This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
These strawberry cheesecake bars taste as good as they look.
Featuring a creamy dairy-free filling made from cashews, these bars are a delicious source of fiber, protein, and healthy fats, and are more satiating than traditional cheesecake. They’re also relatively quick to prepare, requiring just a blender or food processor to create each layer, plus a small saucepan for the final strawberry swirl topping.
These colorful and fruity bars would make the perfect addition to a Fourth of July party this week, but make sure to keep them chilled for the best texture. They will become quite soft if left at room temperature for too long!
—
No-Bake Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars (Paleo)
Makes one 9-inch square pan
Ingredients:
Date Crust:
1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves
8 soft dates, pitted
1 tablespoon coconut oil
Pinch of sea salt
Cheesecake Filling:
2 cups raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours and drained (or 1 cup raw cashew butter)
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
Strawberry Sauce:
1 cup diced strawberries
3 tablespoons maple syrup
Directions:
Line an 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. To prepare the crust, process the walnuts in the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an “S” blade until a fine, crumbly meal is formed. Add in the dates, coconut oil and salt, and process again until a sticky dough is formed. Press the dough into the bottom of the baking dish, and place it in the freezer to set.
To prepare the cheesecake filling, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender, and blend until the filling is completely smooth. You may have to stop and scrape down the blender several times to get a smooth result. Adjust any flavors to taste, then pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top with a spatula.
To prepare the strawberry sauce, combine the strawberries and maple syrup in the blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a small saucepan, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to bubble for several minutes, until it has thickened and has a syrup-like texture.
To create the swirl-effect, spoon the strawberry syrup into horizontal lines across the cheesecake, then drag a clean knife through the filling and topping in a perpendicular direction. Drag the knife back and forth, from top to bottom, several times until the syrup is swirled enough to your liking. Place in the freezer to set until firm, at least 6 hours.
Remove the pan from the freezer and grab the parchment paper to easily remove the cheesecake. Use a sharp knife to slice the bars, and feel free to cut off the curved edges to create perfect serving squares. (I like to use the edges as taste-testing pieces.) Return the bars to the freezer until ready to serve, and keep them chilled in a sealed container for best texture.
They should keep in the freezer for at least a month, if you don’t eat them all before then.
Ingredients
Date Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves
- 8 soft dates , pitted
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- Pinch of sea salt
Cheesecake Filling:
- 2 cups cashews , soaked for 2 hours and drained (or 1 cup cashew butter)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
Strawberry Sauce:
- 1 cup diced strawberries
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Line an 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. To prepare the crust, process the walnuts in the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade until a fine, crumbly meal is formed. Add in the dates, coconut oil and salt, and process again until a sticky dough is formed. Press the dough into the bottom of the baking dish, and place it in the freezer to set.
- To prepare the cheesecake filling, combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or high-speed blender, and blend until the filling is completely smooth. You may have to stop and scrape down the blender several times to get a smooth result. Adjust any flavors to taste, then pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top with a spatula.
- To prepare the strawberry sauce, combine the strawberries and maple syrup in the blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a small saucepan, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to bubble for several minutes, until it has thickened and has a syrup-like texture.
- To create the swirl-effect, spoon the strawberry syrup into horizontal lines across the cheesecake, then drag a clean knife through the filling and topping in a perpendicular direction. Drag the knife back and forth, from top to bottom, several times until the syrup is swirled enough to your liking. Place in the freezer to set until firm, at least 6 hours.
- Remove the pan from the freezer and grab the parchment paper to easily remove the cheesecake. Use a sharp knife to slice the bars, and feel free to cut off the curved edges to create perfect serving squares. (I like to use the edges as taste-testing pieces.) Return the bars to the freezer until ready to serve, and keep them chilled in a sealed container for best texture.
- They should keep in the freezer for at least a month, if you don't eat them all before then.
Nutrition
Notes:
- If you don’t care for cashews, I’ve tried making this cheesecake with macadamia nuts with success, as well, but keep in mind that the cheesecake will taste like whatever nut you use. (The other cheesecake definitely tasted like macadamia nuts!) Cashews have the most mild flavor, particularly when soaked in water ahead of time, so that’s why I recommend using them in this recipe– particularly raw cashews, as roasted ones have a more pronounced flavor.
- Feel free to substitute any other nut in the crust that you like.
- I’m sure this topping would work well with any other fresh fruit, so feel free to create any flavor combination that you like! Frozen strawberries would also probably work, as long as they are thawed and drained first. (Or cooked down for longer.)
- You can make the cheesecake filling vegan by using maple syrup instead of honey.
Enjoy!
—
Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite cheesecake flavor?
Have made this recipe several times and everyone always loves it. Made it recently with passion fruit as the topping and it was amazing as well. Made it again a few days later. I mean you have to when you have some extra sauce right!?!
Thanks for sharing, Jaleen. The passion fruit topping sounds delicious, too!
Excellent! Made it for a dinner full of non-vegans. They all liked it.
This recipe is amazingly deliciously. I was impatient and only left it in the freezer for 3 hours until I did a taste test and it was great! Thank you for the recipe!
Loved the chocolate cheesecake recipe (fabulous cut into small squares and eaten frozen!) but didn’t care for this recipe. Found the walnut crust very overpowering so would substitute a nut with a less distinctive flavour.