These mini cheesecakes are made from cashews creating a creamy, thick, and rich treat that is naturally dairy-free. With a strawberry sauce and a chocolate drizzle, they are extra delicious!!
I've loved making 'raw cheesecakes' over the last 10 years! Once I discovered how simple and wholesome these were...and experienced the awe from everyone who tried them it's now one of my favorite things to make! Also check out my mini pumpkin cheesecakes!
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Ingredients needed for vegan cheesecakes
Ingredient Notes
Here's an overview of anything that should be noted about the ingredients shown in the photo above.
- Cashews: These white nuts need to be soaked 3-6 hours before making this recipe. This is important to create the creamy texture.
- Strawberries: The strawberries can be fresh or frozen!
- Dates: I like to use big gooey medjool dates, they are my favorite with a caramel like flavor. However any dates can be used as long as they are soaked in hot water first to become soft.
- Oats: I used rolled oats for this recipe however, quick oats would be fine too.
- Milk: Any milk can be used to make this recipe. I like to use almond milk to make these cheesecakes dairy-free.
- Coconut oil and honey: Both ingredients need to be liquidy to help blend everything well. Melt the honey and the coconut oil slowly before adding them to the blender. Using honey makes this a naturally sweetened cheesecake, no sugar is used in this cheesecake recipe.
- Chocolate chips: To make this recipe truly vegan or dairy-free use dairy free chocolate chips.
See recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities.
Danika's quick nutrition tip
I like to share simple insights from my schooling in Holistic Nutrition. Here are some key insights about our main ingredients.
Cashews are lower in fat than other nuts, they are a good source of magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and iron. Whole cashews are more expensive but generally fresher than cashew pieces.
Strawberries are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, some B-complex vitamins, and fiber. Non-organic strawberries are known to have quite high pesticide levels, if possible look for organic strawberries or grow your own.
This information comes from Prescription for Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A. Balch and The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood.
For another delicious cashew recipe try these creamy apple popsicles!
Step-by-step instructions
The next best thing to being in the kitchen together is sharing photos from my kitchen! Here's how to make this recipe with photos. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient details.
Soak cashews: Cover cashews with lots of water and let them sit on the counter for 3 to 6 hours. Then use a sieve to remove all the water.
Soak dates: The dates need to be soaked so they become soft and gooey. Just before making the recipe, pour boiling water over them and let the dates sit for 10 minutes before draining the water.
Chocolate crust: In food processor or a high power blender place the oats, flax seeds, cocoa powder, sea salt. Pulse until the flax seeds are ground up, 30 seconds to 1 minute on high.
Add the gooey dates and pulse until a thick dough forms. Knead with hands if needed.
*If you don't have a high-power machine use ground flax seeds (instead of the whole seed) or more oats instead for the best texture.
Make the base: In a 12-cup muffin pan place cupcake liners. Add 1 tablespoon of chocolate crust into each cup, and press the dough into the edges of the liners.
*There is enough mixture to make 14 cheesecakes. I made the last two in small custard bowls.
Make the strawberry sauce: Place the strawberries, water, and honey in a small pot over medium high heat. Let it bubbly, while stirring on and off for 5-10 minutes until it's thick! There will be strawberry chunks that is good! Boil longer if there is still lots of water, it needs to be like the texture of applesauce.
Make the filling: Place the cashews, melted coconut oil, melted honey, milk, lemon juice, vanilla, and sea salt into the food processor or high-power blender.
Start the machine on low and turn to high speed for about 5 minutes until the mixture is completely smooth. Scrap down the side every few minutes between blending as needed.
Dairy free cashew cream: This is what the mixture will look like after 5-7 minutes of blending. I use a vitamix blender and always have great results, especially if I soaked the cashews for a couple hours.
Fill the cheesecakes: Pour cheesecake batter over the chocolate crusts, and shake them slightly to become even on top.
Add strawberry & chocolate: Place a teaspoon of strawberry sauce on top of each cheesecake and swirl it in using a fork.
Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle the chocolate over the individual cheesecakes.
Place cheesecakes in the freezer to set for 2 hours. Store them in the freezer in a sealing container. Remove them from the freezer 10 minutes before serving.
Top tip for vegan cheesecakes
Give yourself time, once you have made a raw cheesecake with cashews you will see how simple it is, however, the first time making the recipe can take time because it is a totally different method than a classic cheesecake.
Use a high-power blender. This is key to have the best cashew cream. If you don't own a powerful machine (food processor or blender), I recommend borrowing one from a friend for this recipe.
Soaking the cashews is an important step! If you are in a rush you can boil them for 10-20 minutes (however I wouldn't recommend doing this if you don't have a powerful blender to use as the texture will not be the same).
Use gooey dates for the crust to stick together! The dates need to be sticky. Don't skip soaking them! I like to use medjool dates as they are so gooey and flavorful.
Substitution and variations
These delicious strawberry dairy-free cheesecakes are so wholesome with real food ingredients. Here are a few ways you can adapt this recipe as you desire!
- Other fruit: Use cherries or raspberries instead of strawberries to make it a raw vegan berry cheesecake!
- More strawberries option: Place chopped strawberries on each chocolate base before adding cashew cream.
- Using strawberry jam: Instead of making the strawberry sauce with water and honey, use 1 cup of strawberry jam to swirl into the cheesecakes.
Other no bake recipes to try
Love strawberries? Try these strawberry rhubarb popsicles! Next try my healthy pumpkin cheesecakes also made with cashews!!
I want to hear if you made these healthy strawberry cheesecakes! Please share below and give this recipe a star rating, I read every comment! 🙂
Strawberry Mini Cashew Cheesecakes
Equipment
- 1 muffin pan or small bowls
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup dates, pitted soaked 10 minutes
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup flax seeds*
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Filling:
Topping:
- 1 cup strawberries chopped (fresh or frozen)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ cup chocolate chips use dairy-free to make this vegan
Instructions
- Soak Cashews: Cover the cashews in water and let them soak for 3-6 hours so they become very soft. Then drain. Soak dates: After the cashews have soaked, place the dates in boiling hot water for 5 to 10 minutes to become soft. Once they are soft drain the water in a sieve.
- In a high-power blender (or a food processor) place oats, flax seeds, cocoa powder, and sea salt. Pulse until there are no whole seeds and the mixture resembles sand, about 30-45 seconds. Add the drained dates to the blender and process for about 20-30 seconds until a thick chocolate dough forms. If the mixture needs to be more thoroughly mixed, dump out the dough and use your hands to knead it. Place 1 tablespoon of chocolate dough in the bottom of each muffin cup (lined with muffin liners) or into small bowls and press into the edges. Set aside.
- Place the strawberries, water, and honey into a small pot over medium heat boil for 10 minutes whisking on and off until everything thick and bubbly. Let this mixture cool slightly.
- To make the filling place the drained cashews, coconut oil, sea salt, vanilla, lemon juice, honey, and milk into a high-power blender (or a food processor) and blend for about 5-7 minutes - scraping down the sides as needed, until it is completely smooth and silky. Pour cashew cream over the chocolate crust. Add a little strawberry sauce over every cheesecake and swirl it in. Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle it over the cheesecakes. Place the pan in the freezer for 2 hours to set. Keep cheesecakes stored in the freezer, remove the cheesecakes from the freezer 10 minutes before eating.
Notes
Nutrition
Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
I create snack recipes with healthy ingredients that are mostly already in your kitchen. I'm certified in Holistic Nutrition and I care about giving my kids real food. Let me share my nutrient-dense easy snacks with you.
Justine Yliruusi says
My husband hasn’t been able to enjoy dairy for a few years now. One of his favourite desserts has always been cheesecake. I made these mini vegan cheesecakes for his birthday and they were a hit! Super easy to make and they tasted delicious. Will be making these again!
Danika Vanderpyl says
Thank you for sharing this Justine! So glad you were able to make his birthday special with these dairy free cheesecakes!!
Jay says
Hi, I love the look of your recipes - can you confirm are the nutrition figures per portion or per recipe? Thanks 🙂
Danika Vanderpyl says
Hi Jay, The nutritional information is calculated below the recipe. I use an app where all the ingredients nutrient facts and measurements and do the calculation for 14 mini cheesecakes, then 1 mini cheesecake is one servings which would be the results you see.
Danika Vanderpyl says