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This no-bake Layered Blueberry Vegan Cheesecake is simple to make, Paleo and gluten-free, and a total stunner! Made with soaked cashews and full-fat canned coconut milk, the cheesecake layers are lusciously smooth and creamy with a tart, fruity topping. The date-based cheesecake crust is also gluten-free.
Looking at the pictures of this no-bake layered blueberry cheesecake makes me seriously giddy inside! Isn’t she a beauty?!
I’m pretty sure no-bake, raw vegan cheesecake recipes are my new favorite thing. While I’ve always loved a good no-bake dessert recipe, the love affair with cheesecakes *specifically* began when I realized how beautiful and photogenic they can be after photographing this raspberry cheesecake for my friend Monica, and then this citrus-topped lemon cheesecake stunner. I think this blueberry version is my latest favorite, though. Not only is it so pretty with those layers, but it tastes ridiculously good.
I also have some fabulous no-bake vegan cheesecakes in my best-selling cookbook, Bakerita! Mocha chip cheesecake or salted caramel cheesecake, anyone?! Both recipes are in the book :D
How do you make a vegan cheesecake?
If you’ve had a vegan, cashew-based cheesecake – you know how good they are. If not, let me initiate you!
Like my other raw cheesecakes, this one is made with CASHEWS as the base! If you’re skeptical about cashews’ ability to replace luxuriously creamy cream cheese, you wouldn’t be the first. I was skeptical for a while…until I tried it. The raw cashews are soaked in water, which helps them blend into a luxuriously creamy cheesecake base that is so delicious!
For the crust
We use a simple pecan & date-based crust for this recipe. It’s lightly sweetened with the dates and flavored with cinnamon, which pairs so well with the blueberry flavors in the filling. The crust is lightly sweet, chewy, and crunchy!
If you don’t have or don’t like pecans, any other nut or seed will work here too.
How to make vegan blueberry cheesecake filling:
To start, soak the cashews for 8 hours. They’ll become incredibly soft and creamy, and the soaking will help them blend easily into the most luxurious, creamy filling you can imagine.
- Raw Cashews: These are the stars, and they’re what give us an ultra-luxurious creamy cheesecake filling.
- Full-fat Canned Coconut Milk: for extra creaminess and to help our cashews blend smoothly.
- Coconut Oil: I like using refined coconut oil for no coconut flavor. Don’t substitute this with another oil—the solidifying properties of coconut oil help the cheesecake hold its shape.
- Maple Syrup: our sweetener of choice! Any liquid sweetener you love will work.
- Lemon Juice: adds a cheesecake-y tang.
- Vanilla Extract
- Freeze-Dried Blueberries: for that vibrant blue color and flavor!
All together, these make a pretty damn close replica of the cheesecake you know and love.
This one removes all those refined sugars and dairy, though, and makes a “cheesecake” that will actually fill you up and give you some nutrients. Such a win! This vegan and paleo cheesecake will certainly satisfy that cheesecake craving.
What gives the blueberry flavor?
Half of the filling has freeze-dried blueberries blended right into it! That’s what gives the top layer that gorgeous blue color and a mellow blueberry flavor.
Freeze-dried blueberries are different from dried or frozen blueberries. They’ve had the moisture removed from them, so they add flavor and color but no extra moisture. It’s important you use freeze-dried blueberries; otherwise, the flavor won’t be as strong, and the texture will be off.
How to assemble blueberry vegan cheesecake
The freeze-dried blueberry cheesecake layer is spread over the first creamy vanilla layer. Then, it all goes into the freezer to harden up while you make the final layer.
We add a final burst of blueberry layer with a quick blueberry jam-like topping. It helps brighten up the richness of the cashew-based layers. There’s no sweetener! To make it, blend blueberries with a touch of lemon juice and chia seeds to help thicken it up.
This no-bake layered blueberry cheesecake is definitely going to be a new favorite around here. The rich and creamy cheesecake layers are hard to resist —especially once you add the tangy, jammy blueberry topping!
How to store no-bake vegan blueberry cheesecake:
You can store this vegan cheesecake in the refrigerator or freezer. It will keep in the refrigerator for one week or in the freezer for at least six months!
Store it in an airtight container to ensure it lasts and doesn’t absorb other odors from the refrigerator or freezer.
To serve from frozen, let it thaw at room temperature for about an hour or overnight in the refrigerator. This will help it soften to a delicious, creamy consistency you’ll love.
Want more vegan paleo cheesecake recipes?!
- No-Bake Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
- Vegan No-Bake Mint Chip Cheesecake
- No-Bake Chai Cheesecake Bars
- Strawberry Shortcake Bars
Layered Blueberry Vegan Cheesecake (Paleo)
Ingredients
For the crust
- ½ cup (65g) raw pecans
- ½ cup (48g) almond flour
- 2 pitted dates
- 2 tablespoons (25g) coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the cheesecake
- 2 cups (240g) raw cashews, soaked in cold water for at least four hours or preferably overnight (see Notes)
- ½ cup (114g) canned coconut milk, shaken
- ¼ cup (50g) coconut oil, melted and cooled (use refined coconut oil if you want no coconut flavor)
- ⅓ cup (111g) pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, or ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- ¼ cup (10g) freeze-dried blueberries
For the blueberry layer
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed, if frozen
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Instructions
- Grease a 6” springform pan with coconut oil, or line an 6-inch cake pan with strips of parchment paper for easy removal, and grease well with coconut oil. Set aside.
- Add the pecans, almond flour, pitted dates, coconut oil, cinnamon and salt to a food processor or high-powered blender and pulverize until it comes together into a sort of sticky dough, with small pecan bits remaining. Don’t over process, or it’ll turn into nut butter! Press the pecan date dough evenly along the bottom of the prepared pan.½ cup (65g) raw pecans, ½ cup (48g) almond flour, 2 pitted dates, 2 tablespoons (25g) coconut oil, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- In the same food processor or high-powered blender (no need to wash between – I used my Vitamix, but most powerful blenders should do the job), combine all of the filling ingredients except for the freeze dried blueberries and blend for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is silky smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides as necessary. You may need to add a bit more coconut milk or lemon juice to get it to blend smoothly if your blender isn’t super high-powered.2 cups (240g) raw cashews, ½ cup (114g) canned coconut milk, ¼ cup (50g) coconut oil, ⅓ cup (111g) pure maple syrup, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Once it’s smooth, taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness/tartness levels by adding more maple syrup, vanilla, or lemon juice, if desired.
- Pour 2/3 of the filling into the prepared pan over the pecan crust. Smooth out the top and tap the pan hard against the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Place in the freezer. If you want super clean layers, let it freeze for about an hour or until firm before adding the blue layer on top.
- Add the freeze-dried blueberries to the remaining batter and blend to incorporate. Spread over the plain layer. Return to the freezer.¼ cup (10g) freeze-dried blueberries
- Rinse out the blender, and add the fresh blueberries, lemon juice and chia seeds to it. Blend until smooth, and then pour over the other layers.1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- Place in the freezer to set for at least 3 hours or until completely firm before slicing and serving. I recommend running your knife under hot water to warm it up before cutting the cheesecake with the still-hot (dried) knife.
- You can let thaw for about 20 minutes from frozen at room temperature, or for the best texture, transfer to the refrigerator at least an hour before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Tips & FAQs
- You can also cover the cashews in very hot/boiling water and let them sit for about an hour if you want to speed up the process – it won’t be quite as creamy and may need to blend for longer, but it will do the trick!
- If you want to use an 8″ springform pan, you’ll want to double the recipe.
I made your cheesecake last night- It turned out pretty good!! Definitely room for improvement but everyone at the party was in love. I skipped the dried blueberries and just made two layers. I used a 12inch cake pan and doubled the recipe and it turned out great!
Hi Daniela – thanks for your feedback, I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’m curious what you think could’ve used some improvement? The freeze-dried blueberries add a ton of flavor to this cake, so that could’ve been what you were missing out on.
Hi Rachel
I’m so excited to try this recipe next week for our family dinner! My husband is sensitive to chia seeds (makes him bloat), is there a chance I can substitute it for something else?
We’re not vegans, I just use a lot of vegan dessert recipes for my mother in law who hates whole eggs. Also, can I substitute maple syrup for splenda or stevia? Since my in laws are both diabetic I want to try as much as I can to reduce all forms of sugar. Any help would be appreciated!
Mardy
Hi Mardy, I hope you guys love it!! You can just skip the chia seeds – just know the top layer will melt into the others when it’s not frozen a little bit quicker, which just affects looks. I don’t use stevia or splenda or any sweeteners like that, so you’d have to just add them to taste while you’re making the filling. Hope this helps!
Thank you for this beautiful and delicious recipe! Note to makers: I doubled the recipe and used a 9″ spring form, which resulted in a height of about 3.5″. This does not sustain well outside the refrigerator for much longer than 20 minutes. I made it for an event and it slumped dramatically while on display. Anyone with experience with coconut milk/oil could have seen that coming but hope springs eternal… It still tasted great, just more like a cream pudding. It would be lovely as such in glasses, maybe with the nut mix on top or with a cookie. I will definitely make it again with that note in mind!
Thanks for sharing your helpful tips, Chloe! Love the idea of doing it in glasses if you’re planning on leaving it out for a long period of time. Appreciate your feedback, and so glad you enjoyed it.
Hi, I made this recipe today and I must have done something wrong as the vanilla layer wasn’t very pleasant. It has a nutty / bland taste. I did soak the cashews overnight and used every recipe as mentioned. Could it be that I’m not blending my cashews enough? Or do I maybe need to add more of the maple syrup to sweeten It up? How creamy is it supposed to be?
Hi Rana, it should be very creamy with no chunks at all – it should be totally smooth and silky. If you’re used to sweeter desserts, you might want to add more maple syrup to taste, as mentioned in the 4th step. Without being in the kitchen with you, it’s hard for me to know exactly what went wrong, but hopefully, that helps you figure it out! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Made this cake today for my son’s 2nd birthday. My first try and it turned out to be perfect! It’s very creamy and delicious. Much better (and healthier) than a regular cheesecake.
You have any idea why the purple layer turned out to be brown instead? I used dried freeze blueberries and everything as instructed..
I wish I could attach the picture of my cake, it’s a work of art ;)
Thank you for an amazing recipe!
Hi Katja, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!! How odd that it turned brown, were the freeze-dried blueberries normal colored? I usually use the ones from Trader Joe’s or Natierra Superfoods and it’s always been a nice color. Not sure why that would be different for you. Wish I could see it too! If you post on Instagram, tag me so I can see :) thanks for sharing your feedback!
Oh my frikkin god :D so tasty I had to keep myself from eating it when i made it, thank youuuu <3333
So thrilled you’re loving it Soso! Thanks so much for your feedback :)
Love your cheesecake layer! I hope i could find your recipe sooner.
Thanks Stacey!
So I made this yesterday for my son’s 1st birthday and I must say we absolutely love it! My 1 year old was stuffing his face with this cake. I’m so glad I found this recipe, I feel better for giving him this cake.
So thrilled to hear it was a hit for your son’s birthday – so glad he enjoyed it :) thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Monica!
Hello –
I love this recipe and I would like to try it this week. I have a quick question about it. We live in Serbia so unfortunately there are no freeze-dried fruits around here to purchase. I do have in my freezer a lot of blueberries, that are in the NO FROST section of my freezer so they have no extra-frost except for the water that the fruits naturally have inside them. Would that be ok ? Is there a procedure for me to follow prior to adding them to the recipe ?
Also there are no fresh blueberries here available at this moment, for the topping. We do have fresh blackberries and/or raspberries though. You think I could use those as a topping ? Or would this change the flavor too much ?
Thanks so much in advance for your help !
Kind regards,
Mihai
Hi Mihai! I haven’t tried this recipe with frozen blueberries, but you may want to cook them down a bit before using (create almost a jam by cooking them over the stove to make that extra water evaporate) or I fear it might make things a little watery. Feel free to follow up if you want more guidance on this! You can definitely use the fresh berries you have on hand for this cheesecake, or alternatively, you can just use fresh blackberries or raspberries in the filling (no need to cook down first) and for the topping, if you like those flavors! :) Hope this helps!
Hi Rachel,
Your receipe looks delicious! I would like to make it, but feel nervous because I had made a similar recipe and I had problems with the cheese cake batter curdling.
The batter was the same as your recipe, cashews, coconut oil and milk, lemon juice….
What could have been the problem? Could it be that I didn’t shake my coconut milk before adding to the food processor? Or did I beat the batter for too long??
Please help,
Ivy
Hi Ivy, I’m not sure since it doesn’t sound like you used my recipe and I can only speak for my recipes, of which I’ve never had that problem. Nothing should curdle in there and no one has ever told me that it has. If you blend long enough, it should be super creamy, smooth and thick – definitely not curdled. Hope you’ll try the recipe and won’t be dissuaded by the results you had with someone else’s. Good luck!
Thanks Rachel for your reply!
Ok I will definitely try your recipe and let you know how it turned out :)