The classic flavors of tangy cheesecake and fresh ripe strawberries marry together perfectly in these 10-ingredient, vegan, gluten-free bars! We were inspired to make a berry cheesecake bar for summer to highlight juicy, ripe berries, and these definitely hit the spot! We went for a baked cheesecake in order to achieve that quintessential cheesecake flavor and texture. Did we mention they’re kinda perfect? Let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake
It starts with our easy oat-almond crust, which is reminiscent of a graham cracker crust and slightly modified from our fan-favorite Creamy Vegan Lemon Bars (GF).
Rolled oats and almonds are blended with a little salt and transformed into a moldable dough with the additions of maple syrup and coconut oil.
Next, we make a strawberry purée to concentrate the sweet strawberry flavor without adding too much moisture.
The strawberry purée goes over the crust and is swirled into the creamy cashew-coconut filling for maximum strawberry flavor in every bite. Swoon!
Lastly, it goes into the oven to give it a classic cheesecake flavor and texture.
We hope you LOVE this strawberry cheesecake! It’s:
Creamy
Bright
Sweet
Fresh
Fruity
& Classic!
It’s the perfect dessert for summer gatherings and celebrations, wedding or baby showers, birthdays, and beyond! It would also be delicious with other fruits, especially other berries.
Into Cheesecake? Try These Next:
- Apple Butter Cheesecake Bars (Vegan/GF)
- No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecakes
- Easy Baked Cheesecake (Vegan + GF)
- White Chocolate Lemon Cheesecake (Vegan + GF)
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!
Strawberry Cheesecake Bars (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 cup rolled oats (gluten-free certified as needed)
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 4-5 Tbsp refined coconut oil, melted
STRAWBERRY PURÉE
- 4 heaping cups super ripe strawberries, hulled and quartered (1 ½ lbs yields 4 heaping cups)
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup coconut cream (from a can — our favorite is Savoy)
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 ½ Tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C) and line an 8 x 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- CRUST: Add oats, almonds, and salt to a high-speed blender and blend on high until everything resembles a fine meal.
- Transfer oat mixture to a medium mixing bowl. Add maple syrup and the lesser amount of coconut oil. Stir to combine. The mixture should hold together when squeezed in your hand. If too dry, add the extra coconut oil. Place the crust into the lined 8-inch pan and spread evenly. Place parchment on top and press the dough into your pan using a flat-bottomed object, such as a drinking glass, to distribute firmly and evenly.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the corners are golden and the center of the crust is pale and dry to the touch. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- STRAWBERRY PURÉE: While your crust bakes, rinse your blender and prepare the strawberry purée. Place the strawberries, maple syrup, and arrowroot or cornstarch into the blender and blend until you achieve a smooth purée.
- Transfer strawberry purée to a medium saucepan and heat on medium. Cook, stirring constantly, for 20-25 minutes, until it’s thick, slightly reduced, and darkened in color. Once reduced, you should have ~1 ½ cups (355 ml) of thickened purée (adjust if altering number of servings). Turn off the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- CHEESECAKE FILLING: While your purée and crust are cooling, rinse your blender once more and make your cheesecake batter. Add raw cashews, coconut cream, lemon juice, arrowroot or cornstarch, salt, maple syrup, and vanilla (optional) to the blender. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust flavor, adding more lemon for zing or maple syrup for sweetness.
- Start layering! Add about 1 cup (237 ml // adjust if altering number of servings) of the strawberry purée as your first layer on top of your crust and smooth with a spatula to distribute evenly, ensuring you have about 1/2 cup of purée left to decorate the top of your cheesecake. Now gently pour all of the cheesecake batter on top of the strawberry purée. Gently tap the dish on the counter a few times to remove air bubbles from the cheesecake layer. Lastly, dollop tablespoon-sized scoops of the remaining strawberry purée on top of the cheesecake layer and use the back of a knife or a toothpick to swirl.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes until the edges are slightly brown and the center is still slightly jiggly, but solid.
- Cover loosely with a towel or parchment paper and place in the refrigerator to chill for 6-8 hours or, preferably, overnight. After chilling, the top should have a glossy texture and turn whiter in color.
- To serve, gently lift the cheesecake out of the pan and cut into 16 equally sized squares. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the lesser amount of coconut oil and without optional ingredients.
Melissa Frost says
WOW Friends, This was a total hit today for my Mother’s Day Brunch. I didn’t know what to make, so I jumped on this website for ideas and the minimalist totally delivered!! It was excellent and all the company said I had made a gourmet meal and it was better than going out to eat. The Strawberry Cheesecake bars are perfect and light and delicious. The tantalizing blend between sweet and zesty (from the lemons) reels peoples tastebuds right in. I started last night with washing the strawberries and reducing them down to the dark red jam like consistency. Getting that step out of the way, really helped my morning. Today, I did the crust and the “creamCheese,” and baked it to perfection. I think I went a little light on the arrowroot powder as the strawberry jam did not “jell” quite enough. The flavor was so outstanding that nobody cared about the squares not being really “square” and strawberry goo was leaking out everywhere. Next time, I will add a bit more of the arrowroot. Loved it very much!!
We’re so glad these bars were a hit at your brunch, Melissa! Thank you for sharing your experience! xoxo
Angela says
Super delicious dessert that my nonvegan friends loved. Used frozen strawberries instead of fresh.
Reduced the puree for 20 minutes according to the recipe but didn’t account for the extra liquid that would come from frozen berries. Next time would defrost the strawberries first and drain them, or reduce for a longer time. Fortunately the cheesecake still set nicely, still able to cut them into bars.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience and for the lovely review, Angela!
Ajit says
I would like to make it with sugar free option – may be stevia
Hi Ajit, what brand of stevia are you hoping to use? If it’s a liquid that’s intended as a 1-1 substitute, it could work (though the flavor will be different). If it’s a powder or a concentrated liquid, you might need more coconut oil in the crust to help with binding and a little water in the filling if it’s too thick. Results will vary, but it could be okay!
Liz says
I am wondering if anyone has tried making this without the maple syrup?
Any sugar substitute suggestions?
thanks!
Hi Liz, we think a sugar-free syrup that’s intended as a 1-1 maple syrup replacement could work, but we haven’t tested it!
Mumsie H says
Does this freeze successfully?
Yes, it does freeze well. Enjoy! xo
Adrienne says
Hi! These look AMAZING!!! But it says prep time is 7 hrs … that’s quite a commitment. Is that (hopefully) a typo?
Hi Adrienne, most of the prep time is just letting them sit in the refrigerator. Active prep time is less than 1 hour. Hope that helps!
prashanthi atluri says
Looks very yummy. Can this be made oil free?
Hi, you could possibly try nut butter in the crust! It won’t crisp up as nicely, but might be okay.
Julia says
Made these for a friend’s baby shower and they turned out really well. A perfect summery treat. Will definitely make again.
Yay! We’re so glad they were a success. Thank you for sharing, Julia! xo
Brittney says
I was certain during each of the 3 steps that I botched this recipe- the crust seemed too soft, the strawberry purée didn’t thicken enough and I didn’t have quite enough coconut cream but somehow they turned out perfectly delicious and they were a hit at a cookout with a meat eating crowd. I’m so impressed with how tasty these are. Did not have an 8×8 pan so I used two bread pans and cut 8 squares from each and then each square into triangles for 16 little bite size pieces. Thank you, thank you for the great recipe, will definitely make this one again!
We’re so glad the end result turned out well! Thank you for sharing your experience, Brittney! xo
Mariana says
You think I could replace almonds with brazil nuts?
I have store bought unsalted/unroasted cashew (Costco), you suggest I use as is or soak them?
Ty 😊
Hi Mariana, We think the flavor would be too strong with all brazil nuts, but you could probably replace up to 1/4-1/2 of the almonds with brazil nuts. No need to soak the cashews :) Enjoy!
Elena Usdenski says
My daughter has a cashew allergy. Would there be a nother nut I can substitute for it?
Hi Elena, Unfortunately this recipe relies pretty heavily on cashews for the filling to work, but you could try adding in some vegan cream cheese (at least 1 cup) for creaminess, though we aren’t positive how it will bake. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Korrina says
I am also allergic to cashews and am very curious to see what other solutions might be thought of…
Rachael says
Could I use a 9in springform pan to make this as a regular cheesecake?
Hi Rachael, that should work well!
Alyssa Dickey says
So I’m not a very experienced baker, and especially vegan baking. I generally am scared away when it’s a recipe in a recipe type scenario but I really wanted to try a vegan gf cheesecake to bring to my in laws for Easter. So here we go! I know my ability so I went with a ready to go GF graham crust. The rest of the recipe I followed exactly, with the exception that strawberries are not in season so I used frozen black cherries instead. I did not have a coconut cream, so I used coconut whipping cream, but scooped out only the fatty part at the top and left the water in the can. I baked for 50 minutes and presoaked my cashews for an hour. I had to add a few extra tables spoons of the coconut water to my blender as it was struggling a bit.
This came out of the oven looking like something I bought from my local GF bakery. Have not tried it yet so I hope it tasted ask good as it looks. I am going to freeze it and bring it with us to dinner in 6 days. I had to give it 4 stars because we have not tried it yet but I’m sure it will taste good :)
Steph says
It´s delicious!!!!! I just baked too long so it was more a caramel color. Still very good.
Thanks for sharing, Steph! Glad you enjoyed!
Kirstin says
I made this for two stubborn non-vegans and it was a total hit!!! For anyone who has trouble finding coconut cream, I used coconut whipping cream (canned) and it turned out great. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Kirstin! xo
Jen Beddia says
I am out of almonds but have almond flour. Can you substitute and is it 1:1?
Hi Jen! We haven’t tried this with almond flour and we think the crust might end up being too tender… if you try it we suggest completing step 2 with just the oats, then add the almond flour in with the maple and oil in step 3. You might need a bit more flour to get the crust to the right texture. Let us know how it goes!
Jen says
These look amazing and I want to make for memorial Day. However I JUST got ur cookbook and see the no-bake strawberry cheesecake bars which are similar. Which do you prefer????
Hi Jen, The cookbook version is easier to make and this version is more of a classic cheesecake texture. You can’t go wrong with either!
Renee says
Hi can you use frozen berries, and csn you use mixed berries instead of strawberries?
Hi Renee! We haven’t tried this with frozen mixed berries so we aren’t sure if it would work. You would most likely want to thaw and drain the berries so there is no excess liquid. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Amber says
I’ve used frozen blueberries. I dumped them right into my vitamix. they worked perfectly. I didn’t thaw or drain them. Great taste too, but I prefer the strawberries if I had to choose, but frozen berries work just fine.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing your experience, Amber!
Phil says
Most of your filling/frosting/cheesecake recipes require soaking the cashews. Does it make a difference for this recipe to soak vs not?
Hi Phil, We have found that if our raw cashews are fairly fresh they don’t need to be soaked before blending for this recipe. Let us know what you think if you give it a try! xo
victoria says
I don’t like coconut, can I use something else? some vegan greek yogurt would work instead?
Hi Victoria! The coconut milk is important because it is firm texture when refrigerated and it also has a high fat content that makes the cheesecake bars taste rich and authentic. Yogurt might work, but we haven’t tried it so we can’t guarantee results! Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Cierra says
Hello! I have a 9 inch baking pan *it’s the only one closet to 8×8 that I have* would that work or would I need to modify some things? ty!
Hi Cierra, that should be fine! We’d just suggest baking the crust for slightly less time. Hope you love it!
Fotini says
Even though it takes a little time and a lot of washing as you go the recipe itself is very tasty ! I was afraid the cheescake part would taste a little weird because i used white vinegar instead of lemon juice but you couldnt taste a thing by the time it baked ,definetly recommend making this
Yay! Thanks for sharing your modifications, Fotini, so glad you enjoyed these!
Daphne says
This was so delicious, awesome recipe!
Woohoo! Thanks so much, Daphne. So glad you enjoyed!
Melinda L Sanz says
To make the crust, can quick oats instead of rolled oats?
Hi Melinda, we haven’t tried with quick oats, but think it should be okay. You may need to use slightly less of them as they’ll be more absorbent. Let us know how it goes!
Melinda Sanz says
Ok. Thanks for your reply.
Also, can walnuts be substituted for the almonds to make the crust? I have a bag of walnuts at home and do not want to have to purchase almonds unnecessarily.
Walnuts should work! You may want to reduce the oil in the crust to ~3 Tbsp, since walnuts are usually more naturally oily than almonds. Let us know how it goes!
Melinda L Sanz says
I’ll try it. Thanks.
Natalie says
So so so good! I’ve made this a few times now and it’s freezer friendly!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Natalie! Thank you for sharing your experience with freezing it too! xoxo
Hannah Lovell says
I made these after seeing them on Erin Ireland’s IG story, and they are amazing. Thank you for another delicious MB recipe.
Awesome! Thanks so much for the review, Hannah! We are so glad you enjoyed! xo
Bryony says
Hi, these look amazing!
If I was making this recipe ahead of time for an event, is it best to bake, portion and then freeze?
Or do I freeze unbaked?
If anyone has trialled this I’d love to know! :)
Hi Bryony! We haven’t tried this, but we think it would be best to freeze after baking and then thaw before serving.. the crust might be a bit less firm but it should work!
Shelby says
Amazing cheesecake! The lemon juice really gives it that “cheesecakey” flavour. I had almond flour, so I used that instead. I will be making this again soon.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them, Shelby! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Aud M.P. says
I loved this! It doesn’t really compare to the specific flavor of dairy cheesecake, but it is a delicious dessert in its own with a wonderful fluffy creamy texture. my husband described it as a creamy almond butter and jelly. I only could find salted cooked cashews, so I rinsed and soaked them before use and I think they turned out just as well. I wanted to eat it sooner than 6 hours ( because I’m impatient) so I added a little extra cornstarch threw it in the freezer, and the strawberry purée set perfectly. I wish I could post a picture because they were so pretty as well!
Wonderful! So glad you enjoy them! Thank you for sharing your experience and modifications!
Anna C says
These are amazing!!! Followed the recipe as it is. I stewed the strawberries probably for over 30 minutes. I did not realize that we had to blend the dry ingredients for the crust first then add the oil. I blended it altogether and it was hard on the blender but it turned out great. I needed way more lemon for the cream cheese. I look forward to making another fruit variation with this. It takes an evening in the kitchen but well worth it! :-D
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Anna! Thank you for sharing your experience!
Leanne says
These cheesecake bars are really delicious – even my non-vegan husband liked them. My only problem is that the recipe called for using too many dishes/pans so there was lots of clean up time. That’s why I only rated them 4*’s.
I modified the recipe and used fresh blueberry puree, which worked well. However, I think it then required less baking time. I baked the cheesecake 50 min. which was probably 5 – 10 min too long. To compensate for the over baked and slightly dry cheesecake filling, I topped each slice with a dollop of coconut whipped cream. I’ll try it again with strawberries and watch the cook time more diligently.
Thanks so much for the review and for sharing your experience, Leanne! xo
Kate says
Love these! Made them for the fourth! Turned out perfect. So yummy.
Thank you so much for the recipe.
Woohoo! We love to hear this. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Kate! xo
Maxine says
Are the cashews supposed to be soaked before blending? Thanks
Hi Maxine! We have found that if our raw cashews are fairly fresh they don’t need to be soaked before blending for this recipe. Let us know what you think if you give it a try! xo
Allie says
Mine didn’t turn out as pretty as your picture, but they sure are frickin fantastic!
Woohoo! Thanks for the review, Allie, we’re so glad you enjoyed! xo
Wendy says
The vegan cheesecake layer was excellent! The strawberry layer, however, was disappointing in looks. It never set completely ( I cooked it for 24 minutes and it seemed the right consistency at that point) but it turned a pinkish red color. I bought organic strawberries, used cornstarch and maple syrup. Any ideas? The dessert tasted pretty good overall but not the appearance. Your recipes are always so perfect 😀that I don’t hesitate to try something even for company. But this has not made it on the make again list.
Hi Wendy! So sorry this didn’t turn out exactly how you wanted. Did you chill the cheesecake for at least 6 hours after baking? We find that chilling overnight is ideal and changes the finished look. We’ve had success with arrowroot and cornstarch, but perhaps you could try with arrowroot next time to see if it thickens better? Regardless, we’re grateful for your review! Maybe next time you could try our Easy Baked Cheesecake or our Apple Butter Cheesecake Bars instead! xo
Alicia says
Another delicious recipe! I made these for a block party, and could not believe how good they were (and no one guessed they were vegan)! I let mine set in the refrigerator overnight, and the strawberry puree layer was still a bit runny in the morning; next time I might try setting them in the freezer. Can’t wait for an excuse to make these again!
Woohoo! We love to hear this. Thanks for the lovely review, Alicia, we’re glad everyone enjoyed! xo
Sam says
Love so many of your recipes! These weren’t a favorite of ours, though. They look so beautiful, though we all found them to taste just okay. The strawberry flavor seemed lacking/muted after all the cooking and baking. Maybe we would enjoy it more with a fresher strawberry sauce on a cheesecake bar. Not something we would make again.
Oh no! Sorry these didn’t turn out to be your favorite, Sam. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Stacey says
Hello! It’s a bit early to tell, but I think I may have done something wrong and I wondered if you maybe would recognize what that is. When I poured the “cheesecake” mixture over the strawberry purée, it sank to the bottom while mostly the purée remained on top. My guess is that I didn’t thicken the purée enough? I baked it anyway and it’s currently chilling so we will see how it tastes tomorrow. It still smells delicious so I’m hoping it is edible, haha. I love to bake, but I don’t bake with fruits nearly enough so the purée step was a bit foreign to me, but the rest of the recipe was super easy to follow! I appreciate any feedback you can give!
Hmm, we’re not sure! It is possible that the puree didn’t get thickened enough but hopefully it sets up nicely! If it was thick enough it should matter too much if it moved around. Let us know what you think when you give it a taste! xo
Kim says
I was wondering if it makes a difference if the coconut oil is refined or not.
Hi Kim! Refined or unrefined coconut oil will work perfectly here. xo
renée I.A. mercuri says
I increased the quantity to 20 bars and made this as a round cake in an 11-inch spring form pan as an extra blow out the candles cake for my son’s 10th birthday (we had a rainbow pride cake for our celebration with family). I also made about 2.5 times the strawberry purée so I could have some left for people to spoon on top individual cheesecake servings. This vegan cheesecake was exceptional and a huge hit. Everyone raved about it. Will make it again in flavours such as blueberry, raspberry, blackberry and peach (depending on what is in season!). Thank you for this glorious recipe…
Amaziiing! We love to hear this. Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Renée! We’re so glad it was enjoyed by all! Let us know how it goes when you try it with other fruit, too! :)
Yael says
Hi dear Danna
I thank you for that delicious recipe.
I made it with a few modifications.
1. I substituted oat with GF flower
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup Casava flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
2.instead of strawberries, I used frozen blueberries, which allowed to skip the cooking.
3. I used raw walnuts butter with the coconut oil.
Bottom line
Super delicious.
Wonderful! We’re so glad they turned out well, Yael. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Bianca says
I was thinking of making these but am wondering how you think j frozen strawberries would work for this instead of fresh! Thanks so much it looks amazing and I can’t wait to try!
Hi Bianca, You can use the same amount of frozen strawberries, but we’d suggest thawing them most of the way and draining excess liquid (thawing in a colander over a bowl) before blending. Can’t wait for you to try it! xo
Yael says
Hello and thank you so much for the world of wonder foods you create, displayed in mouth watering photos.
I have a question
What can sub oats?
Thanks for your great work
Yael
Hi Yael, thank you so much for your kind words! We haven’t tried it but you could possibly substitute our DIY gluten free flour blend in place of the oats here (blend the almonds on their own and them mix everything in a bowl). It might not be as tender but it should work! Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Kirby says
Hi! So I haaaate the taste of maple syrup. Could I sub agave or honey? Any other suggestions? Also your dessert came out gorgeous. Maybe I can get the same result! :)
Agave should work well! Let us know how it goes =)
Anastasiia Rezaytinov says
Do I need to soak cashews? Or dry raw cashews needed?
Thank you
Hi Anastasia, If using a powerful blender, we don’t find it necessary. Otherwise, we’d suggest soaking.
Shenoa says
This looks so good! Can you please tell me if there’s something other than oats I could use?
Hi Shenoa, We haven’t tried it but you could possibly substitute our DIY gluten free flour blend in place of the oats here (blend the almonds on their own and them mix everything in a bowl). It might not be as tender but it should work! Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Penny says
Maybe a silly question but is it one and a half cups of whole strawberries or one and half of of strawberries already hulled and quartered?
Hi Penny, after slicing =) Hope you love them!
Lisa says
Hi! Do the cashews need to be soaked at all first? Thank you! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Hi Lisa! We’ve found that we don’t need to soak the raw cashews for this recipe, yay! Let us know what you think when you give it a go! xo
Tia says
Hi there,
Would frozen strawberries work for this recipe (would you replace with the same amount)?
Thank you so much, the recipe looks great! Can’t wait to try it
Hi Tia! You can use the same amount of frozen strawberries, but we’d suggest thawing them most of the way and draining excess liquid (thawing in a colander over a bowl) before blending. Can’t wait for you to try it! xo
Kate says
These took me a looong time to make (I should’ve read through the recipe in its entirety before I started it at 9pm, lol – learn from my mistake) but they were SO WORTH IT! I finally got to taste-test these bars this morning, and omg, I will never miss dairy cheesecake again. I can’t wait to make these again (for a special occasion, not on a random Tuesday night)! :) 🍓
We’re so glad they were worth the effort, Kate! Thank you so much for sharing! xoxo
Ashleigh Ah Chee says
Good morning! Very keen to try these but minimal strawberries in AUS at the moment, chances frozen strawberries will work as a replacement?
Thank you!
Hi Ashleigh! You can use frozen strawberries, but we’d suggest thawing them most of the way and draining excess liquid (thawing in a colander over a bowl) before blending. xo
Katie says
Hi I’m new to vegan baking. I was wondering if the cashews had to be raw in order for the cheesecake to turn out right.
Thanks
Hi Katie! For the right flavor the cashews should be raw and unsalted for this recipe. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Taylor Yaba says
My strawberry purée ended up tasting soured.. what could cause this? I thought I followed directions exactly and I let them cool for 10 hours.
Oh no! So sorry this didn’t work out for you, Taylor. We’re not sure what might have caused this, unless something in your mixture was past it’s best by date? (we’ve found that starches and nuts can cause strange flavors if they’re old!)
The strawberries do add a bit of tartness, but shouldn’t taste off. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Chantal says
These look amazing! Would frozen strawberries work?
Thanks :)
Hi Chantal! You can use frozen strawberries, but we’d suggest thawing them most of the way and draining excess liquid (thawing in a colander over a bowl) before blending. xo
Katie Sooy says
I’m allergic to nuts, what can I use to replace the almonds and cashews?
Hi Katie! For the crust you could try substituting a 1/2 & 1/2 mixture of gluten-free oat flour and our DIY gluten free flour blend, though we haven’t tried it. Or sunflower seed meal may be a good option? We’re not sure! Unfortunately this recipe relies pretty heavily on cashews for the filling to work, but you could try adding in some vegan cream cheese (at least 1 cup) for creaminess, though we aren’t positive how it will bake. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Lauren Schoenfeld says
For the crust I can’t have oats or almonds – can you offer any subs ??
Hi Lauren! If you can do coconut, you could try doing 1/2-1 cup of coconut flour and 1 cup of our DIY gluten free flour blend (or a similar gf blend). We haven’t tried this, it will probably bake faster and it might not be as tender but it could work! Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
TS says
Hi, is there any substitute for oats? We can’t have oats here..
Thanks
Hi there! We haven’t tried it but you could possibly substitute our DIY gluten free flour blend in place of the oats here (blend the almonds on their own and them mix everything in a bowl). It might not be as tender but it should work! Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
TS says
Thanks for the reply but we can’t use the GF flour blend as we can’t have rice either..any other suggestions? Thanks
Hmm, in that case, you could maybe use more almonds instead (but it will be more soft), or perhaps your favorite GF grain flour? Hope that helps!
Jillian says
Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Could it be made with frozen berries?
Hi Jillian! You can use frozen strawberries, but we’d suggest thawing them most of the way and draining excess liquid (thawing in a colander over a bowl) before blending. xo
Tony says
This looks great! Could I use blueberries instead of strawberries?
Hi Tony! Yumm, we think blueberries would work nicely here! Just make sure you keep an eye on the fruit puree as it cooks on the stove as blueberries may reduce faster than strawberries. We’d love to know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Sofia says
I just made this recipe with blueberries as that’s all I had on hand and I confirm that they work very well! I often make your recipes and have never taken the time to write a review, but Dana, your food is truly perfection. My family and I have loved everything that I’ve made so far, from pancakes to muffins to moussaka (my personal favourite). I even made the sausage links last night and *chef’s kiss*. Thank you for your creations. I look forward to the next Minimalist Baker email in my inbox and will try to rate and review future recipes more often.
Aw, we really appreciate it, Sofia. We’re so glad you enjoy the recipes! Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review! xo
Tricia says
Absolutely delicious!
Since I didn’t have enough almonds for the base I used about 1/4 of walnuts and 3/4 cup of almonds. I also added a small amount of rose water to the strawberry puree.
When my rhubarb is ready I look forward to making a strawberry/rhubarb version.
Ooo yum! Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Tricia!
Grace says
I made mine with 1 cup of strawberries and 3 cups of blueberries since I had some homegrown strawberries and lots of store bought blueberries. I definitely didn’t reduce the puree enough (I only did about 20 minutes so it was my fault, not the fruit) so my final cheesecake came out more mixed together than yours in the pictures but the puree still came out delicious. It obvious has a much deeper purple color but the replacement worked well for me!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing your experience, Grace!
Joanna says
So excited to make this! Is there a sub for refined coconut oil? All I have is unrefined :(
Hi Joanna, unrefined works here! It just adds a little more coconut flavor. Otherwise, vegan butter might work.
Tracy says
Does it taste strongly of coconut from the coconut cream? It looks so delicious! Would love to try it if the coconut doesn’t overpower the other flavors.
Hi Tracy! We don’t find that the coconut flavor is too much here, but you could possibly add in ~1/2 cup of vegan cream cheese (like in our easy baked cheesecake) if you’re worried about it being too much! xo
Crystal says
What might be a good substitute for the almonds?
Hi Crystal! We haven’t tried this crust without almonds but you could possibly substitute our DIY gluten free flour blend, though it might bake faster and the result might not be as tender. Alternatively, you could try something like walnut or hazelnut meal. Or if you have a nut allergy, sunflower seeds meal may be a good option? Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Kate says
Hi :) any advice on turning this nut-free? Could I use soya cream or -yogurt instead of anything nut-based (coconut is fine). I just don’t want to use all coconut as the flavor is quite distinct and I think would overpower the flavor of the strawberries.
Thanks in advance!
Hi Kate! For the crust, you could try omitting the almonds and just using oats, but we haven’t tried it and it probably won’t be as tender. For the filling, surprisingly it doesn’t taste much like coconut (to us!) but adding in some vegan cream cheese could possibly work to balance flavors. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!