No-Bake Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Posted Oct 05, 2017, Updated Jun 26, 2024
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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.ย 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.ย 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.
Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake 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.ย I have also used walnuts with great results.
- Honey/Maple syrup.ย Either can be used in this recipe – use maple syrup to keep it vegan.
- Peanut Butter.ย 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:
- ยฝ cup raw pecans
- ยฝ cup dates pitted (donโt forget to remove the pits)!!
- 1 ยฝ TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 TBS unsweetened, shredded coconut
- 1 TBS honey or pure maple syrup
- ยผ tsp sea salt
Filling
- 1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews soaked for at least 1 hour
- 6 TBS pure maple syrup
- ยผ cup coconut oil melted
- ยผ cup unsweetened chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
- ยผ cup creamy peanut butter
- ยฝ cup coconut cream
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
- ยผ tsp sea salt
Chocolate peanut butter topping:
- ยผ 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 6โ 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 โSโ 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 ยผ 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 itโs not straight out of the fridge and has a little time to sit at room temperature!
Video
Notes
Ingredient Substitutions
- Pecans.ย I have also used walnuts with great results.
- Honey/Maple syrup.ย Either can be used in this recipe – use maple syrup to keep it vegan.
- Peanut Butter.ย 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 temperatureย 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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Is it possible to make it a little less rich by substituting garbanzo beans for a portion of the cashews??
I’ve made this super delicious dessert many time, even getting special requests from friends. Sine the advent of Covid I decided to go keto. Keto is so good and works well for me BUT I do miss this dessert! So, I’m going to adjust this recipe to se what success I’ll have. If anyone else has changed this recipe to Keto, please post the adjustments, it would be great to hear from you!.
Thanks.
Peter
This recipe should be illegal I have never before tasted something so decadent!!! This is now officially our favorite dessert. And I I’ve made lots of vegan chocolate no bake desserts. I don’t know what it is about this recipe but the sum total of the ingredients are more than the ingredients themselves. The combination of peanut butter and chocolate and dates and pecans is out of this world. I did add a little more chocolate chips to the topping because chocolate. I kid you not, when I tasted this cake I had tears rolling down my face because of how good it was. Its the second time in my life that a dessert made me cry (first time was at a restaurant in Denver). Thanks for this amazing recipe. I’ll be making this all the time!!!
I really want to make this but wondering how you think itโd be using a 9โ pie pan? I donโt mind the layers being a little thinner but Iโm debating whether to follow the recipe or multiply by 1.5x.
Hi there Laura
A friend passed this onto me, from her friend (word of mouth – the best way).
We have made this many, many times. For birthdays, weddings, travelling away, family gatherings, or just because…
Sunflower butter replaces the peanut butter for us.
Sometimes we make this in a 26cm fluted edge tart tin, doubling the base, and keeping the filling quantities the same. Except for the time we tripled the filling and kept it in jars for emergency standbys! Other times we make this gorgeous dessert in a fluted rectangular tart tin and drizzle homemade chocolate on the top.
Thank you so much
Thank you so much Fiona! I am so grateful you love this recipe as much as I do! I love all the beautiful ways you serve it! And keeping the filling in jars for a chocolate emergency is a genius idea!
How far in advance can I make This? Trying to prep for Thanksgiving.
I personally think it’s best made up to 2 days ahead of time! I’d likely make it on Tuesday to serve on Thanksgiving. Just be sure to cover it well!
Can I sub something for the cashews? My husband is deathly allergic. I’ve been gluten, dairy and egg free for a few months and thought this looked AMAZING!! Thanks
This was delicious! I didn’t have pecans so used walnuts instead for the crust and they worked well. Also didn’t have a 6 inch pan so I had to increase the recipe (1 1/2x) to fit a 9 inch pan and it worked. My husband and son, who are both skeptical of modified versions of favorite foods, both loved the cake too!!
Thank you Amy! So glad you all loved it!
Cousin made this for a girls night out as one of the cousins is a vegan. We ALL agreed this was delicious and were drooling for seconds. I loved it so much I had to have the recipe. Thanks!
OH. MY. WORD! This cake is amazing. I was short on time, so I used crushed chocolate wafers and melted vegan butter for the crust (made this cake for my very good friends who are vegan). I used unsweetened chocolate and thought we might need a little more sugar, so I added 3 Tb Florida crystals to the warm chocolate peanut butter mixture to melt the sugar (if I had used semi sweet chocolate, I wouldn’t have added sugar). My friend, daughter, and I tasted the cake before the topping was made. I took my piece without the added topping because it was already perfect! My husband doesn’t like coconut flavor in most things, but he couldn’t even taste it in this cake. THANK YOU for this super recipe.
This was delicious! I made it for my vegan brother while he was visiting, but we all couldn’t stop eating it. So super easy and delicious! I ended up using walnuts in the crust because I didn’t have pecans, and I was also a little short on cashews so I used some almonds to make up the difference. I loved also that this was all done in the blender…so easy!
I’m so glad you and your brother enjoyed it Claire!!!