No-bake vegan chocolate cherry cheesecake – this striking dairy-free cheesecake is made using natural, healthy ingredients and the bright pink colour comes from just cherries, no food colouring needed! Post sponsored by Indigo Herbs.
I realised that I was yet to post a no-bake vegan cheesecake recipe. My baked vegan lemon blueberry cheesecake has proved to be a popular recipe so I figured you guys would be up for some more cheesecake action!
This no-bake vegan chocolate cherry cheesecake is a decadent dessert that is made using mostly nutritious ingredients like nuts and fruit. I also cut down on the sugar a bit by using stevia leaf powder from Indigo Herbs to partially sweeten it. (You can use coconut sugar instead if you want).
Don’t get me wrong, this is still a high calorie dessert; but you can enjoy a slice knowing that those calories are nutritious rather than empty ones.
It also happens to be absolutely delicious. Chocolate and cherry is a classic combination for good reason! The cheesecake itself is cherry flavoured and I paired it with a chocolate flavoured base and chocolate ganache topping.
This vegan chocolate cherry cheesecake is the perfect dessert for any celebration, but I think that it’s striking pink colour and fruity chocolate flavour make it particularly well suited to a romantic Valentine’s day meal.
N0-Bake Vegan Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Ingredients:
Cashews: Unroasted, soaked cashews create the creamy base of this cheesecake. They have a very neutral flavour, allowing the cherries to shine.
Frozen cherries: Using frozen rather than fresh cherries allows you to make this cheesecake year round, even when we are not in cherry season. It saves you from having to do a whole load of cherry pitting too!
I simply defrost mine in the microwave until they are just warm; if they are too cold then you risk the melted cacao butter solidifying before you have managed to blend your cheesecake mixture.
Cacao butter and agar agar powder: A lot of no-bake vegan cheesecakes are set using large quantities of coconut oil, which means they are very high in fat and prone to melting at room temperature.
I used a combination of cacao butter and agar agar (both available from Indigo Herbs) to set mine.
The cacao butter sets much firmer than coconut oil and is solid at room temperature so you don’t need to use as much of it (it also has a lovely white chocolate flavour!), and the agar agar sets the cheesecake quickly and enables it to hold it’s shape even when out of the fridge.
I used both rather than just agar agar as it can be a bit rubbery on it’s own so I wanted to include enough fat to keep the cheesecake creamy.
Stevia leaf powder: I used stevia leaf powder from Indigo Herbs to provide some of the sweetness in this cheesecake. Because it is roughly 10-15 times sweeter than sugar you only need to use a little bit and can use it to cut out a fair amount of added sugar.
Green leaf stevia is all-natural, alkaline, pure and unprocessed. The whole stevia leaf is gently dried and ground into a fine powder that makes a fantastic alternative to regular sugar.
It does have a fairly strong flavour, so I think it is best to use it to replace some, rather than all of the sugar; which is why I used it alongside agave nectar rather than as the only sweetener.
If you prefer not to use alternative sweeteners then you can use coconut sugar (or any dry sugar) in it’s place.
Agave nectar/maple syrup: Pretty self-explanatory; either agave or maple syrup provides some of the sweetness in this cheesecake. Either of those is fine but don’t swap it out for a non-syrup based sweetener instead.
Lemon juice: Cheesecake should have a slightly tangy flavour which is usually provided by the cream cheese. Lemon juice does the job perfectly in this version.
Coconut milk: Use full fat coconut milk (from a tin) for the best results. Give the tin a good shake beforehand so that the milk is well blended.
You can’t taste the coconut at all in the finished cheesecake but if you are unable to eat coconut then you can use a creamy non-dairy milk instead. Either soy, oat or cashew would be best.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla goes so well with cherries so this is a no-brainer.
Base And Topping:
Nuts, dates and cacao powder: For the base I thought I would keep it healthy and use a ground nut, date and cacao powder mixture. I used a mixture of almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts but any nut would be fine really.
This kind of base ensures that the whole cheesecake remains fairly nutritious, though it is a soft, chewy texture rather than the usual crisp biscuit base.
If you are less concerned about nutrition and just want a delicious dessert then might I suggest making a more traditional chocolate biscuit base instead? Either Bourbon or Oreo biscuits would work extremely well.
Dark chocolate and coconut milk: I topped the cheesecake with a layer of sumptuous chocolate ganache. It works wonderfully with the cherry flavour so don’t skip it!
It is made simply by heating chopped dark chocolate and full-fat tinned coconut milk together until melted and smooth. If you can’t have coconut then you could try using soy or oat based cream instead.
You can use a naturally sweetened dark chocolate if that is a concern for you.
How To Make No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake:
(For ingredients and full instructions see the recipe card below)
*For the best results make sure that you follow the recipe closely. As always, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup conversions. Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough for baking and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.*
Start by putting the cashews for the filling to soak. I cover them with boiling water and leave them for an hour or two but you can also soak them in cold water overnight instead.
To make the cheesecake base, soak some pitted dates in boiling water for ten minutes.
While the dates are soaking, place some mixed nuts (I used almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts) in a food processor and blend until they are fairly finely chopped. Set aside.
Drain the dates well and place them in the food processor (no need to wash it first). Blend until they are finely chopped then add cacao powder and a pinch of salt and blend again.
Add the ground nuts and pulse until well combined. The mixture should be thick and clump together well. If it is too dry you can add a drop of water, and if it is too sticky then you can add some ground almonds or fine rolled oats.
Lightly grease a 20cm/8 inch round springform cake tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment. Transfer the date mixture to the tin and press it out evenly across the base. Pack it down as firmly as you can then pop it in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
Drain the soaked cashews well and place them in a blender along with defrosted frozen cherries, agave nectar or maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract, melted cacao butter and stevia leaf powder or coconut sugar.
Blend the mixture until it is very smooth. You will need to stop and scrape down the sides a couple of times. If your blender is struggling to get it smooth then you can add a drop of milk or water to aid it along. Don’t add too much though, you want the mixture to be as thick as possible so the cheesecake sets well.
Taste the mixture and add more stevia leaf powder/coconut sugar if you feel it needs more sweetness.
From this point on you need to work quickly as once the agar agar has been activated it starts to set extremely quickly; so have everything ready and close to hand.
Pour full fat coconut milk into a pan and sprinkle over the agar agar powder. Whisk well until smooth then place the pan over a medium-low heat and whisk constantly as the mixture comes up to a boil. Allow to boil for a few minutes, whisking the whole time, until the milk has thickened.
Remove the pan from the heat and immediately scrape the mixture into the blender with the rest of the cheesecake filling. Blend until very well combined, scrape down the sides and blend again.
Straight away pour the filling mixture over the prepared base and spread it level. Refrigerate for at least four hours until the cheesecake has set.
To make the ganache topping, place chopped dark chocolate and full fat coconut milk in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Don’t let the base of the bowl touch the water. Stir until melted and smooth then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Carefully unmould the cheesecake and place it on a serving plate. Once the ganache has cooled but is still pourable, pour it over the top of the cheesecake and smooth it out with a spatula. Either serve the cheesecake right away or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Top Tips:
I used agar agar POWDER, not flakes; they are very different strengths. I have never used the flakes before but I would estimate that the correct amount to use would be 7 1/2 level tsp.
You can swap the nut and date based base for an Oreo one for a more traditional cheesecake.
Make sure that you boil the agar agar. This is what activates it and it won’t set otherwise.
The cheesecake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for around 3-4 days.
The cheesecake can be frozen, either whole or in slices, in an airtight container for up to three months.
More Vegan Desserts:
No-bake chocolate stem ginger tart
Vegan steamed chocolate pudding
Chocolate raspberry skillet cookie for two
Vegan lemon blueberry cheesecake
Blubeberry pie with coconut oil crust
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No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake
No-bake vegan chocolate cherry cheesecake – this striking dairy-free cheesecake is made using natural, healthy ingredients and the bright pink colour comes from just cherries, no food colouring needed!
Ingredients
Base:
- 170 g (6 oz) pitted dried dates
- 200 g (7 oz) mixed nuts (I used almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts)
- 4 Tbsp cacao powder
- pinch salt
Cheesecake Filling:
- 300 g (10 ½ oz) unroasted cashews
- 300 g (10 ½ oz) frozen cherries (pitted ones)
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) lemon juice
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) agave nectar/maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp stevia leaf powder, plus extra to taste (or use 4 Tbsp coconut sugar)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 50 g (1 ¾ oz) cacao butter
- 200 ml (½ + ⅓ cup) full-fat coconut milk
- 2 ½ tsp agar agar powder*
Ganache:
- 120 g (4 ¼ oz) dark chocolate chopped
- 120 ml (½ cup) full fat coconut milk
Instructions
-
Place the cashews for the filling to soak. I cover them with boiling water and leave them for an hour or two but you can also soak them in cold water overnight instead.
-
While the cashews are soaking, make the cheesecake base. Place the dates in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water and leave to soak for 10 minutes then drain well.
-
While the dates are soaking, place the mixed nuts in a food processor and blend until they are fairly finely chopped. Tip into a bowl and set aside.
-
Place the drained dates in the food processor (no need to wash it first). Blend until they are finely chopped then add the cacao powder and a pinch of salt and blend again.
-
Add the ground nuts and pulse until well combined. The mixture should be thick and clump together well. If it is too dry you can add a drop of water, and if it is too sticky then you can add some ground almonds or fine rolled oats.
-
Lightly grease a 20cm/8 inch round springform cake tin and line the base and sides with baking parchment. Transfer the date mixture to the tin and press it out evenly across the base. Pack it down as firmly as you can then pop it in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
-
Defrost the cherries in the microwave, you want them to be just warm so that the cacao butter doesn't re-solidify in the blender.
-
Place the cacao butter in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Don't let the base of the bowl touch the water. Stir until melted then remove from the heat.
-
Drain the soaked cashews well and place them in a blender along with the defrosted frozen cherries, agave nectar or maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract, melted cacao butter and stevia leaf powder or coconut sugar.
-
Blend the mixture until it is very smooth. You will need to stop and scrape down the sides a couple of times. If your blender is struggling to get it smooth then you can add a drop of milk or water to aid it along. Don’t add too much though, you want the mixture to be as thick as possible so the cheesecake sets well.
-
Taste the mixture and add more stevia leaf powder/coconut sugar if you feel it needs more sweetness.
-
From this point on you need to work quickly as once the agar agar has been activated it starts to set extremely quickly; so have everything ready and close to hand.
-
Pour the full fat coconut milk into a pan and sprinkle over the agar agar powder. Whisk well until smooth then place the pan over a medium-low heat and whisk constantly as the mixture comes up to a boil. Allow to boil for a few minutes, whisking the whole time, until the milk has thickened.
-
Remove the pan from the heat and immediately scrape the mixture into the blender with the rest of the cheesecake filling. Blend until very well combined, scrape down the sides and blend again.
-
Straight away pour the filling mixture over the prepared base and spread it level. Refrigerate for at least four hours until the cheesecake has set.
-
To make the ganache topping, place the chopped dark chocolate and full fat coconut milk in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Don’t let the base of the bowl touch the water. Stir until melted and smooth then remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
-
Carefully unmould the cheesecake and place it on a serving plate. Once the ganache has cooled but is still pourable, pour it over the top of the cheesecake and smooth it out with a spatula. Either serve the cheesecake right away or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Recipe Notes
- *I used agar agar POWDER, not flakes; they are very different strengths. I have never used the flakes before but I would estimate that the correct amount to use would be 7 1/2 level tsp.
This post is sponsored by Indigo Herbs, thank you for supporting the brands that allow me to continue doing what I love – playing with food and making a mess of my kitchen.
