pam! xo
Natalie says
This is delicious. Reminds me of key lime pie filling. Yum!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Natalie! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Nancy derhammer says
Why can’t I use regular cashews instead of raw
Hi Nancy, do you mean roasted cashews? We’re not sure what you mean by regular. We think the flavor of roasted would be too strong, but it might work!
Jacqueline Ridley says
I made this Saturday night for our movie night dessert. It was soooo easy and delicious. I was wondering if I could blend frozen or fresh berries into the creamy mixture. Do you think that would work? This is a keeper! Thank you for all your recipes!
Hi Jacqueline, we’re so glad you enjoyed them! We think that could work, you might need to add a bit less liquid to start!
kerubo says
I made the recipe and it was a hit in my home, they all wanted more.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Stacey says
I’m wondering, would Meyer lemons work in this recipe?
Thank you!
Love, love, love your recipes!
Hi Stacey, if you like the flavor of Meyer lemons, they should work! The cheesecake just won’t be as tangy. Thanks so much for the kind words and support!
Mia w says
Update: I made The granola and the cheesecake & its delicious but I felt it was overly sweet with the super crunchy granola. Would reducing the cheesecake filling to 3 tbs be ok even for unsweetened coconut yogurt? I’m just not used to that heavy of a sweetener I guess. Again…delicious and I ate The whole cup. I can’t wait to make it again. I did Use sprouts vegan coconut unsweetened yogurt.
Hi Mia! We’re so glad you enjoyed them overall! You could lower the amount of maple syrup in the cheesecake cups to make them less sweet or lower the sweetener in the granola next time! If the cheesecake base has trouble blending with less maple syrup you could add a little bit of water to make up for it!
Mia w says
I just made this tonight along with your home made granola. The cheesecake filling is absolutely delicious. Although I liked the super granola chunky, after I pulsed it in the food processor, the texture of it was just ok to me. I’m sure it will be fine after the cheesecake cups cool. I’m going to work out at the gym right now & come back and eat one. I shouldve Kept reading because I probably Did about 2 Tbs on the bottom vs 3 but I can Always add an additional with the blueberries on top. I am so in love with this recipe. Thank you.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Mia. We are so glad you’re enjoying them!
Tracy says
Delicious! I made three of these, my husband and I each ate one, and then I was so disappointed to discover that he had eaten the extra one the following day before I could get to it! That is a strong testimonial. Question for you: I wanted to share with a friend, but she has to avoid lemon juice for a unique health reason. . . . . . I’ve read about substitutions, but she cannot eat anything that is acidic. Do you know of anything that could be substituted and still taste good? (one article suggested celery juice, cream of tartar, white wine).
Hi Tracy, we love to hear that you and your husband enjoyed these so much! The lemon juice is what makes these taste like “cheesecake”, so a substitute will certainly have a different result. One idea is using coconut (or another) yogurt to add some tart flavor? Let us know if you try anything!
Roxanne says
I followed the recipe to the T. Omg! It is so good! I have a ninja blender and it blended the cashews so creamy with all the other ingredients. My son just tasted it and he said it taste surprising like cheesecake. I love this recipe and will keep making it.
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Roxanne. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Janet says
Oh my goodness! I could not believe how yummy this dessert was for such little effort. So glad I tried this recipe as it is going to be my “go to dessert” in future. Thanks for sending to me.
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Janet. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Marie says
Hi! Tried your vegan cheesecake with your homemade granola and blueberries. As I live in France, cashews are very expensive, so I tried with almonds. Result delicious in taste, but messy in look: cocnut yoghurt with lemon juice got watery. So next time i shall use 2 gr agar-agar cooked in 1 tsp water (2-3 min) and pour it in the blender before mixing. It wil give a better texture to my vegan cheese and keep the granola crunchy a longer time. Many thanks for all your delicious recipes!
Marie
Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your experience, Marie! Unfortunately almonds don’t get creamy enough for this recipe.
Katy says
Made this tonight exactly as instructed. Can’t wait to try it on company!!
Yay! We love to hear it. Thanks so much, Katy!
Shannon Palmer says
Absolutely fab receipe!!! So easy to make and had them whipped up in no time.
Took 2 down to our neighbors and they also thought they were great. My fussy 18 yo daughter was not keen on trying but one spoonful and the rest was demolished.
Definitely try this one!!
Love it! Thanks for the wonderful review, Shannon!
Trish says
Delicious! Since my coconut yogurt was sweetened, I dropped down the maple syrup to 3 Tbs. Such a yummy treat when craving cheesecake.
Woohoo! Thanks for the lovely review, Trish!
Monica says
That’s a great tip-I’m running into the same issue. I will reduce the maple
Netsanet says
Quick, easy and delicious recipe. I sprinkled grated dark chocolate on the top and used grapes, blueberries and raspberries. I was glad that I used a low sugar granola as the cashew cream is sweet. Thank you!!
Yum! Thanks for the great review, Netsanet!
Katie says
I love this recipe! It is so easy and absolutely delicious! I have made your cheesecake tart with the cinnamon apples at least 5 times! This version is simpler which I love!!! I did grind up the granola a bit, and I have to say that I love that tip.
Your website is without a doubt my favorite online recipe resource. I make at least one of your recipes weekly! Thank you so much for putting out so many wonderful, healthy, and easy recipes!
We love to hear this! Thanks so much for the support and the wonderful review, Katie. We appreciate you! xo
Lourdes Colon says
Hi. Don’t I have to leave the cashews in water overnight? Thank you.
Nope! Not for this recipe.
Dalatias says
At the top of the recipe it says “Freezer Friendly: No”; but at the bottom (Step #5) it says the cheesecake cup can be frozen for up to 1 month. I assume the top of the recipe page needs to be corrected to match the info at the bottom.
Hi, Thanks for pointing out the error! They actually can be frozen (without the fruit). The texture will be more like ice cream from frozen, or you can thaw before enjoying!
Lourdes says
Hi!! This recipe sounds amazing and easy to do but I would like to know a substitute for the crust ingredient. I don’t like granola and don’t have graham cookies. Thank you.
Hi Lourdes, you could try grinding candied nuts, however, we have found the granola tastes just like a graham cracker crust!
Stephanie says
Could you use regular plain greek yogurt instead? Or would that change the texture too much?
Hi Stephanie, we think it might work, but we haven’t tested it ourselves! Let us know if you give it a try!
Tina says
What do you recommend to replace coconut yogurt, I don’t like coconut? I love kite hill almond yogurt, would that work?
Hi Tina! Another vegan yogurt might work, but just know it won’t be as decadent and you may want to start with less sweetener since other dairy-free yogurts tend to have added sweeteners. Let us know if you try it!
Deanne says
Love your recipes!
Question: Would another kind of yogurt work? My area doesn’t carry coconut yogurt. I have almond yogurt-would that work?
Hi Deanne, The richness and thickness of coconut yogurt gives it an indulgent “cheesecake” vibe. You could try coconut cream + a little extra lemon juice, but we haven’t tested it that way. Or another vegan yogurt might work, but just know it won’t be as decadent and you may want to start with less sweetener since other dairy-free yogurts tend to have added sweeteners. Let us know if you try it!
Wendy says
Is it just the regular cashews or do you have to soak them first?
Regular cashews. No need to soak them for this recipe!
Kate says
Would any vegan yogurt do, or does the coconut do something different to the texture? I like coconut generally, but just not a fan of coconut yogurt. I’m thinking Kite Hill almond yogurt?
Hi Kate, the coconut yogurt is rich and thick, which is best for an indulgent “cheesecake” vibe. You could try coconut cream + a little extra lemon juice, but we haven’t tested it that way. Or another vegan yogurt might work, but just know it won’t be as decadent and you may want to start with less sweetener as almond yogurt tends to be sweeter. Hope that helps!
Marisa says
Could I use coconut cream instead of yogurt? I want to make this for my anniversary today, but we don’t have yogurt. I’ve been hankering for some quick and easy vegan cheesecake!!
Hi Marisa, Happy anniversary! We haven’t tested it that way, but it might work! We’d suggest adding a little extra lemon juice for tanginess. Let us know if you try it!
ka says
Hi there! This sounds AMAZING, but it’s very difficult to find plant-based yogurt where I live :-( Would there be any other ingredient I could use instead of yogurt? Thanks for your wonderful recipes! ^_^
Thank you for your kind words! Maybe try subbing coconut cream + a little extra lemon juice for tanginess? Let us know how it goes if you try it!
Sue says
Hi;
Want to try this, but do we need to soak the cashews?
Thanks
No need to soak the cashews for this recipe, actually! Yay!
Anne says
I can’t wait to make these!!! Yummy!! Can you tell me where you got the cups you put them in!? I’m obsessed with those too!!
Yay! We’re excited for you to make them! We can’t remember where these ones are from. Maybe Crate & Barrel?