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This Vegan Cheesecake is surprisingly creamy, thanks to a blended cashew filling that’s packed with a sneaky serving of vegetables. When served straight from the freezer, it has a texture remarkably similar to the real thing!
How to Make a Vegan Cheesecake
Cashews give this filling its signature creaminess, but the real secret is the hidden veggie that’s also inside– zucchini!
When you peel the zucchini, it doesn’t impact the overall color of your dairy-free cheesecake, but it does improve the texture. It adds moisture and fiber, and makes the cheesecake remarkably authentic when you serve it right from the freezer.
How to Make the Vegan Crust
I like to use a date-based crust for this cheesecake, paired with a buttery nut like pecans or walnuts. When you throw them together in a food processor, they form a sticky crust that you can easily press into the bottom of a springform pan.
To make the creamy filling, I like to break down the cashews in a blender first, then add in the other ingredients and blend until smooth. When you use a high-speed blender, you can even skip the soaking process and still wind up with a silky-smooth result.
You can use a 7-inch pan for a thicker cheesecake, as pictured here, or use a 9-inch pan for a thinner cheesecake. Either way works! The thinner cheesecake will firm up faster, and the thicker one will need more time in the freezer to set.
How to Sweeten this Cashew Cheesecake
I typically like to use I use a mix of natural sweeteners for a more neutral flavor and color. I use a combination of agave nectar and maple syrup to keep this recipe vegan, but you can use honey instead of the agave if you don’t need this to be 100% vegan friendly.
This no-bake cashew cheesecake is best served straight from the freezer, because it will melt relatively quickly if you leave it at room temperature for too long. You can store it tightly sealed in the freezer for up to 3 months, so I hope you’ll enjoy it!
No-Bake Vegan Cheesecake (Soy-Free!)
Ingredients
Cashew Cheesecake Filling
- 2 cups raw cashews , soaked in water for 2 hours
- 1 cup zucchini , peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/3 cup agave nectar (or honey, if not vegan)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
Crust
- 6 Medjool dates , pitted
- 1.5 cups pecan halves (or walnuts)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil , melted
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Lightly grease a springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal. I used a 7-inch pan in the photos here, but a 9-inch works also for a thinner cheesecake.
- Prepare the crust: Add the dates to a food processor fitted with an "S" blade, and process until they are broken down a bit. Add in the pecans, oil, salt, and maple syrup and process until the mixture is sticky. (Be careful not to over-process, or the nuts will release excess oil and the batter will be oily.) Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the lined pan, then place it in the freezer to set while you make the filling.
- Prepare the filling: Drain the cashews and place them in a high speed blender. Blend until they are finely ground, then add in the zucchini, lemon juice, honey, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt, and blend again until very smooth. (You may need to stop and scrape the blender a couple times to make sure everything gets incorporated.)
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the crust and smooth the top. Place the cheesecake in the freezer to set until firm, about 4 to 6 hours. (The thicker your cheesecake layer, the longer it will take to set.)
- Serve the cheesecake directly from the freezer for a firm texture, or you can let it soften in the fridge for an hour beforehand to soften it up a bit. I recommend cutting small slices, as they are very rich!
- This cheesecake will melt if you leave it sitting at room temperature for too long, so I recommend keeping it chilled until just before serving. Leftovers can be tightly covered and chilled in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Per serving: Calories: 234, Fat: 15g, Carbohydrates: 23g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 4g
Recipe Notes:
- You can make this cheesecake using only maple syrup instead of the agave, but it will be darker in color and slightly less sweet. Feel free to experiment with other sweeteners, if you like, too.
- If you need to avoid cashews, you might want to try another nut, such as blanched almonds or macadamias, or you can try a seed, but keep in mind that the cheesecake will have the flavor of any nut that you use. Luckily, you can taste as you go and adjust the flavoring as needed.
- For a chocolate cheesecake, try this Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake.
- If you’d like to make this cheesecake with cashew butter instead, replace 2 cups of cashews with 1 cup cashew butter. Raw cashew butter gives it the best flavor.
Reader Feedback: Have you made a cashew cheesecake before? Any other dairy-free desserts you love, or would like for me to recreate?
OMG! I made these (left out the honey and made my own cashew butter) right before my Whole30 (it ended up being a Whole34) and I completely forgot about them in the freezer. I found them last week and GOODNESS ME are they ever good! Literally *just* like cheesecake but without all the creepies!
Does any one know of anything that could be substituted for the cashew butter? Possibly soy butter or something to that effect due to a nut allergy…
Please review the comments above. I’ve never tried anything of the substitutes, so you’ll have to experiment and let us know if you have any success!
coconut butter?
sunflower seed butter?
tahini (sesame seed paste)?
pumpkin seed butter?
try seeds 🙂
Megan, help please! I love your website and make many of your recipes. I was so excited to make this, but it did not turn out anything like yours! I followed the recipe exactly. Instead of looking delectable like the pictures, the filling turned out super thick, sticky and dark in color. More like a fudge texture, nothing like a fluffy cheesecake! Not sure what went wrong. Should I have soaked the cashews before making it into butter? Maybe it was the raw honey I used, the texture was thick and dark in color. I am determined to make this again, the right way!! Any suggestions would be great. Thank you!!
P.S. Although the texture didn’t turn out right, it still was super delicious and I ended up cutting it into squares and eating it like raw fudge!!
The honey could definitely affect the color, and maybe it added to the thickness, too? I would try using a lighter raw honey, or maybe try adding some extra zucchini, which helps thin the batter. This raw version doesn’t get quite as “fluffy” as traditional cheesecake, but the batter should be runny enough to pour out of the blender easily.
I don’t care for the texture of soaked cashews, so I don’t recommend doing that, unless you’re going to dry them before blending. It ruined a cheesecake for me once!
This looks so good. Too bad I am allergic to zucchini and cashews. This is still really ingenious. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for another great recipe! Do the dates play a big role in taste?
They don’t add a specific flavor, but they do add sweetness and an extra helping of fiber and nutrients. You can replace with extra honey, if you prefer.
Thank you! I got medjool dates and made this delicious cheesecake this weekend!! It is incredible and almost gone! Only one slice left! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!
Another AMAZING recipe from the Detoxinista. Thank you SO MUCH Megan for the recipes. I am seriously converting my family to a healthier way of eating thanks to your blog.
I doubled the crust and the filling recipes for a 9″ springform pan. It’s in the freezer right now…setting up for a gluten-free Thanksgiving.
Doubling the recipe? Are you nuts? I have made this 3 times and quadruple the recipe b/c it is so amazingly delicious and gets eaten so fast. This recipe goes in a special file labeled “heavenly”, and Inormally don’t even like regular cheesecake that much. This is way better, seriously.
hi, can i substitute cashew butter with anything else? such as a banana or something? thank you!!
The cashew butter is pretty key in the flavor and texture of this recipe. You could use another nut butter, or coconut butter, for a similar texture, but the flavor will not be the same. I don’t think a banana would work.
I also have a nut-free avocado cheesecake recipe to post in the near future, so stay tuned!
Hi! I have been dying to try this recipe but have 2 questions
1. Can squash zucinni replace zucinni? I did not find a zucinni in Publix last weekend
2. Where do I find raw cashew butter ?
Thanks!
Meg!!! I am so glad I found you!
And this recipe…It plays with my imagination and very soon I’ll make it!
Actually I am very keen on cooking and experimenting, but zucchini in a cheesecake wouldn’t come to my mind!
Thanks!
I’ll keep you under eye 😛