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
Wow, best dessert ever! Everybody loved it, vegan or not. Next time i think I might make more of the crust to balance the cheesy layer (i used the cashew version).
I’m so glad it was a hit!
WOW!!! Most delicious plant-based cheesecake I’ve ever tasted!
Love that this recipe is not overly sweet. Made (recipe 1) cheesecake filling as directed, and it is perfect! The raspberry layer was still delectably tangy like fresh raspberries should be. Only made two small changes: I omitted the coconut oil in the crust; the nut/date combination packed down perfectly without it. (We are limiting refined fats.) I also added about two tablespoons finely chopped pistachios on the top of the raspberry layer after freezing for two hours. Made this as a Valentine’s Day dessert for my hubby of 35 years, and he enjoyed it so much, he declared that’s the “cake” he’d like for his birthday. Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe. It’s definitely a “keeper,,” and so simple to make!
Hi Mary, I’m so glad you both loved it!
I made this using 1/3 the fat cream cheese and low-fat coconut milk. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly, and it was GREAT! My husband loves cheesecake, and he thought it was excellent.
Might make it in individual cups going forward if I keep using the lower fat ingredients for easier serving, but it is really good. Will definitely make it again.
Thanks for a healthier version of the real deal.
Do you have a replacement option for coconut oil? I cannot stand the taste or smell of coconut and it’s been very frustrating lately as so many recipes use coconut.
Hi Maria, a neutral oil like vegetable oil should work.
So good, beautiful colour and layering turned out perfectly.
The only change I think I’d add a bid more maple syrup to the raspberry layer as its very very tart. I made option 1 with the cashews as I always prefer a from scratch method. Still super delicious.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
The final layer is done…its so gorgeous. Now into the freezer for the night. Can’t wait to slice it and try it tomorrow night. Will let you know.
I made this for Christmas day , i dos option 2 With cream cheese It was so easy and trastes Mazinger you cant just hace once slice!
I’m so glad you loved it!
I’m about to try and make this but can’t decide if I should use the cream cheese or the cashews. Do you have a preference?
Hi Jessica, I’d say it depends on your blender – if you have a powerful blender like a Vitamix, you could go for the cashew one. If not, I might choose the cream cheese option.
Hi! This recipe looks fabulous snd I’ll going to seek for Xmas. Can u substitute strawberries for raspberries? Thanks
Hi Johanne, I haven’t tried it with strawberries, I think it should be fine?
Is one container of cream cheese enough? It seems as though it would make a very thin layer.
Hi Penny, it is a pretty thin layer, like in the photos, and it’s in a loaf pan so it’s not a huge surface to fill.
This recipe is spot on!!!!
Deliciously addictive!
💘 it!!!!!
Fabulous….made option 1 with cashews Made it for dinner guests last night. Perfect dessert for a warm summer night. Thank you.
Thanks for this recipe, it is fantastic! I read the comments after I’d bought my ingredients, and I already had the Miyokos cream cheese. I wanted to make it work, so I made the following alteration: I used 1/4 cup of coconut oil in place of the 1/2 cup of coconut milk and otherwise followed the recipe exactly. The filling set perfectly. Thanks again!
Yum! I made this recipe exactly with the cashews in my vitamix. So delicious! Thank you!
Can I make it in a regular pie pan?
no, it won’t be deep enough for the layers, so I recommend a loaf pan.
Hello! I am looking to make this four the 4th of July…but a quick question. Do I have to grind the chia seeds or soak them when I make up the raspberry topping?
Hi Bernadette, no, just add them dry to the blender in step 3.
Hi Jeanine! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Can you offer any recommendations on how to stabilize/increase the firmness of the cheesecake layer?
When I made it, I used Miyokos’s vegan cashew cream cheese. The consistency is pretty similar to normal cream cheese.
Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly, including the setting times in the freezer, but when I took the cheesecake out to thaw before serving the cheesecake layer had the consistency of greek yogurt.
Otherwise, the taste was great!
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Hi Amy, I haven’t tried with Miyokos yogurt, that sounds strange for sure. How long did you let it thaw out of the freezer?
I let it thaw out of the freezer for 20 min, per the recipe. By that point, the cheesecake layer getting a little runny, but the raspberry layer was still frozen/icy.
I think it’s probably the brand – they’re all made with different ingredients (unlike regular cream cheese brands that are all cream cheese). I could see how some might react differently when frozen and thawed.
Hi, thanks for this amazing recipe. I am planning to make this for a friend but I’ll have to travel with this for a few hours as she lives far away from my place. Can this survive being out of the freezer/fridge for a few hours? I hope this doesn’t get too runny.
Hi Saumya, I think it’ll melt if it’s not kept in the freezer.
I would say freeze it and place it in a cooler with ice. When you get to friends house see if it needs to be put back in freezer for a little bit. I’ve been keeping mine in fridge and slice it when needed. It’s held up wonderfully.
OMG! I made the recipe with cashew today and it was delicious. I substituted coconut sugar for maple syrup because i was out and also didn’t make the raspberry glaze (was lazy). Delicious!!!! Thanks for the recipe
I’m so glad you loved it!
I am going to make the cream cheese layer and I was wondering if you will be able to taste the lemon juice?
You can, it’s what gives it a tangy cheesecake-like flavor.
You can definitely taste the tanginess. Leave it out if you don’t like it and sub it with something else but plain cheesecake tastes tangy because of the lemon.