No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Posted Oct 05, 2017, Updated Jan 29, 2023
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This no-bake vegan chocolate peanut butter cheesecake is a healthy and decadent dessert! It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and paleo-friendly!
This no-bake vegan chocolate peanut butter cheesecake is a healthy dessert that is gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and paleo-friendly.
However, even though it’s healthy, it still tastes like a decadent treat. I created this among a list of many other healthy desserts like these chickpea blondies and these black bean brownies, as a way to satisfy my sweet tooth while using nutritious ingredients.
This vegan peanut butter cheesecake is really a show stopper, making it a perfect dessert to celebrate a special occasion or make for Thanksgiving (also try this paleo and vegan pumpkin cheesecake)!
How to make a Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Use a Blender/Food processor. You will need a food processor or high powered blender 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.
Serve
This recipe is 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!
Store/freeze
Store leftovers of this cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator or at room temperature – do not microwave.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can double the ingredients and put it into a 9″ round cake pan or springform pan for easy removal.
Yes, choose a paleo or unsweetened chocolate and use almond butter or cashew butter instead of peanut butter.
Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake: Ingredient Substitutions
- Pecans. I have also used walnuts with great results.
- Honey/Maple syrup. Either can be used in this recipe – 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 (which are both paleo).
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Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake
Equipment
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!
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
- Pecans. I have also used walnuts with great results.
- Honey/Maple syrup. Either can be used in this recipe – 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 (which are both paleo).
Serve
This recipe is 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!Store/freeze
Store leftovers of this cheesecake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator or at room temperature – do not microwave.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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What coconut cream do you suggest. Mine is very thin!
Hey Briana! What kind do you have? Make sure it says cream and not coconut milk. I love Thai kitchen or the whole foods/sprouts store brands. Putting the can in the refrigerator helps firm it up, but all cans of coconut cream should have a layer of solid “cream” at the top when you open them!
Question on the coconut cream..does that mean you only use the hard cream at the top of the can? Or use the hard cream plus liquid to equal 1/2 cup?
Hey Whitney! I begin with the hard cream at the top of the can, and if it does not equal 1/2 cup then I use some of the liquid too!
I am definitely making this for Christmas Eve dessert!
I’ve almost broken my food processor in the past processing dates before, and I have a super high powered, good quality one. Do you recommend soaking them first or am I just getting poor quality dates? Where do you get yours from? I purchase mine at whole foods. They are prepackaged and organic. I don’t trust the freshness of the bulk section. Because of part experience, I’ve avoided processing dates so I’m hesitant to try this recipe.
Hey Christa! I have processed dates more times than I can count. This may sound like a silly question…but do you use pitted dates or make sure to remove the pits from the dates you use? I accidentally forgot to remove the pits once and thought I was going to break my food processor too! I don’t recommend soaking them in this recipe or else the crust will be soggy and mushy and won’t hold together.
Hi Christa. Date hesitation! Know exactly where you are at. About 20 years ago I came to this conclusion:
1. If the dates can be easily squished between finger and thumb, then simply chop them WITH SCISSORS! This means you do find any stray pits before going in your lovely food processor. Using scissors are easier for me than chopping. with a knife.
2. But if the dates are really hard and dry they will be difficult to squish between finger and thumb. To use dates for recipes like this base, I put the very dry dates in a bowl with a tiny bit of hot water, and massage them for a bit, this will rehydrate them just a little bit, enough to cut them with scissors! And proceed with the recipe!
We made this recipe, passed on by a neighbour. Amazing. We keep it in the fridge. We found this is at its best 3-4 days AFTER making it. The flavours meld beautifully by Day 3-4. So a great one to prepare in advance for a special occasion. Absolutely delicious.
Looks yummy! But since chocolate is made with milk, could you substitute with vegan chocolate?
Hey Jeanie! Many, many varieties of chocolate are vegan {YAY}! Most semi-sweet and bittersweet varieties contain no milk at all and are made with cocoa, sugar and cocoa butter…which is not a dairy product! All unsweetened chocolate is dairy-free! If you would like to ensure your chocolate is not processed in a facility that contains milk, try Enjoy Life Foods brand as they are very careful to to process their products in a facility that is free of most allergens!
This is not always true-there have been FDA studies released in the last couple years stating that most chocolates- of any kind- listed as dairy free or non dairy actually contain dairy still. If you have food allergies or are a strict vegan, please be sure to do your research on specific brands first. We are a food allergy family and this isn’t something to take lightly.
Have you tried Enjoy Life Foods? They are very specifically dairy-free!
Where do you get dairy free unsweetened chocolate chips all the ones i have seen have milk?
Enjoy Life Foods makes dairy-free chocolate chips! And Sunspire also makes a dairy-free variety!
Lily’s makes dairy-free, sugar-free chocolate chips. BTW this recipe is my favorite .. recipe ..ever!! My daughter found it when searching for milk-free desserts, now that we confirmed she is allergic to cow milk. Thank you!!
(Paul) Newman’s Own Organics dark chocolate and Bakers semi-sweet 65% cacao bars are vegan, but they both carry the phrase “manufactured on equipment that may process products containing peanuts, other nuts, milk powder, soy, and egg.”
This recipe sounds amazing! Too bad there’s so many instances of coconut… i’m allergic so there will be some tinkering for substitutes here. If I find a good combination I will share.
Hi! Was your cake pan 6” Deep or round?! I can’t tell if the pan I have is deep enough! Going to make for thanksgiving, looks amazing!
I used a 6″ round, 3″ deep cake pan (this one to be exact)!
Did you also line the sides of the pan, or just the bottom?
Can I use raw cashews instead of roasted?
Can I make this a week in advance and freeze it?
Yes you absolutely could!
Can’t wait to give this recipe a try this week. My son loves Cheesecake. Thanks so much for the recipe and tips.
It sounds amazing but I have a question – Rather then soaking and blending the cashews, could cashew butter be used instead?
Hello Melissa! Yes! Absolutely! I’d use about 1/2 cup cashew butter!