No-Bake Vegan Strawberry & Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake with Crisp Pecan Crust
A rich vegan cheesecake filling is hugged by a crisp, buttery pecan crust and swirls of strawberry and blueberry sauce. The filling garners its cheesecake-like tang from fresh lemon juice and tahini, while its creaminess comes from blended cashews and coconut cream. The crust resembles a baked graham cracker crust in look, texture, and flavor; however, it's made with just four raw ingredients: dried mulberries, pecans, coconut sugar, and buckwheat groats. If you use raw tahini, this cheesecake is raw vegan; however, either way it's no bake and easy to make! The prep time only includes active prep time, but there are 8 hours of soaking (or overnight) and 2 hours, 20 minutes of chill time, so make sure you take this into account when making this festive treat!
Servings: 10 to 12
Ingredients
Crisp Pecan Crust
- 1 ¼ cups dried mulberries
- ¾ cup raw pecans
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup raw buckwheat groats
Blueberry Swirl
- 1 cup fresh blueberries or thawed frozen bluberries
- 3 medjool dates, pitted and soaked for at least 8 hours
- ½ cup filtered water
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds
Strawberry Swirl
- 1 cup fresh strawberries, pitted or thawed frozen cherries
- 2 medjool dates, pitted and soaked for at least 8 hours
- ¼ cup filtered water
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
Cheesecake Filling
- 1 ¼ cups full-fat coconut milk, chilled (see notes)*
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 8 hours
- ¾ cup pitted and packed medjool dates, soaked in water for at least 8 hours
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons tahini**
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
Crisp Pecan Crust
- Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. I like to pop out the bottom of the pan, place a piece of parchment paper over it, and use kitchen shears to cut out a circle. Then, lightly grease the sides of the pan with coconut oil.
- In a food processor, combine the mulberries, pecans, and coconut sugar and process until the mixture begins to clump together. Add in the buckwheat groats and process another minute or until the groats are coarsely chopped and the mixture begins to clump together again. You want it to be crumbly yet sticky so that when pressed together between your fingers it clumps but is able to crumble back to its original form. If your crust mixture isn't sticking together, add in more dried mulberries, ¼ cup at a time, until it holds together. Scoop the mixture into the springform pan and use your hands to press the mixture evenly into the bottom. To smooth out the edges, you can use the back of a tablespoon to press the crust firmly into the pan. Freeze for 20 minutes to set.
Blueberry and Strawberry Swirl
- Meanwhile, make the blueberry swirl by adding all ingredients to a high-speed blender and blending until smooth. Pour the blueberry swirl into a small bowl and refrigerate for 10 minutes to thicken. Repeat with the strawberries. (note: you'll notice that the blueberry swirl requires more dates, water, and chia seeds than the strawberry swirl. This is necessary to achieve the correct texture).
Cheesecake Filling
- Meanwhile, make the filling by combining all ingredients in a food processor and processing until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. This takes about 4 to 5 minutes, so be patient as it processes.
- Once the crust has set, pour the filling into it and gently drop the pan on a firm surface several times to smooth out the surface of the filling.
- To make the swirl, use a teaspoon to dot the the blueberry and strawberry on top of the cheesecake (note: you'll only need to use a few tablespoons of each, and you'll reserve the remainder for serving). Use the pointy end of a chopstick or a toothpick to swirl the sauce into the cheesecake. If you want bold swirls like pictured, go easy on your swirling; however, if you want fine, thread-like swirls, swirl to your heart's content. Clear out a flat space in your freezer and place the pan on a baking sheet to make for easy transport. Freeze for 2 hours or until the cheesecake layer has set.
- Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
- When serving, top with the strawberry and blueberry sauce and fresh strawberries and blueberries, if desired.
Notes
*You'll want to chill a can of full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream overnight. Then, open the can and scoop off the thick cream at the top of the can and measure only that, excluding the watery liquid.
**To make this cheesecake raw, use raw tahini.
***To simplify the soaking, I like combine the cashews and dates for the filling in one airtight container, cover with water, and soak for 8 hours or overnight. You can also add 5 additional dates into the container for the blueberry and strawberry swirl and remove them to blend with each fruit.
**To make this cheesecake raw, use raw tahini.
***To simplify the soaking, I like combine the cashews and dates for the filling in one airtight container, cover with water, and soak for 8 hours or overnight. You can also add 5 additional dates into the container for the blueberry and strawberry swirl and remove them to blend with each fruit.