This No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake recipe is a healthy yet decadent dessert! Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and paleo-friendly!
Welcome to October…my favorite month of the entire year! All the best produce is in season, the weather is sheer perfection and the fall colors are simply breathtaking. Yes, I am very grateful I live in a world where there are Octobers! 😉
It’s also my birthday month. Next week I’ll turn 32 {gasp!} so of course I decided I had to celebrate with all of you lovely ladies and gentlemen! If you have been around my corner of the world wide web for 0.2 seconds then you’ll understand why this No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake is the perfect way for me to celebrate getting another year older.
To be honest, I don’t really care all that much about my birthday! I’ve never been the type of person who feels like the entire day {or week, or month for that matter} needs to be all about me. I mean, it was my mom who did all the work the day I was born {can I get an amen ladies}?! But it is a great excuse to take a break from cooking, doing the dishes and changing diapers for a day. So I’ll take it! 😉
This No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake is exactly the dessert I want to celebration with this year! It’s vegan, gluten-free dairy free and has no refined sugar! It’s also paleo-friendly! However, even though it’s healthy, it is not lacking in the deep, rich chocolate peanut butter flavor department. No in the slightest!
How to make No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Blender/Food processor. You will need a food processor or high powered blender {You know I used my Vitamix} to make this recipe.
- Start by making the crust, then wipe the container clean and move on to the filling. You may need to pause and scrape down the sides, then continue blending/processing.
- Let it set. This recipe needs to set in the fridge for at least 1-2 hours.
- It’s best served at room temperature or close to it. The chocolate and peanut butter flavors intensify when this Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake has the chance to rise a few degrees in temperature. I recommend removing it from the fridge 20-30 minute before you’re ready to serve it!
No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake: Substitutions
Ok this recipe is the best ever. So I wouldn’t recommend tampering with it, like at all. BUT if you must, here are a few acceptable substitutions.
- Pecans. I have also used walnuts with great results, although I prefer pecans!
- Honey/Maple syrup. Either can be used in this recipe {and I’ve made it with both}! Use maple syrup to keep it vegan!
- Peanut Butter. Any nut or seed butter can be used, however peanut butter is my favorite. Coming in second is cashew butter and third, almond butter…both of which make this No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake recipe paleo!
That’s it! I do not recommend tampering with any of the other ingredients! You can leave out the chocolate/peanut butter topping if you wish, but why anyone would make that choice is beyond my comprehension! 😉
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Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust:
- ½ cup raw pecans
- ½ cup dates pitted (don’t forget to remove the pits)!!
- 1 ½ TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 TBS unsweetened, shredded coconut
- 1 TBS honey or pure maple syrup
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Filling
- 1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews soaked for at least 1 hour
- 6 TBS pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup unsweetened chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup coconut cream
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Chocolate peanut butter topping:
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 TBS creamy peanut butter
Instructions
- First, soak 1 cup of cashews in enough boiling water to cover them for at least 1 hour. After 1 hour rinse and drain and proceed with the recipe.
Crust:
- Line a 6” round cake pan (deep) with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Put dates and pecans in the container of a Vitamix blender or a food processor fitted with the “S” blade. Process until mixture is resembles a coarse meal and is uniform throughout.
- Add the rest of the to the blender/food processor and blend/process until the mixture just starts to clump together. (Do not over process here or the bites will become oily)!
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press it evenly into the bottom of the pan.
- Put the pan with the crust in it in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
Filling:
- In a microwave safe dish or in a small pan over medium-low heat melt together the peanut butter, chocolate, maple syrup and coconut oil until smooth. Set aside.
- Place the soaked, rinsed and drained cashews and the coconut cream into the container of your Vitamix blender. Blend until smooth.
- Add the melted chocolate, peanut butter & coconut oil mixture, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and salt to the Vitamix/blender. Blend for 30-60 seconds or until silky smooth. You may need to stop, scrape down the sides and continue blending.
- Pour the filling into the prepared pan and evenly spread it over the crust.
- Place the pan back in the refrigerator until it sets up and becomes solid (about 1-2 hours).
Topping:
- Melt ¼ cup chopped semisweet chocolate or chocolate chips with 2 TBS peanut butter and stir until smooth. Evenly spread over firm filling. Return to fridge to set.
- To serve, remove from fridge and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. This tastes the best when it’s not straight out of the fridge and has a little time to sit at room temperature!
Notes
Nutrition
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Krystal
I am planning on making this recipe tomorrow for a birthday. Can a tart ring be used instead of the pie dish?
Amy
Hi! This recipe looks amazing. my husband and I are watching our calories, and I noticed you had calories in the nutrition section but I didn’t see what a serving size was for those calories. I would sure like to know so I can make it and rate it!
Kat
Just wanted to let everyone know that this is not only the easiest and quickest recipe for a vegan cheesecake I’ve ever made but it’s also deliciously addictive. Such a satisfying dessert. Surprisingly, the ingredients are relatively inexpensive to buy (and I’m in Australia where everything seems expensive) and the cake seems to go a long way since it is quite rich. Such a solid recipe. Never fails. I double everything and make it in a standard springform and it turns out perfect every time! Thanks for a great recipe!
Laura
Thank you so much Kat!! I’m so glad to know you love it! It’s one of my favorites! <3
Stacey
I made this for my birthday and it was amazing!! I’m not sure that I would call it a cheesecake as it doesn’t have the tang that cream cheese gives. I’d call it more like a peanut butter truffle cake.
Valeria
Can i substitute cashews with another nut? like almonds?
Laura
Hey Valeria! Do you mean in the crust or in the filling? If you mean the crust, yes you can use another nut. I recommend pecans if you can’t do cashews! For the filling, if you can’t use cashews I’d recommend using nut butter instead of a different nut, because cashews are so silky and soft after they have been soaked and blended. I’d try using 3/4 cup almond butter instead of the 1 cup cashews.
Lori
This is the first vegan dessert I’ve ever made and it was delicious!! I’ll be making it again for sure
Bailey Moore
Where did you find roasted, unsalted cashews? So do not buy them raw?
Ashley
I never review recipes but this was AMAZING and worth a 5 star review!! I am a huge baker and needed a recipe for a friend who is vegan/gluten free and was worried I would be able to find something delicious. But this fit the bill! It is to die for!!!!
Jim
Honey isn’t vegan. It is the produce of an animal.
Laura
You are correct! That is why I list maple syrup as the sweetener of choice for a vegan version!
Amy
This recipe is delicious! I did not think for one second it would taste as amazing as it did. This is a keeper and will be made again without a doubt. Thanks so much for giving me a chance to enjoy cheesecake again!
Simone
I made this as a birthday cake (for myself!), and I was pleased with how easy it was to make. It just took under an hour and was so simple with my (cheap) food processor and so satisfying. I made it 2 days in advance, as I saw a review that said it tasted better with a few days rest in the fridge. I topped it with cacao nibs and peanut butter drizzle, and it was quite lovely aesthetically, especially with a spoonful of strawberries on top. It also tastes very, very good with added sea salt! I was a bit disappointed by the lack of peanut butter taste, as the peanuts didn’t really shine through. That didn’t make it not delicious though. It was devoured very quickly. I would definitely leave it out of the fridge for a bit before eating, as it tasted better a bit soft/melted.
Marilyn Schmid
Did you also line the sides of the pan, or just the bottom? Also, in Crust directions #3 says to add the rest of the (?) to the blender/food processor…. Is the missing word ‘ingredients?’
Thanks! I’m making this now for a friend’s birthday!
Laura
You are correct! I will fix that later! I usually cut a circle with “handles” out of parchment paper that looks like this =O= and put it in the bottom of the pan then grease it!
Marilyn Schmid
I had precut circles for the bottom of my pan and only needed to make a strip of paper to act as a sling… It worked perfectly!
Oddly enough, the only ingredients I did not already have on hand were dates and peanut butter!
I made this for a friend’s birthday, who is AIP, another friend was vegan, one was on weight watchers and two of us just trying to eat healthier ingredients…. They LOVED it!! Raved and raved!
I’ll be making this again soon for my DIL who is sensitive to dairy.
Thanks!
Cathr
The ingredients for the pastry include honey, not usually eaten by vegans.
Laura
As mentioned in the post, maple syrup is a perfect substitution for the honey to make sure this recipe complies with a vegan diet!
Angela Ponzini
So delicious!
Barbara
This looks to amazing for words! I would love to make it, but have recently been diagnosed as allergic to coconut. Is there something I could substitute for the coconut cream? It’s so disappointing to see all these amazing recipes and not be able to make them. I can tinker with the coconut flakes and try sunflower oil, but the coconut cream is kicker. Any suggestions would be appreciated, cause this looks Divine! Thanks.
Laura
Can you eat dairy?
Andrea Derrick
Made this last night and wow is it goooooooood! Vegan shmeegan, this is ah-maze-ing! Super easy too…
Monica T
I made this cheesecake yesterday to welcome my daughter’s friends from Australia. It was the best cheesecake I have ever tasted. I followed recipe without any modifications. Everyone should try this recipe. I loved it more than real cheesecake. Thank you for making your recipe is so perfect. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
It exceed my expectation.
Cr
Is it possible to use 1/4 cup almond butter instead?
Laura
Almond butter would definitely work, however it will change the taste a little bit!
ASHLEY
This looks too good to be true! A must try, thanks for sharing the recipe. 🙂
Lisa klare
I’m confused. How is it sugar free if it uses semi-seeet chocolate chips?
e
Depends on your chocolate… but anyway you are using maple syrup… it’s not a refined sugar but still sugar.
Laura
Hey! The recipe is refined sugar free, not sugar free (as maple syrup is still sugar)! The recipe calls for either unsweetened chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips! So if you would like a refined sugar free version be sure to use unsweetened chocolate!
kimberly
Oh. My. Lanta. Can I please like have this delivered to my house?! Right now?! … So I have a question regarding the cashews– Is that for like cashew milk? Could I just use cashew milk in place of this? If so, what do you think the measurement would be for that ingredient? I dont have a fancy schmancy vitamix I should have taken advantage of that Costco sale!… I just have a regular blender and am afraid it will not blend well enough! haha…. Any tips?! 🙂
Laura
Hey Kimberly! Cashew milk is not a substitute for the soaked and drained cashews. In the “substitutions” section of the post I explain how you may use cashew butter in place of the cashews! Do you have a food processor? I’d recommend a FP over a not-so-great blender!
M
How did you get it out of the pan to display on a plate?
Did you line only the bottom of the pan or up the sides….somehow, also?
I would like to present mine ona plate.
Laura
Hello! I line my cake pan with parchment paper! Simply trace the bottom of the pan on a piece of paper, then draw two rectangles on opposite sides of each other on the circle to be used as “handles” place the circle in the bottom of your pan and fold the handles over the sides. it should look kind of like this =o= 😉
TraceY
This looks amazing! Can you tell me what type of peanut butter you use? Is it natural peanut-only type or a more processed one like Kraft or Jiffy or Skippy? I know the taste is extremely different between the two types so just want to make sure I use the right one! My husband would love this for his birthday
Laura
Hey Tracey! I use natural peanut butter like Crazy Richards!
Sally
This was unbelievably good! I did make some changes as mine can’t have cashews, just omitted them made up the rest as is then added 1/4 cup of dairy free chocolate to the base. Tasted the filling and added a little more coconut cream and one more spoon of honey,my three kids need the chocolate taming a little bit more and it turned out amazing! I am sure using cashews will only improve it further, so thanks for the great recipe
Laura
I’m SO glad you enjoyed! <3
Kristeb
This was fabulous! I was worried because I didn’t have a 6” round pan and had to use an 8 “ square pan instead. Had a little difficulty pressing the crust out but managed it. I brought it to a dinner party and everyone loved it. Will definitely be making this again.
Laura
YAY! I love hearing that you and all your dinner party guests enjoyed it!