These vegan raspberry cheesecake bars will make all you dreams come true! They’re creamy, delicious, and loaded with swirls of raspberry goodness!
So a lot of people have been asking me to post a healthy version of a cheesecake. Well, here it is!
I present to you my completely raw vegan raspberry cheesecake bars complete with a scrumptious cinnamon pecan crust. These bars can be eaten frozen for a more “ice cream” type of texture, or thawed for a softer texture.
The trick to these vegan raspberry cheesecake bars to achieve that cheesy texture is soaked cashews!
I’ve been seeing so many recipes using soaked cashews and finally, I decided to give it a try, and I do not regret it! It’s best to prepare your cashews soaked overnight, but if you forgot, don’t worry!
You can do a “quicky” soak by placing your cashews in boiling water for 1-2 hours.
I recommend you use a powerful Food Processor
or blender for this recipe to achieve that super soft creamy texture!
These vegan raspberry cheesecake bars are:
Gluten-free
Refined-sugar free
Made with all natural ingredients
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:
Cuisine:
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The ultimate vegan cheesecake bars! These bars are raw, vegan, gluten-free and refined-sugar free for a healthy and delicious treat!
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 3/4 cup oats
- 1 cup medjool dates
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked overnight then drained
- 1 can full-fat coconut cream
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Raspberry swirl:
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, blend the pecans, oats, dates, and salt until it forms a dough. You should be able to press the dough together with your fingertips. If it is too dry, add a small spoon of water.
- Press the dough down into your pan, until it coats the entire bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the freezer while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
- Place the cashews in a food processor, and blend until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Place your coconut cream in a mixer, and blend until it forms a fluffy whip cream texture. Make sure to just scrape the cream off the top of the can, and not the remaining liquid on the bottom. It should be a thick texture.
- Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla and continue to whip until incorporated.
- Pour your blended cashews into the coconut whip and gently mix together with a spatula or spoon.
- Pour the mixture into your pan.
- Place your raspberries and maple syrup in a food processor and blend. Spoon the mixture into the pan on top of the cheesecake layer.
- Using a sharp knife, begin to make swirls, or “figure eights” into the raspberry layer to achieve that swirly look.
- Place your vegan raspberry cheesecake bars into the freezer to firm up for 2-3 hours.
- When ready to serve, remove from pan, cut into squares, and serve!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 30g
- Fat: 21g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 5g
Keywords: raw dessert, vegan cheesecake, raspberry cheesecake, raspberry vegan cheesecake
This post contains affiliate links. I only recommend products I know, trust and love!
*Remember to use FULL FAT coconut cream for this recipe. The cream from the can of coconut milk should be very thick and no liquid. I recommend Thai kitchen brand.
Here is some of the gear I used to prepare this recipe!
Craving more? Here are 4 more vegan cheesecake bars for you to try!
1. Vegan dragonfruit cheesecake bars
2. Vegan strawberry vanilla cheesecake bars
3. Vegan mango cheesecake bars
4. Vegan pumpkin spice cheesecake bars
Alex
April 23, 2019 at 4:46 amI am so exited to try this recipe! Question- I am paleo. How can I substitute the oats? Thank you!!
Jess
April 23, 2019 at 11:40 amHi Alex! You can sub oats with some more hazelnut flour or almond flour!
Leila
February 13, 2019 at 12:13 amHi!
So glad to find a Montrealer yay!
Could I replace the soaked cashews with soaked almonds?
Thanks 🙂
Jess
February 13, 2019 at 1:06 amHi Leila, awesome 🙂 Almonds don’t work for this recipe since they don’t offer the same type of texture as cashews. You can replace the cashews in the recipe with Macadamia nuts though!
Elizabeth
February 4, 2019 at 10:14 pmFor the cashew portion- I blended the soakedcand drained cashews in my food processor and they became similar to a nut butter in texture. When I first scanned this recipes I expected the cashews to be turned into cashew cream in a high speed blender and with the addition of some water. So I just want to be sure that the thicker, almost nutbutter like texture is correct here. It just seems a little heavy to incorporate into the whipped coconut cream mixture but maybe it needs to be that thick to give it body? Thanks!
Jess
February 5, 2019 at 1:21 pmHi Elizabeth, the cashew mixture should be quite thick-but pourable. It’s possible that if there is a bit more cashews or depending on how long they were soaked they may be a bit of a thicker texture. If your mixture isn’t pourable you can simply add a little bit of-of extra coconut milk (2-4 tbsp worth!)
Ashley
November 20, 2018 at 6:42 pmIt would be nice to know your supposed to put the coconut milk in the fridge overnight I soaked the cashewsbut didn’t know I was supposed to do that with the coconut milk so now I have a bunch of liquid that’s really not whipping into a cream im still going to make it hopefully after being in the freezer it will set thanks for the recipe though looks great
Jess
November 20, 2018 at 6:51 pmHi Ashely, no need to put the coconut milk in the fridge. The mixture for the bars should be thick and creamy and will set up when you put them in the freezer!
Eli
June 17, 2018 at 10:04 pmJust made this for my Dad for fathers day and it will take forever for the two of us to eat it all. How long can I keep it sealed in the freezer for before it goes bad? Amazing by the way, love how pretty it is. Will be posting it on instagram,
★★★★★
Jess
June 19, 2018 at 2:25 pmHi Eli, they can last a very long time in the freezer since it keeps them preserved! You can just store them in an airtight container for a few months so no rush to eat them all right away!
Jen
March 6, 2018 at 12:23 amThis is by far the best raw dessert I have ever tasted! My coconut cream wouldn’t whip though- not sure what happened and it seemed to separate. Not sure if you have any tips… it was still incredible though! And tasted like real cheesecake! Thanks for recipe!
★★★★★
Jess
March 6, 2018 at 2:54 amHi Jen, So happy you loved there bars! Coconut cream can vary a lot based on the brand. I often use the “Thai kitchen” brand which I know works well. I’d recommend trying a couple different brands of coconut milk until you find one that is your favourite!
Jen
March 7, 2018 at 3:23 amThank you! 🙂
Jess
March 8, 2018 at 4:21 pmYour welcome Jen!
Helene
January 4, 2017 at 9:04 pmHello, does it need to be served from the freezer or can it be left out for a while? I was hoping to take it to a picnic!
★★★★
JessH
January 18, 2017 at 9:39 amHi Helene,
This could be served at a picnic but I would definitely keep it in a cooler with some ice packs. Its good out of the fridge however if left in the sun it will melt.
Alice
December 14, 2016 at 10:03 amHi! What can be used as a nut substitute for the filling instead of cashews?
Thanks
JessH
December 20, 2016 at 3:41 amHi Alice! You can try using macadiamia nuts or if your allergic or don’t like nuts you can try buckwheat groats soaked overnight!
Sara
December 10, 2016 at 1:23 amHi, I’ve just made this and it’s sitting in the freezer as I type. Did anyone else’s coconut & cashew mix come out looking grey? Is there a trick to getting the pretty creamy yellow in the photo or has the photo been touched up?
Thanks
JessH
December 20, 2016 at 3:42 amHi Sara, That’s very bizarre that your mixture is grey…Were your cashews raw or roasted? Raw cashews and coconut cream from a can should end up white. Or perhaps some darker varieties of vanilla extract can darken the colour slightly.
Carrie K
October 10, 2016 at 12:46 pmI made this and set it in the freezer for 3 hours. The cashew/coconut cream part was not solid and it just kinda spilled everywhere. The flavors were good but I have no idea how you make it stay solid. Should it be completely frozen? I left it in the freezer overnight and I’ll check on it later to see if that’s better.
★★★
JessH
October 10, 2016 at 12:50 pmHi Carrie,
I’m sorry to hear that, make sure you are using FULL FAT coconut cream, and JUST the cream, not the liquid on the bottom. That and the cashews firm up nicely together. Hope this helps!!
Jazzmin
October 5, 2016 at 9:30 pmFor the coconut milk I am unclear do you need coconut milk or cream? I have coconut milk. Should I just refrigerate it? Unsure.
JessH
October 10, 2016 at 12:52 pmYou need to use full-fat coconut cream!It should be the thick cream off the top of the can!
Nahum
October 23, 2016 at 11:47 pmTrader Joe’s has a terrific, thick canned coconut cream.
JessH
October 24, 2016 at 5:23 pmGreat tip! There’s some good brands out there for coconut cream, it’s just a matter of finding them!
Taylor
September 30, 2016 at 5:34 pmI’m so impatient and I don’t want to wait for my cashews to soak, soooooooooo my question is: the “quick” soak? Do you straight boil them for like 2 hours? Or bring to a boil and then let soak? I just don’t want to ruin all my cashews if I do it wrong!
JessH
September 30, 2016 at 6:07 pmHi Taylor! I totally understand, I can be impatient too! I usually boil water in my kettle and pour it over the bowl of cashews and let them soak for 1-2 hours. You can alternatively boil a pot of water, take the pot off the heat, and soak your cashews in the pot for 1 hour!
Ash
August 21, 2016 at 7:14 amCould I make this without the lemon juice as I’m not a fan of really lemony things?
JessH
September 29, 2016 at 5:58 pmYou absolutely can! It will just not have that “tart” cheesecake taste, but if you don’t like it it will be great without it!
Gloria Mackenzie
August 18, 2016 at 6:10 pmdo i use the water that the cashews were soaked in when i blend the cashews, or just drain it.
Georgina Keen
July 21, 2016 at 9:22 amMy husband can’t eat cashews is there another non-nut ingredient I could sub with. Doesn’t have to be vegan. Help much appreciated as would love to make these. Tia
JessH
July 21, 2016 at 1:59 pmHi Georgina!
You can try using buckwheat groats and soaking them for a few hours in place of the cashews. I haven’t tried using them yet however I’ve been meaning to do a nut-free vegan cheesecake recipe using those and I am confident they will work! alternatively if you wish to you dairy you can use 2 sticks of cream cheese.
André Le Comte
July 4, 2016 at 6:49 amI made this recipe twice and the second time I doubled the amount of filling. This made the proportions more like a traditional cheesecake and it was easier to apply the raspberry swirl.
I accidentally burnt-out one of my blenders while trying to make the crust. Due to the amount of blended nuts required for this recipe, it pays to follow the directions and use a food processor.
Jess Hoffman
July 9, 2016 at 10:15 pmHi Andre,
That sounds delicious how you made it! I’ve made these before with and without cinnamon, they are delicious both ways!
Verena Teixeira
June 26, 2016 at 11:07 amI made this yesterday and today I ate some for my breakfast and I couldn’t believe how incredibly tasty they were without using any regular sugar. I don’t have a food processor but I used my blender and it worked very well too, just took sometime to make the soaked cashews becoming a very smooth kind of paste.
JessH
June 27, 2016 at 8:41 pmI’m so glad you enjoyed them!!
Jess Hoffman
July 9, 2016 at 10:15 pmthey look absolutely wonderful! It’s not nice to discover treats without sugar that are healthy and delicious!
Katheryn
June 15, 2016 at 8:05 amhow long does this cheesecake hold? I’m just wondering how long in advance I can make this
JessH
June 16, 2016 at 1:32 amHi Katheryn!
You’ll want to make this a day in advance if you have the time! Or you can make it 3 hours in advance minimum and keep it in the freezer!
André Le Comte
July 4, 2016 at 6:51 amIt can be frozen so you could make it days or possibly weeks in advance and then transfer it to the refrigerator before serving.
Alina
June 12, 2016 at 4:52 pmDon’t buy the light coconut cream. Although it was all night in the fridge, still was watery when opened. I still used it, but added a few tabslespoons of coconut oil. Hope it will set in the fridge.
Jess Hoffman
July 9, 2016 at 10:16 pmYes it is important to use full-fat coconut cream! It is a treat afterall and some in moderation isn’t bad for you! Light coconut cream will not give a thick enough consistency!
Haany
May 30, 2016 at 8:03 pmWhen you say one large can of coconut milk what exactly do you mean in measurements?
Patricia Pascale
May 30, 2016 at 11:05 pmThis isn’t my recipe but I’ve made plenty of vegan desserts before that require this ingredient. You just buy a can of full fat coconut milk, stick it in the fridge overnight or longer and then open it carefully when you’re ready to use it. The cream will have solidified and it’s this solid that you need. Just be careful when you scoop it out as there will be the liquid underneath and you want to minimize any clear liquid otherwise the cream won’t whip up nicely.
Patricia Pascale
May 29, 2016 at 5:14 pmWhat can I use instead of honey to make it vegan? Maple syrup?
JessH
May 30, 2016 at 1:49 pmHi Patricia!
Yes exactly! The recipe states maple syrup or honey,so it’s as you wish. Alternatively if you are not a fan of maple syrup, you can also use brown rice syrup. That would work well too!
Alex T
May 24, 2016 at 7:19 pmHoney in the recipe?
JessH
May 24, 2016 at 7:42 pmMaple syrup or honey if your as strictly vegan, it’s your choice!
Nikita Hernandez
April 19, 2016 at 6:08 pmWhat’s the best brand/kind of canned coconut milk to use to make the cream?
JessH
April 24, 2016 at 8:52 pmHi there! I usually buy the “thai kitchen” brand. you want a brand that has a thick layer of the cream in it, it should not be all liquid. And make sure to use full fat coconut milk!
Precious Tritium
May 24, 2016 at 5:44 pmI use the Thai Kitchen stuff for a lot of things, especially for alfredo sauce. You can buy either the milk cans and scoop the cream off the top, or for a little more just cans of the cream.
Andrea
January 4, 2017 at 2:47 amHi, How many milliliters are coconut cream?
★★★★★
JessH
January 18, 2017 at 9:41 amHi Andrea, I believe a can would be about 400ml!