No Bake Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake

Last Valentine’s Day, my husband and I went on a typical kind of February 14th date – which is rare for us. Normally, we like to do something adventurous, like kayaking or hiking together, but other years I’ve cooked one of his favorite meals and we’ll stay in and pop open a bottle of nice wine.

But last year was our closest thing to a cheesy candlelit lovey dovey V-Day date… only it actually was super memorable and not at all the norm that most people probably think of for a dinner out on the holiday of love.

On V-Day night, we ventured over to the La Jolla area of San Diego for a rooftop dinner at Trilogy Sanctuary, a vegan cafe and yoga studio that I adore. We were expecting a 3-course dinner with live music on the cafe’s relaxing outdoor patio, and Trilogy did not disappoint.

From the moment we sat down at our table, Adam and I were glued to what the entertainers were doing. There were people performing impressive aerial yoga routines, including an aerial yoga duo performing together and a mesmerizing performer who was playing with fire – literally – and a talented singer serenading us.

And then, of course there was the food.

Glasses of champagne with sliced strawberries to sip. 

Tomato basil soup and a strawberry avocado salad for appetizers. 

Vegetable lasagna and asparagus lemon risotto as our entrees. 

All of the above was delicious, but what I was most impressed with was dessert: red velvet cheesecake with berries + dark chocolate peppermint slice topped with coconut ice cream.

You would have never guessed that these flavorful desserts were made without dairy or eggs – and in fact, that’s one of the things I love about Trilogy Sanctuary’s food in general.

After last Valentine’s Day and Trilogy’s red velvet cheesecake, I made a mental note to develop a similar vegan cheesecake recipe surrounding the day of love this year to share with you guys…. so here we are!

This strawberry cheesecake recipe is healthier than your average cheesecake, sans any dairy or refined sugar, and requires NO BAKING. You can also make the cheesecake gluten free by simply using gluten free graham crackers instead of your average store-bought ones.

So just what do we use instead of cream cheese, sour cream, butter, heavy cream, eggs, and any other animal derived product that’s traditionally used in cheesecake?

The crust is made with 3 ingredients: graham cracker crumbs, non-dairy butter, like Earth Balance, and a bit of almond milk.

Once we’ve got that whipped up and pressed into the pie pan, the “cheese” cake layer is made with just 5 ingredients: raw soaked cashews, dairy free cream cheese, pure maple syrup, and a bit of vanilla and fine sea salt.

After we blend those ingredients super well and pour the mixture into the pie pan on top of the graham cracker crust, we whip up the strawberry layer: Frozen strawberries, fresh lemon zest, maple syrup and vanilla is blended together until smooth.

Spread the strawberry layer on top, and then just place the cheesecake in the freezer for at least a couple of hours. One cool aspect of this recipe is the ability to make it ahead of time: Just remove the cheesecake from the freezer 15-30 minutes before you want to serve it, depending on how how long it’s been sitting in the freezer and how much it needs to thaw out a bit.

A couple of things to note:

• The fresh lemon zest is optional, but I LOVE how it gives the cheesecake a fresh burst of citrus.
• I prefer to use Kite Hill cream cheese spread, which is made with almonds. I tested the cheesecake out with a Daiya vegan cream cheese and was not a fan. I’ve also heard great things about the brand Miyokos, but I haven’t had a chance to try their cream cheese out.
• You could also use fresh raspberries if you prefer those over strawberries (or a mix!).

This strawberry cheesecake is one tasty dessert to make for Valentine’s Day, or any other day of the year! I hope that you give it a try.

No Bake Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake

Foodie Loves Fitness

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 45 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Servings 8 slices

Calories 415 kcal

Ingredients

  

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For the crust

• 10 graham cracker sheets
• 1/4 cup melted dairy free buttery spread such as Earth Balance
• 2 TBSP almond milk

For the cheesecake filling

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
• 8 oz plain vegan cream cheese softened (I like Kite Hill)
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 TSP vanilla extract
• 1/4 TSP fine sea salt

For the strawberry layer

• 1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• Zest of 1/2 medium lemon
• 1 TSP vanilla

Instructions

 

• First, soak the cashews: Boil a small pot of water. Remove from heat, then add the cashews to the water (make sure the water is covering all of the cashews). Let them soak for 20 minutes.
• While the cashews are soaking, make the crust: Add the graham crackers to a food processor. Pulse until they're ground into crumbs. Add in the melted vegan butter and almond milk. And process again until well combined.
• Spray a pie dish with cooking spray. Transfer there graham cracker crust to the pie dish, pressing the crumbs down firmly into the dish with your hands or a spatula.
• Once the cashews have properly soaked, drain them and add the cashews to the food processor.
• Add in the remaining cheesecake filling ingredients: the dairy free cream cheese, pure maple syrup, vanilla and fine sea salt. Process well, turn off, and scrap down the sides. Process well again until the cheesecake filling is smooth.
• Pour the filling into the pie pan, evenly spreading it out.
• Next, make the strawberry layer: Place the frozen strawberries, 1/4 cup maple syrup, lemon zest and vanilla extract to the food processor. Blend well until it forms a smooth mixture.
• Pour the strawberry lemon layer on top of the cheesecake layer, evenly spreading.
• Loosely cover the pie plate with parchment/wax paper or foil, and place it in the freezer. Allow the cheesecake layer to chill for at least a couple hours. You can prep the cheesecake ahead and leave it in the freezer overnight.
• Around 15-20 minutes before you'd like to enjoy the cheesecake, remove it from the freezer to allow it to slightly thaw. Cut the cheesecake into slices and enjoy!

Notes

*One slice of cheesecake also has 37% Vitamin C, 15% Iron and 7% Calcium recommended daily amounts.
**Prep time does not include chilling time in the freezer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 415kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 7gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 4gFiber: 3gSugar: 29g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Tell me… Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day, and if so, how are you spending the holiday this year?