Looking for an easy and vegan cheesecake that will be ready to put in the freezer in less than 30 minutes? This is the recipe for you!
How to Make a Vegan Cheesecake
Traditionally the cheesecake is made with cream cheese (a lot of it), sugar (a lot of it too), and biscuits. It doesn’t make it the ideal treat if you want to eat something sweet but that doesn’t harm your health.
That’s why we’re making it on the healthier side with no dairy and no refined sugar.
For this, you will need cashew nuts and coconut milk for the the cream cheese with, and whole almonds and cacao powder for the base. With a few other ingredients that I’m sure you have in your pantry, this is super simple.
You need to make this cheesecake in advance as it’s a no-bake, and it needs to set in the freezer. You want it to set, but need to let it defrost at least two hours before serving so calculate well here. I like to do mine the day before so I’m not doing my maths wrong.
Prepare the Base
First, soak a cup and a half of cashew nuts in boiling water on the side.
For the base, you need one and a half cup of whole raw almonds, unless you have almond flour already. If you have raw almonds, put them in a powerful food processor and blend until reduced to a fine powder.
You will add to the food processor the third of a cup of maple syrup – the real stuff not the fake golden syrup, vanilla extract, a quarter cup of melted coconut oil, and two tablespoons of raw cacao powder.
Blend until well mixed, it should start to form a thick mixture.
Line a cheesecake with greaseproof paper, with a removable bottom – springform pan kind. Spread the thick cacao mixture on it, and press with your hands to make the base even. Then put the base into the freezer to set.
Make the “Cheese” Filling
Drain your soaked cashew nuts. Add them to the cleaned food processor with half a cup of canned coconut milk, a third of a cup of maple syrup, a quarter of a cup of melted coconut oil, and more vanilla extract. Finally, add 100g of frozen blueberries.
Blend on high until it’s well combined and silky smooth. If it looks grainy because of the cashew nuts, keep blending. It should take about a minute.
Taste the mixture to see if it’s sweet enough for your taste. Then pour it over the base, before you put it back into the freezer ahead of serving.
Remove from the freezer at least two hours before serving.
Decorate as you see fit.
I like to add berries to stay in the theme, and that deep blue-purple colour goes great with bright-coloured fruit.
But you can add grated chocolate, or chocolate buttons, more fruit, sprinkles, anything you like.
Let me know in the comments what you think !
For more dessert recipes, check out:
Orange & Polenta Cake (with Chocolate Chips)
5 Ways to Make a Vegan Chocolate Mousse
Easy Cacao & Blueberry (Vegan) Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup almonds, whole or already in flour stage
- 1 1/2 cup cashew nuts
- 1/2 cup coconut oil melted
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
- 1/2 can coconut milk (200mL)
- 100 g frozen blueberries
- berries to decorate
Instructions
- Soak the cashew nuts in boiling water.
- Reduce the almonds to a fine flour in a powerful food processor. Add the cacao powder, 1/4 cup coconut oil, 1/3 cup maple syrup, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Blend into a coarse mixture.
- Press the mixture into a lined springform pan to make the base of the cheesecake. It should be even and cover all the bottom of the mold.
- Place the cheesecake pan into the freezer to set.
- Drain the cashew nuts. Place them into the cleaned food processor, with the rest of the melted coconut oil, coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and the frozen blueberries.
- Blend the "cheese" filling until smooth, this might take a minute.
- Spread the "cheese" filling onto the set base in the cheesecake pan, tap on the counter to make it even. Put back into the freezer to set, approximately three hours.
- Remove from the freezer at least two hours before serving. Decorate with berries or grated chocolate.
