Mini Vegan Cheesecakes! Three words that are very deserving of an exclamation mark. I have been wanting to perfect this recipe for almost a full year and I have finally got to it, just in time for Spring. These no-bake raspberry lime cheesecakes are melt in your mouth rich and are perfectly tart, all without any dairy. Plus, they are just super cute… I can’t get enough.
The cheesecake filling is creamy and sweet with the perfect amount of tang from fresh lime juice. If you haven’t had vegan cheesecake before, you will be surprised at how much like real cheesecake this is going to taste. The creaminess comes from the combination of blended cashews with coconut milk and coconut oil. I’m usually not one for using a ton of cashews in my recipes as they are super expensive but once in a while you deserve it! And this is a special occasion worthy dessert, so I bring you the magic of cashews 🙂
The crust is a simple walnut and graham cracker base sweetened with dates and a touch of maple syrup. It comes together so quick in a food processor. It also tastes delicious on it’s own even though that is not the intended purpose. I had a bit of leftover and it was amazing crumbled over cereal with some extra raspberries.
I call them cheesecake “bites” because I love how that sounds, but you can adapt this recipe to whatever size you would like: bites, tartlets, mini cheesecakes or full size cheesecake. In the photos I used a regular size muffin tin, but feel free to experiment with different shapes.
Just make sure to freeze until the cheesecake are hard, it will be tempting to take them out early but they are well worth the wait, plus they will stay together when removed from the molds. The little parchment paper strips you see in the picture below are a neat trick to make removing the cheesecakes a bit easier.
Raspberry Lime Cheesecake Bites
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 3/4 cup walnut halves
- 1/2 cup vegan graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 cup dates soft pitted Medjool dates
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
For the Cheesecake Filing
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews soaked for 4-6 hours or overnight
- 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice (or more to taste)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil melted
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut unsweetened
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup
- fresh raspberries
- lime zest
Instructions
For the Crust
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until combined, small pieces of walnut should remain. The crust should be sticky such that it will form into a ball. If it is too dry add a couple more dates.
- Grease a muffin tin with coconut oil. Place strips of parchment paper across the bottom of each slot. These little parchment tabs will make it easier to remove the cheesecake bites.
- Scoop 1 tbsp to 1 1/2 tbsp of crust mixture into muffin tin. Press down firmly with fingers. Place in freezer until crust is firm.
For the Cheesecake Filling
- Add filling ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until mostly smooth. Taste filling and adjust amount of lime juice to taste. If you are having trouble blending add a bit more coconut milk.
- Remove muffin tin from freezer and spoon cheesecake filling on top. Top with fresh raspberries and lime zest.
- Freeze until hard (3-5 hours). Cut around edges of cheesecakes with a knife and then tug gently on the parchment tabs to remove. Either eat frozen or leave out for a few minutes to soften.
