Vegan Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Simple, yet impressive, these vegan No-Bake Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars are so delicious! Made completely dairy-free, they are such a fun treat to make and eat! They start with a true cookie dough flavored almond flour crust, then a creamy cashew cheesecake layer, and finally a good drizzle of melted chocolate to finish it off. These raw treats are freezer-friendly as well, so make some for now and put away the rest for later!

Vegan Cookie Dough Cheesecake

I’m not sure you’d believe me if I tell you this, but these impressive-looking vegan cheesecake bars are so simple to make! And more than that, they also really taste like cookie dough cheesecake! The cookie dough crust is made from a few simple ingredients that are totally safe to eat because the dough doesn’t contain any eggs or flour, and it’s made in just one bowl. The cheesecake filling is made with blended cashews, which lends to a super silky and creamy feel without any dairy at all! And finally, it’s decorated with a little drizzle of chocolate and coconut oil. The whole thing needs to chill for a few hours before it’s ready to eat, but it’s so worth the wait. Plus, these vegan cheesecake bars freeze so well, so you can have a few treats now and some later!

Ingredients Needed

• Almond Flour
• Raw Unsalted Cashews
• Maple Syrup
• Coconut Oil + Coconut Cream
• Vanilla Extract
• Lemon Juice
• Sea Salt
• Chocolate Chips

How to Make a Raw and Vegan Cheesecake

So there are three main steps to making this recipe:

1. Mixing together the cookie dough base
2. Soaking the cashews and blending together the cheesecake filling
3. Drizzling chocolate over the chilled cheesecake

Truly there is nothing here to do that is tricky or time-consuming, except the soaking of the cashews! And even that, we give you some tips for fast-tracking that step if you didn’t plan ahead in making this recipe!

The cookie dough is simply mixed together in a bowl, and then patted into an 8″ baking container. Next, you need to blend up all of the cheesecake filling ingredients until silky smooth. After you pour the cheesecake into the baking container, the cheesecake needs to chill for at least 4 hours. You can fast-track this by setting it in the freezer, but it will still take 1-2 hours to set.

And finally, it’s time to drizzle that chocolate! The chocolate can be melted using your preferred method, whether that be over a double-boiler or in the microwave. The chocolate is melted with coconut oil so it doesn’t harden too much, which makes the bars easier to eat.

Tips for Success with this Recipe

1. If you don’t have time to soak cashews overnight, you can quickly “soak” them. To do so:
   1. Place cashews in a small pot and add enough water to cover by 2″.
   2. Bring cashews to a boil, and let cook for 5 minutes, making sure the water does not evaporate.
   3. Drain, rinse and let cool for a few minutes before use.
2. Make sure you the cashew mixture is smooth! The recipe calls for a high-powered blender or food processor, but I’ve successfully made it with just a standard blender. This is the most important step in the cheesecake: to blend, blend, blend until you have a creamy and smooth cashew mixture!
3. Instead of making these into cheesecake bars, you can make them into individual cheesecakes by using a muffin tin lined with silicone or parchment paper liners.

How to Serve and Store Vegan Cheesecake

This cheesecake gets soft when left at room temperature for too long. It is meant to be served chilled. It can be stored covered, in either the refrigerator (for up to 3 days) or the freezer for up to 1 month. To serve the cheesecake from the freezer, let it sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes until soft enough to cut.

Watch the video here:

If you like this no-bake dessert recipe, check out these others:

• Chia Honey Lime Fruit Salad
• Chocolate Dessert Cups
• Healthy Nice Cream
• 2-Ingredient Strawberry Fruit Leather

Vegan Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

5 from 2 votes

Simple, yet impressive, these No-Bake Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars are so delicious! Made completely dairy-free, vegan and Paleo-friendly, they are such a fun treat to make and eat! They start with a true cookie dough flavored almond flour crust, then a creamy cashew cheesecake layer and finally a good drizzle of melted chocolate to finish it off. These raw treats are freezer-friendly as well, so make some for now and put away the rest for later!

Servings 16

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

  

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For Cookie Dough Crust: 

• 2 cups almond flour
• ¼ cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup mini chocolate chips
• Pinch Salt

For No-Bake Cheesecake:

• 2 cups raw unsalted cashews soaked in water overnight (see note)
• ½ cup warm water
• ⅓ cup coconut cream
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil divided (see note)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Pinch fine sea salt
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

• Prepare an 8x8 baking dish with a parchment paper sling.
• Add almond flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extra, chocolate chips and salt to a medium bowl and mix together. Transfer mixture to the baking dish and pat down into an even thickness. Transfer dish to the freezer to sit while the filling is made.
• Drain and rinse soaked cashews. Add to the cashews to the basin of a high speed blender, along with the warm water, coconut cream, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, vanilla, maple syrup, lemon juice and salt. Blend until completely smooth, about 3-5 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Pour the filling on top of the crust and smooth it down. Transfer to the refrigerator for 4 hours, or the freezer for 2, to set.
• When ready to serve, melt chocolate chips and remaining coconut oil over a double-boiler (or using your preferred method). Drizzle over the cheesecakes, and serve immediately.

Notes

1. If you don't have time to soak cashews overnight, you can quickly "soak" them. To do so: Place cashews in a small pot and add enough water to cover by 2". Bring cashews to a boil, and let cook for 5 minutes, making sure the water does not evaporate. Drain, rinse and let cool for a few minutes before use.
2. This cheesecake gets soft when left at room temperature for too long. It is meant to be served chilled.
3. It can be stored covered, in either the refrigerator (for up to 3 days) or the freezer for up to 1 month. To serve the cheesecake from the freezer, let it sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes until soft enough to cut.
4. Recipe originally published in 2014, but updated with a new recipe and photos in 2020.

Nutrition

Serving: 1barCalories: 172kcalCarbohydrates: 11.6gProtein: 3.5gFat: 13.1gSaturated Fat: 4.8gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 29mgFiber: 0.9gSugar: 6.4g

Course: Dessert

Author: Lexi's Clean Kitchen

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