A tart raspberry layer, a creamy "cheesecake" layer, and a gluten-free walnut crust make this easy vegan cheesecake recipe tangy, rich & delicious.
Happy early Valentine’s day… or Galentines Day… or whatever holiday you like to celebrate with heart-shaped treats and little paper cards. As I’ve written about many times before, Jack and I have this Chocolate Molten Cake Valentine’s tradition. This year I switched things up a bit and made this decadent yet mostly raw raspberry vegan cheesecake. How cute are those layers!?
Vegan Cheesecake Recipe Variations
I have two versions below – one version uses raw cashews for the white “cheesecake” layer and the other version uses vegan cream cheese. I wanted to offer these two options because one requires a fancy high powered blender to really cream the nuts out of those cashews, and the second option will work with any blender.
Both versions also taste different – if you’re used to eating “raw” desserts you will love the cashew version. It has a fresh taste that I really like. Jack preferred option 2, which tastes a little more authentically like cheesecake.
I top both variations with a fresh raspberry layer inspired by the raspberry chia jam I make all the time. This time, instead of jamming it, I blended the raspberries with chia seeds to create that bright pink topping.
How to Make Vegan Cheesecake
A few notes about this recipe – it takes a little time for each layer to freeze before you add the next, so be sure to make this either the morning of, or the day before, you’re going to eat it. Other than the time it takes to freeze, this is a piece of cake to make:
- Start by making the gluten-free crust by pulsing together walnuts, dates, coconut oil, and salt in a food processor. Press the sticky mixture into the bottom of a parchment-lined loaf pan, and pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Blend together the ingredients for the creamy “cheesecake” layer. Then, pour them over the frozen crust, and slide the pan back into the freezer for another 2 hours.
- Finally, blend up the vibrant pink raspberry layer. Pour it over the frozen cheesecake and freeze overnight!
- Then, it’s time to eat! Let the vegan cheesecake thaw slightly before slicing and serving.
If you love this vegan cheesecake recipe…
Try more of my favorite vegan desserts:
- Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- No Bake Cookies
- 3-Ingredient Vegan Ice Cream
- Cinnamon Apple Crumble
- Vegan Sugar Cookies
- Easy Peach Cobbler
- Vegan Cinnamon Rolls
Raspberry Vegan Cheesecake
Ingredients
Walnut Crust
- 1 cup walnuts
- 3 soft Medjool dates, pitted
- ½ tablespoon coconut oil
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Cheesecake Option 1: with cashews* (see note)
- 1½ cups raw cashews, soaked 4 hours, then drained
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Cheesecake option 2: with Daiya cream cheese
- 1 (8-ounce) package plain vegan cream cheese
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Raspberry Layer
- 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen raspberries, mostly thawed
- ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
Instructions
- Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse the walnuts, dates, coconut oil and salt together until crumbly. Line an 8x4” loaf pan with parchment paper allowing 1 inch of overhang on each side. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan. Freeze for at least 15 minutes, or as long as it takes to get the next layer ready.
- Make the cheesecake layer: In a high-powered blender, blend the cashews, coconut milk, maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt until completely creamy (about 1 minute). Pour the filling over the crust and smooth until even. Freeze until this layer is completely firm, at least 2 hours. (Alternatively, use a regular blender and blend the ingredients from Cheesecake Option 2, above.)
- In the blender, combine the raspberries, lemon juice, maple syrup, and chia seeds. Blend until smooth. Pour the raspberry mixture on top of the frozen cheesecake layer and smooth until even. Freeze for 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, remove the cake from the freezer and let it thaw for at least 20 minutes. Using the sides of the parchment paper, carefully lift the cheesecake out of the pan. Use a sharp chef’s knife to slice it into 8 to 10 slices. Let the individual slices thaw for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until fully thawed so that the middle layer is creamy and the raspberry layer is less icy. Re-freeze any remaining slices.
Notes
Hi – I love your recipes! Are the chia seeds essential and is there a substitute? Not a big fan of the texture. Thank you!
Hi Francine, you could skip them!
Just wondering if anyone has ever done this with frozen strawberries?
I made this for a friend with many dietary restrictions who was in hospice care. Her mom was happy to share that it was one of the few things she actually wanted to eat. So thank you so much for a recipe that made things even a teeny bit better for my friend in her final days.
I used a very small food processor and the chia seeds didn’t blend as smoothly as I liked, so I’d recommend using a larger food processor or doing the raspberry sorbet section in batches.
When you mention coconut oil…. Is this refined coconut oil or liquid? I’m making with refined and it’s pasty not crumbly in step 1
Hi! Want to make these for an event and was wondering how long they stay good once taken out of the freezer!
Hi Hanna, I would say just about 45 minutes-1 hour—you don’t want them to be rock hard, but they should still be chilled/somewhat frozen!
What if you don’t have access to chia seeds?
Can you use an 8” springform pan for this? Or would I need to double the recipe for that?
Hi Maureen, I think you’d want to double the recipe in that case—the layers would be much thinner in the wider pan.
Can the coconut oil be subbed for another oil like canola? We don’t have any in the house and I’m keen to make this for a birthday in a few weeks!
Hi Emma, I haven’t tried using a liquid oil like canola here, but I think it would work!
Hey! I have vegan friends coming for thanksgiving desserts, was wondering how far in advance I could prepare this? I know night before based on instructions, but will it be okay if I make it 2 days prior to thanksgiving?
Hi Maria, as far ahead as you want since it stores in the freezer.
My Goodness… Maybe I’ve had this for breakfast too shhh… First , this has been saved to do for awhile. I love it! I was wondering if I really would love the raspberry… And I did. Definitely taste prior – so adjust to your sweetness. I did do some sub- mix diff nuts for crust and ran out of coconut oil… So just increased dates.
Added a smooch of coconut cream in my filling.
Forget set to defrost a bit…was so cooling and creamy! It’s a keeper
Hi Anna, I’m so glad you loved the recipe!
I’m wondering if the chia seeds need to be pre soaked?
Hi Kelly, they don’t, they soften while blending.
Can I sub frozen blueberries or strawberries in this recipe?
Hi Michele, I haven’t tried using another type of berry here, but I think strawberries would work well.
Thinking of using this recipe for some of my children’s vegan class mates. Can you use a different fruit as a substitute for Rasberry with the same other ingredients and produce the same result
Hi Tiffany – yep! I think any frozen fruit will work well.
This is sooo amazing! I just made the cashew version it but left out the raspberry layer because I didn’t have any raspberries and its still absolutely amazing! I used the cream part of the coconut milk as it had separated and its absolutely incredible! I can’t thank you enough! My mum is a huge vegan snob chef and she was so impressed!
Hi Ana, I’m so glad you loved the recipe!