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This No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake is a cashew-based raw, vegan, and Paleo cheesecake adorned with slices of juicy citrus. It's incredibly creamy, a little tangy, and lightly sweetened with maple syrup.

No-Bake Lemon Vegan Cheesecake with Citrus Topping

  • Author: Rachel Conners
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Chill Time: 3 hours
  • Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 8 slices 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Blender
  • Cuisine: Healthy
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

This No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake is a cashew-based raw, vegan, and Paleo cheesecake adorned with slices of juicy citrus. It’s incredibly creamy, a little tangy, and lightly sweetened with maple syrup.


Ingredients

Scale

For the crust

  • ⅓ cup shredded coconut
  • ⅓ cup almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons coconut butter
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

For the cheesecake

  • 2 cups cashews, soaked for at least four hours or preferably overnight
  • ¼ cup canned coconut milk, shaken
  • ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled, use refined coconut oil if you want no coconut flavor
  • ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, or ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder

For the citrus layer

  • Blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges, navel oranges, and tangerines

Instructions

  1. Line a 6” or 7″ pan with strips of parchment paper for easy removal, and grease well with coconut oil. Set aside.
  2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the shredded coconut, almond flour, melted coconut butter, melted coconut oil, and maple syrup. Press the dough evenly along the bottom of the prepared pan.
  3. In a high-powered blender (I used my Vitamix, but most powerful blenders should do the job), combine all of the filling ingredients and blend for about 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture is silky smooth and creamy. 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.
  4. Once it’s smooth, taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness/tartness levels, if desired. Pour the filling into the prepared pan over the crust and smooth the top.
  5. Place in the freezer to set for at least 3 hours or until completely firm before garnishing, slicing and serving. For the garnish, use a parish knife to peel the citrus fruits. Slice the citrus, and dry each side with a paper towel. Arrange on top of the cheesecake. I recommend doing this right before serving, so the citrus is freshest.
  6. When serving, I recommend running your knife under hot water to warm it up before cutting the cheesecake with the still-hot (dried) knife. Serve frozen or let them thaw at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving. Store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.