Today I am sharing a sweet little dessert that would be the perfect Valentine’s Day treat. A yummy recipe for vegan strawberry cheesecake is here! It’s perfectly sweet, creamy, mouthwatering and mini! Although I made this recipe with Valentine’s Day in mind, this pretty pink dessert would be great at any point in the year.
Looking for more Valentine’s Day treats? This Vegan Chocolate Torte and this Vegan Chocolate Mousse are musts.
how long is cheesecake good for?
The beauty of making a no bake vegan cheesecake is that it lasts way longer than a classic baked cheesecake. If you store this vegan strawberry cheesecake in the freezer in a sealed container (to avoid freezer burn) it can last about a week and it is still amazing. It could probably last even longer than a week. It’s so nice to open the freezer and see you have a little treat waiting for you.
This gluten free strawberry cheesecake is the perfect meal prep dessert. You can make it ahead of time and leave it stored in the freezer. It would be a delicious Valentine’s Day dessert, but if you are like me and aren’t a huge V-day celebrator, you can make this no bake vegan cheesecake for any old reason.
here are a few reasons why I love this vegan strawberry cheesecake, so listen up!
- The strawberry chia jam swirl in this gluten free strawberry cheesecake is amazing. I even left a few spoonfuls out of the cheesecake to have on my toast the next morning for breakfast. The strawberry swirls in the cheesecake are mouthwatering and compliment the nutty base and creamy coconutty filling beautifully.
- I love that you can make this cheesecake ahead of time. It allows you to prepare a yummy vegan dessert when the time works for you. This vegan strawberry cheesecake needs some time to set in the freezer anyways so the earlier you make it the better. When you are ready to eat it, let it sit out for 2 minutes so it is extra creamy!
- There is maple syrup in the filling and a little in the chia jam but the base is completely refined sugar-free. It is a nutty base sweetened with dates. The dates add a chewy, caramel flavour to the cheesecake. The base isn’t overwhelming in flavour or sweetness because the star of the show is the filing. So the base in this no bake vegan cheesecake pairs with the filling and the strawberry swirl quite nicely.
Springform pans are the best! They create a minimal mess and are so functional when you are a baker. I’ve reused mine over and over again. This vegan strawberry cheesecake was made with 4-4″1/2 springform pans. With the pans, the cheesecakes can be removed with no stress and the pans are easy to clean. This vegan strawberry cheesecake was not tested in an 8″ but I feel confident that the 8″ would produce a beautiful large cheesecake, using the same measurements that are down below in the recipe.
Adam has been away for work and so when I made these mini vegan cheesecakes I had them sitting in my freezer for a little while. But each night I could cut a piece and eat it for dessert. It was definitely a highlight in my day. The creamy texture, sweet strawberry swirl and nutty base had my tastebuds screaming for more. This dessert isn’t heavy, it’s a nice light and not overly sweet treat that is perfect for celebrating self-love or for the love of a partner. Happy Valentine’s Day friends- whatever that looks like to you.
no bake vegan strawberry cheesecake
Ingredients
Strawberry Chia Jam
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 cups frozen strawberries
Filling
- 1 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight or for 30 minutes in boiling hot water)
- 3/4 cup coconut cream (thick cream from a can of coconut milk)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 lemon (juiced)
Base
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup dates (pits removed- roughly 12 dates)
- pinch of sea salt
optional toppings
- 1/4 cup pistachios (chopped finely)
- 1/4 cup coconut
Instructions
- Soak the cashews for the filling overnight, or for 30 minutes in boiling, hot water.
- Prepare the Strawberry Chia Jam. Add the frozen strawberries and maple syrup to a saucepan and over medium-low temperature bring them to a simmer, until they are soft. Add them to a food processor and blend until smooth. Stream in the chia seeds. Add to a glass container and place in the fridge to set for at least 20 minutes.
- Prepare the base. Add the almonds, pecans, dates (pits removed) and sea salt to a clean food processor and pulse/blend until the mixture sticks together finely. Note: make sure your dates are soft as they will be stickier then hard dates.
- Divide the base mixture evenly over three 4 1/2″ springform pans. Roughly 1/2 cup (plus a few tablespoons) per springform. Press the mixture down using your fingers. Place in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
- Prepare the filling. Drain the water from the cashews, then add the cashews, coconut cream, maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.
- Take the cheesecake base out of the freezer and the jam out of the fridge. How you incorporate the jam is up to you. I ended up adding a bit of the filing then 2 tablespoons of the jam (to each base) and using a spoon, swirl the jam throughout the coconut filling. Then add more filling and 2 more tablespoons of chia jam and do the same thing. Use roughly 1 cup of filling per springform.
- When you are happy with the appearance of the swirling, add the cheesecakes into the freezer for at least 6 hours to set. Option to top with pistachios and coconut.
- When ready to enjoy, leave the cheesecakes to sit out for 20 minutes to thaw so they are extra creamy!
- Store in the freezer, in a sealed container.
Notes
- I have not tested this recipe as 1 large cheesecake (using an 8″ springform pan). I would imagine it would work out just fine re the measurements etc. But I have not tested it that way.
- If there is any extra chia jam, it is delicious on toast in the morning.
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This dessert… looks SO delicious and the flavours and texture are perfect! Mmm… Absolute perfection for Valentine’s Day … or any day, to be honest!
It was perfect the first time. I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
great to hear!