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Meaningful Eats

No-Bake Vegan Cherry Cheesecake Bars

8 servings
No-Bake Vegan Cherry Cheesecake Bars! So delicious you'd never guess they are dairy free! (Gluten-Free) 
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Chilling time 6 hours
Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

For the Crust:

  • 1 cup dates pitted (about 14 large date)
  • 1 cup raw walnuts
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free oats
  • pinch of salt

For the Cheesecake:

  • 1 1/2 cups raw cashews soaked (see note above)
  • 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup or 1/4 cup cane sugar + 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil melted

For the Cherry Topping:

  • 16 oz frozen cherries
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
  • 1/4 cup sugar or maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice juice of 1 lemon

Instructions

  • Line an 8x8 inch dish with parchment paper. In the bowl of a food processor, process the dates and walnuts until they are in small chunks. Add the oats and salt and pulse until the whole mixture is finely chopped. Press the crust into the prepared dish. Let sit in the freezer while you make the filling.
  • Place the ingredients for the cheesecake in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour over the crust. Freeze the cheesecake for at least 6 hours until set it. It can then be cut into bars and kept in the fridge until serving. If your cheesecake is frozen longer than 6 hours, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
  • While the cheesecake freezes make the cherry topping. Place all the ingredients for the topping in a saucepan set over medium heat. Heat, stirring constantly at first until the cornstarch and sugar are dissolved. Continue to cook until the mixture comes to a simmer. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until thick and bubbly. Pour into a bowl and chill until serving.
  • Serve each slice of cheesecake topped with the cherries. Enjoy!

Notes

MAKE IT PALEO: Swap out the oats for an extra 1/2 cup walnuts. This recipe can also be made with pecans.
You'll want to soak the cashews ahead of time even if you have a strong blender for this recipe. You can do this by covering the cashews with room temperature water for 4 hours, or you can pour boiling water over them and let them sit for 30 minutes. Once the bars are set in the freezer, you can store them in the fridge for a few days. For prolonged storage, I keep them in the freezer for up to a week.

Nutrition

Calories: 469kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 23mg | Potassium: 582mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 8.7mg | Calcium: 97mg | Iron: 2.6mg