Are you ready to get down on an easy-to-make, no bake peanut butter cheesecake? These peanut butter cheesecake bars are gluten free, vegan, refined sugar free, and can be made paleo if you swap out the peanut butter for cashew or almond butter. Absolutely creamy and delicious!
Just wanted to let you know this cheesecake bars recipe is sponsored by Bob's Red Mill.
Let's chat vegan cheesecakes and how wonderfully versatile and delicious they are, shall we?
I've always been one to go for a fruity cheesecake, but this peanut butter cheesecake has my tastebuds really excited and dancing around and around. It pairs so wonderfully with a tall glass of non-dairy milk, too.
You can get really creative if you'd like, and use any nut butter you're in love with. My favorites to use are peanut or cashew butter, but if you're an almond butter fiend, go for it!
Anyone you serve this cheesecake to will most likely have NO idea that it is dairy free, vegan and made with raw cashews.
Actually, it's probably best that you don't tell them, and see if you can shock them after they polish off a slice... or three! 😉
Tips and tricks for perfect vegan cheesecake
Here is some advice I have to make these cheesecake bars the absolute best they can be!
First of all, feel free to use cashew or almond butter instead of peanut to make this recipe 100% paleo, in addition to being vegan.
Be sure to bring all of your filling ingredients to room temperature before you begin. Otherwise, your filling will not be smooth.
You can add a big drizzle of nut butter across the top of the cheesecake bars batter and swirl it around using a toothpick or butter knife for extra nut butter goodness!
More vegan cheesecake recipes like this:
Gluten Free & Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake
No Bake Easy Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
Paleo Pecan Caramel Cheesecake Bars
Raw Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake
Paleo Vegan Berry Cheesecake Bars
Easy Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake
Yesterday was a fascinating play by play of events. I had to drive out about 45 minutes for an appointment I had, and boy is it hard to hold my bladder for that long nowadays.
After my appointment, I had dinner plans with my lovely friend Rachel over at Bakerita. We were going to meet up for dinner at Nectarine Grove but I started feeling some contractions during therapy and got nervous.
I hadn't experienced many Braxton Hicks contractions throughout my pregnancy, so it was a bit difficult for me to figure out whether or not these were the real deal. I decided to cancel my dinner with Rachel *just in case* and drove home. Anyway,
The cheesecake bars are hanging out in my parents' freezer, and my mom already snuck a few down the hatchet. She says they are perfectly light and tasty. Woo.
I think the almond flour within the crust is a bit of a game changer. It brings a texture that cannot be replaced or replicated by another nut flour. You're going to be licking your fingers clean, I promise.
I think this may be one of the last recipes I am going to be able to share with you before I begin maternity leave. Luckily, I have a large handful of cheesecake and cheesecake bars recipes for you to peruse through while I am gone.
How to make vegan peanut butter cheesecake
Add cashews to a bowl and cover with boiling hot water. Let set, uncovered, for 1 ½ hours. Rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly. Set aside. Line an 8x8" baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine the nuts in a food processor and pulse until you get a coarse mixture. Add the rest of the crust ingredients and pulse several times until it starts clumping up and forming together. Be sure to add another date or 2 if the mixture doesn't stick together easily on the side of the food processor.
Transfer the crust mixture into the pan. Press down with your fingers to pack it evenly into the bottom of the pan to create an even base. If it starts to get too sticky to work with, lightly wet your fingers with warm water. Set aside.
Add drained cashews and the rest of the filling ingredients to the bowl of your food processor or into a high speed blender pitcher. Process or blend until creamy and smooth throughout, scraping down the sides as needed.
*Taste and adjust accordingly. Be sure to add more lemon juice if it's too sweet, more maple syrup if it isn't sweet enough or a pinch more of salt for more balance!*
Pour the filling over the crust. Tap on the counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles that may have formed. Set aside. Place in the freezer to set for at least 4 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, pull out the cheesecake and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
This post is sponsored by the lovely folks at Bob's Red Mill. Thank you for allowing me to continue creating such incredible content by supporting relationships with incredible brands and companies that The Movement Menu enjoys working with! Opinions will always remain 100% my own!
No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 ½ cups pecans
- 10-12 Medjool dates
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 3 tablespoons cacao powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Filling
- 2 cups raw cashews soaked in boiling water for 1 ½ hours
- â…“ cup plus 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons canned coconut milk at room temperature
- ¼ cup creamy nut butter of your choice
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil softened at room temperature
- 2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Add cashews to a bowl and cover with boiling hot water. Let set, uncovered, for 1 ½ hours. Rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly. Set aside. Line an 8x8" baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
- Combine the nuts in a food processor and pulse until you get a coarse mixture. Add the rest of the crust ingredients and pulse several times until it starts clumping up and forming together. Be sure to add another date or 2 if the mixture doesn't stick together easily on the side of the food processor.
- Transfer the crust mixture into the pan. Press down with your fingers to pack it evenly into the bottom of the pan to create an even base. If it starts to get too sticky to work with, lightly wet your fingers with warm water. Set aside.
- Add drained cashews and the rest of the filling ingredients to the bowl of your food processor or into a high speed blender pitcher. Process or blend until creamy and smooth throughout, scraping down the sides as needed. *Taste and adjust accordingly. Be sure to add more lemon juice if it's too sweet, more maple syrup if it isn't sweet enough or a pinch more of salt for more balance!*
- Pour the filling over the crust. Tap on the counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles that may have formed. Set aside. Place in the freezer to set for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, pull out the cheesecake and allow it to sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Leftovers can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. Enjoy!
These are delicious! I love that they're naturally sweetened and have added protein from all the nuts. I typically make these around the holidays and am always excited to gobble them up!!
How long do you think they'll stay good in the freezer? I just made a batch this week and am wondering if they'll be equally delicious for Christmas?
Sprinkle mini DARK or vegan chocolate chips on top. Or melt them and drizzle across top with nut butter.