Whether you make this dessert in the middle of summer, when fresh blueberries are at their peak, or the middle of a long winter when frozen blueberries are all you can find, this easy, no-bake mini vegan blueberry cheesecake recipe is one everyone will love. Plus, it contains no cashews or vegan cream cheese. Read on for all of the delicious details!
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Back when I ate dairy, cheesecake was one of my favourite desserts, so, of course, I had to create my own vegan version. My take is a creamy non dairy cheesecake packed with flavour, tanginess, and sweetness. Exactly how cheesecake should be, vegan or not.
This recipe is for vegan blueberry cheesecake, but I have a few others you may also like. All of them are also vegan, gluten free and dairy free cheesecake recipes, of course! Check them out:
What is Vegan Cheesecake Made Of?
Usually, a dairy free cheesecake filling base is made from either cashews or vegan cream cheese, but to make my blueberry cheesecake vegan, I use neither of those things and instead, I use almonds, since I cannot have cashews.
Ingredients for Vegan Berry Cheesecake
There are two groups of ingredients you’ll need to make this vegan cheesecake recipe: the ingredients for the vegan cheese cake crust, which you can see in the image directly below, and then the ingredients for the filling, you can see those ingredients lower down in another image.
Is Coconut Oil a Necessary Ingredient?
Yes! If you’re familiar with coconut oil, you’ll know that it firms up when cold, so it helps to make these little cheesecakes firm.
If you don’t mind a slight coconut taste in the base and the filling (and having them taste more like blueberry coconut cheesecake, which is just as delicious, by the way!), feel free to use unrefined coconut oil, but if you prefer no coconut flavour at all, use refined.
How to Make Gluten Free Blueberry Cheesecake
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step on how to make this berry cheesecake recipe here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions at the end of this post.)
You’ll first start out by grinding up the crust ingredients and then dividing it evenly between individual muffin cups. Be sure to press each base down with a piece of parchment paper or the back of a spoon so they are firm and no longer loose.
Next, place the whole muffin pan in the freezer for the bases to chill.
I like to use parchment cups because the cheesecake won’t stick to them, but you can also use silicone cups or regular paper cups.
The No Bake Vegan Cheesecake Filling
To make the filling, blend all of the ingredients in a high speed blender until it’s smooth. You may need to use the blender’s tamper to keep it moving.
Note that a high speed blender like a Vitamix (Amazon Link), or a Blentec (Amazon Link) is essential for this making recipe.
You cannot use a regular blender or something like a NutriBullet because they will not be able to process the filling until its smooth and your vegan cheesecake bites will turn out gritty. Plus, you also run the risk of damaging your machine.
Once your high speed blender has blended the filling into a creamy, smooth mixture, the mixture will be thick. That’s okay, that’s how it should be.
Divide the filling evenly with a spoon into each cup, smooth out the tops, and place the muffin pan into the freezer for your dairy free blueberry cheesecake to firm up.
After they’ve firmed up in the freezer for a few hours, remove the amount you’ll be serving, let them sit at room temperature for a bit, and then get them ready to serve. (See below for how to store the leftover cheesecakes.)
How to Serve Vegan Mini Cheesecake
You can serve them frozen, right out of the freezer, or you can thaw them to the point you prefer. I like mine to be almost fully thawed and slightly soft. Experiment a bit and see which way you like them best.
How to Top This Dessert
My favourite way is to top it like you see in the pictures…with blueberry sauce.
You can also try raspberry sauce, coconut whip, fresh berries, or a mix of more than one of those mentioned.
How to Store Vegan Gluten Free Cheesecake
Chances are, since this vegan blueberry cheesecake recipe makes 12, you’re going to have leftovers!
Once they’ve firmed up, remove them from the muffin pan and place in an airtight container. Remove them individually from the freezer just before serving and keep those that are not going to be eaten right away in the freezer.
Can This Be Made Into a Larger Cheesecake Instead of Mini Cheesecakes?
Yes! Use a small springform pan instead or double the recipe and use a larger springform pan.
And for a Tasty Twist to This Recipe…
…if you like the flavour combo of blueberry + lime, replace the lemon juice with lime juice for a slight hint of lime in your cheesecakes!
If you like this simple blueberry vegan cheesecake recipe, you may also like these other vegan blueberry recipes:
- Blueberry Pancakes
- Blueberry Muffins
- Blueberry Peach Crisp
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
- Lemon Blueberry Waffles
How to Make Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake
Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake
Ingredients:
For the base:
- 1 cup rolled oats (gluten free, if needed)
- 1/4 cup raw almonds
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
For the cheesecake:
- 1 1/2 cups soaked, raw blanched almonds (1 cup of dry almonds will expand to the 1 1/2 cups needed, see notes about almonds below)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- blueberry sauce for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add 12 muffin cups to a muffin pan.
To make the base:
- Add the rolled oats, almonds, and coconut sugar to a food processor or a high speed blender.
- Blend until the almonds and oats have broken down.
- Add the shredded coconut and the coconut oil.
- Pulse until everything has combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 muffin cups and press it down until it is packed down and no loose parts remain.
- Place the muffin tin in the freezer for the bases to firm up. Chill for at least 15 minutes.
To make the cheesecake:
- Add the almonds, blueberries, lemon juice, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla to a high speed blender.
- Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy. You may need to use your blender's tamper to keep it going.
- Remove the chilled bases from the freezer, and divide the cheesecake mixture evenly between the 12 muffin cups. Smooth out the tops and place back in the freezer for at least 2 hours for them to firm up.
- Remove from freezer 1/2 hour before serving so they can thaw a bit. Garnish and serve.
- Store uneaten cheesecakes in the freezer in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes:
- Before making this recipe, please read the helpful info and FAQ above for tips to ensure your easy vegan cheesecakes are a success.
- A high speed blender (such as a Vitamix or Blendtec) MUST be used for the cheesecake part of the recipe. If one is not used, the almonds will not break down properly and you run the risk of overheating/damaging your regular blender.
- Use only whole, raw almonds unsalted almonds for this recipe, NOT slivered, sliced, or roasted almonds.
- 1 cup of dry almonds will expand to be the 1 1/2 cups needed for this recipe, so only soak 1 cup of almonds. The almonds MUST be soaked for at least 24 hours to soften them before blending.
- Blanched almonds come with the skins off to make things a bit easier for you, but if you cannot find them, you can also use almonds with the skins on BUT, be sure to peel the skins after they have been soaked. This step is a little time consuming, so be sure to factor this into your prep time.
- Agave syrup may be used in place of the maple syrup.
- You can enjoy this dessert frozen or thawed. I prefer to have it thawed but you can experiment to see which way you like it best!
- Vegan cheesecake calories and nutrition info is based on 1 vegan cheesecake bite with no garnishes. Nutrition info is is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
Nutrition Info:
Anna says
Hello Gwen,
delicious recipes, thanks for sharing! I want to try this fantastic blueberry cheesecake, just wondering if it would work with blackberries instead, following all the other instructions of the recipe, as blackberries are still in season in my country and I love them. If not, I will do the recipe with blueberries, it’s excellent anyway!
Thank you very much
Gwen Leron says
Hi Anna! I do think blackberries will work, but the only thing I worry about is the seeds. Your cheesecake will come out gritty with all the blackberry seeds rather than smooth and creamy, so keep that in mind. I am also unsure of the measurement you would have to use for the blackberries since they are a bit larger than blueberries (the blackberries we get here in Canada, anyways!). If you do end up trying it, please let me know how things turn out.
Liv says
Hi, would almond flour work instead of whole almonds? If so, how much would be needed? Thanks
Gwen Leron says
Hi Liv! I’m not sure if almond flour would work since I have not tried it. For the crust, it would probably work, but for the actual cheesecake, I would guess that it would not work well since you need the solid whole nut to blend down. I would stick with the whole almonds for that part. I hope this helps, Liv 🙂