Have you ever tried a raw cheesecake recipe?
If you’ve never tried making one, today’s recipe is great for beginners – It only calls for 6 ingredients, and there’s no need for an oven. This raw cheesecake may look super fancy, but it could not be easier to make!
So how does it taste?
With raw cheesecake, it’s almost like you are biting into a slice of cheesecake- flavored fudge. The texture is rich and velvety, and the cheesecake is meant to be savored slowly. Even a small slice is extremely satisfying and will give you a comfortable feeling of fullness without weighing you down.
The best part is that, once you know the basic recipe, customization options are wide open to you! Chocolate Brownie Cheesecake? Mango Vanilla Cheesecake? Raw Cinnamon Swirl Cheesecake?
You can mix and match flavors to find your own ultimate raw cheesecake recipe.
When eating a raw cheesecake, it’s best to not expect the cheesecake to taste exactly like your favorite non-raw cheesecake. Instead, enjoy this cheesecake in its own right.
It is absolutely fantastic, and I hope you will love it as much as I do!
Side note: If you’d prefer a baked cheesecake, be sure to try my Healthy Cheesecake Recipe.
Raw Cheesecake Crust
Feel free to use your favorite crust or make a crustless cheesecake.
This is the crust recipe I used: Line a round 9 inch springform pan with parchment paper, and set this pan aside.
Combine 1 cup pitted dates, 2 cups raw almonds, 1/16 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract in a food processor until fine crumbles form. If the mixture is too dry, add up to 1 tbsp water. (I recommend a food processor because I found that using a blender instead yielded a very sticky crust.)
Press the crust mixture into the prepared pan, then cover and freeze until ready to use.
Raw Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups raw cashews or macadamia nuts (for nut free, try this Vegan Cheesecake)
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup raw agave or honey (pure maple syrup also works)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp melted virgin coconut oil
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup water, plus more for soaking cashews
- 1/8 tsp salt
- optional: Blend strawberries with a little sweetener of choice for a sauce
- optional crust of choice (the crust recipe I used is above)
Instructions
- Raw Cheesecake Recipe: In a cereal bowl, cover the cashews with water and let soak 8 hours or overnight. (If using the raw crust recipe listed earlier in this post, you can make that while you wait.) Drain nuts and pat completely dry. Combine all ingredients (including the 1/4 cup water) in a high-quality food processor or Vitamix and process for 6-7 minutes or until completely smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. Pour into a prepared crust—either a graham cracker crust or the crust listed earlier. Or keep it crustless if you prefer. Store the raw cheesecake in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, and thaw 15-20 minutes before serving.View Full Nutrition Facts
Notes
More Healthy Dessert Recipes
I made this cheesecake for my birthday today and it was awesome!! Thanks so much!!
Happy birthday! Thank you so much for trying it 🙂
Hey I was wondering if I could sub some of the agave out for xylitol? Thanks!
Made this yesterday and it turned out pretty well, even though I struggle with US cup measurements (I’m in the UK). My base wasn’t really enough for a 9 inch tin but that may be my measurements… I love the base though, so simple. I used ground almonds (almond meal) which made it very quick and easy. I realised I haven’t seen a lot of ground almonds used in American recipes, although it’s a common baking ingredient over here, do you not see them in US supermarkets?
I didn’t have quite enough cashews on hand so tried to adjust the other ingredients but it ended up a bit too lemony. It’s all good experience for next time I make it though.
And yes I did have a piece for breakfast this morning! So lovely and filling 🙂
I made it and it was FANTASTIC! I added 1/4 cup of blueberries to the already creamy filling, let the vitamix chop away for 20 seconds so the berries were chunky. PERFECTO. I knew I could rely on you to find the best raw cheesecake recipe. Thank you!
I do not see how much strawberries this recipe calls for.
Hi, Katie
I’m Lora and I work for Eluxe, which is a French-London based online magazine that is all about luxury, sustainable eco-friendly fashion, natural beauty and skincare products. We’re bringing more attention to our food articles, and with an editor that is firmly Vegan, its important to us to bring attention to a healthier way of eating, and promoting people in the industry that help.
We’ve just published a ’20 Raw Vegan Dessert Recipes’ article, and we included your Strawberry Cheesecake recipe. We absolutely love this recipe, and know our readers will as well. Please do check out the feature, and good luck with future recipes!
http://eluxemagazine.com/magazine/have-your-cake-eat-it-15-raw-vegan-dessert-recipes/
Kind regards,
Lora Marie
Thank you for the raw cheesecake recipe. I made it for our Jewish Holiday, Shavuos which usually includes lots of unhealthy dairy meals and cheesecakes. It was a success (I did serve it frozen which was refreshing). My goal is to prepare healthy nutritiously dense foods for desserts and I find them all on your website. It’s like have a healthy sister cooking with me, instead of me preparing empty calorie junk food.
Hi Katie,
I have a question. Do you freeze the crust with the cheese cake or you freeze them separately? I’m a bit confused about it.
Hello! Could you tell me what is the cup capacity?
I just wanted to say thank you for this easy recipe! I used 2/3 cashews, and 1/3 almonds for the filling, and it turned out beautiful. Going to top it with sour cherry compote made with with local cherries, tapioca starch, and honey from our bees. Yum! We are not vegan, but my daughter has a dairy allergy. So excited to serve this for dessert tonight 🙂