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
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More Healthy Dessert Recipes
Librarian Lavender says
Very nice, I’m definitely going to try this!
Medha & Whisk & Shout says
Easy raw vegan cheesecake flavored fudge? I’m downnnnnn 🙂
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says
Katie! What a simple and wonderful vegan cheesecake recipe! I’ve made something quite similar in the past!! I love freezing it into chocolate molds and sticking into banana soft serve for a treat (vegan cheesecake icream? yummmy!) Pinned!
Debra @ Worth Cooking says
Oh! This looks fantastic. Love the idea of the strawberry sauce. I wish I could eat cashews… or macadamia nuts. I think I am going to try a peanut butter version at some point with peanuts.
Maria G. says
How about trying blanched almonds? They have a neutral flavor, even though they are hard to blend out completely for a smooth sauce. You could also try walnuts; they are easy to blend out, but they have a slightly bitter taste.
Chef Bug says
I think Maria’s Suggestion for blanched almonds is a great substitute! You can also soak them overnight, and in a vitamin blender, they will blend smooth as well! I use blanched almonds for the base of a dip that I am in love with and it is very creamy in texture.
Chef Bug says
Oops! Sorry for the double post and edit, I meant to say vitamix blender!
Joan says
This is our go-to Cheesecake recipe since I made it for our daughter’s birthday 3 years ago. I was asked to share the recipe many times over since then. It’s easy and absolutely delicious. We top this with fresh strawberries, blueberries and blackberries with ribbons of homemade blueberry coulis on top.
Chef Bug, could we hear more about your dip?
Mary Ann says
Or try starting with silvered or sliced almonds!
Leticia Portlock says
What about Brazil nuts? Wonder if they would work.
Claire Elizabeth says
I like the sound of oatmeal week! Just got an huge 2kg bag of oats delivered! Single serving, oil-free, sugar-free? That’d be so so so awesome! Can’t wait to see what oatmeal creations you’ll make! 😀
D says
More oatmeal recipes please!
Could the pure maple syrup or raw agave be substituted for another ingredient?
Anna says
She did list honey as another alternative
D says
I’m a strict vegan, so I won’t use honey. Anything else I could substitute for this ingredient?
Anna says
Perhaps brown rice syrup or coconut nectar syrup? Those are the only other liquid sweeteners I can think of. Or use sugar and add some extra liquid
tanya says
Stevia?
Lou Anne says
Agave?
Katie says
Rice malt syrup is my alternative, tastes almost like honey too really, barely different
Alexis @ Upside Down Pear says
I’ve been trying to incorporate more raw meals into my diet and this looks simply divine! It doesn’t hurt that there’s no need to turn on the oven 🙂 That makes it perfect for a nice summer dessert!
Mia (Mia in Germany) says
I’ve tried raw vegan cheesecake with cashews, would love to try a macadamia version, too. Macadamias – raw, unsalted macadamias – are ridiculously expensive here, though 🙁
Your pictures are awesome as usual, such a stunning strawberry red 😀
I’d like oatmeal recipes, too. Never can be wrong with oatmeal!
Hakan Ozdemirci says
They are indeed same amazingly high priced here in Turkey too.
Abby says
This looks awesome, Katie! I wish I could eat nuts. Maybe I’ll substitute it with tofu??? I’ll have to try it! Oh, and I absolutely love the idea for oatmeal week! 🙂
I also just want to thank you for the wonderful recipes you bless the world with. My mom has a huge sweet tooth and she would be eating junk all the time if I didn’t make your recipes frequently. Thank you so much!! 😀
Lydia says
Theme weeks sound like a great idea! Oatmeal, ice cream, breads… *daydreaming about food* I’ve never had cheesecake before and this looks like a perfect, easy recipe to try 🙂
monika says
Could you substitute the 1/2 cup liquid sweetener with 1/2 cup nut milk + stevia?
Thank you,
monika
Athletic Avocado says
This looks incredible! It really looks like the real thing! Raw cheesecake is my next thing im gonna make! 🙂
susi says
Although this and a lot of your or raw/vegan recipes are considered to be healthy, i find that they contain too much ( of course healthy) fat. I mean healthy fats are also unhealthy if you have too much. i hate to use tons of nuts and cocnut oil stuff. there should be alternative healthy/semi healthy recipes out there
Tasha says
I guess the idea is that, although these are healthy desserts, people should still treat them like desserts and eat them in moderation as part of a balanced diet. The fat content then becomes less of an issue.
I, for one, am thriving on a diet full of “good” fats. I’ve cut down my carbohydrate intake substantially, and protein and fat form most of my meals. My breakfast smoothies get dollops of nut butter added to them, lunch can easily involve half an avocado a day, and all my baking contains coconut oil. I am losing weight, gaining energy and my skin and hair is in great condition!
Lisa @bitesforbabies says
I’ve been trying to incorporate more raw recipes in my every day meals. I appreciate how you specified this for “beginners” and it’s as simple and easy as I had imagined!
Kate @Almond Butter Binge says
Yum, yum, yum! This looks like the perfect base for some holiday-appropriate berries 😀 Thanks for sharing such an easy recipe.
Kathryn says
Katie, this looks amazing! I think theme weeks would be great, too! I love themes, especially oatmeal, chocolate, and delicious themes! 🙂
Jules @ WolfItDown says
This looks great Katie! Such a lovely Summer dessert that isn’t too heavy, and with all that healthy fat from the nuts, you’ve got a reason to have a slice of this if anything 😀 x
Anthony says
Theme Weeks sounds like a great idea. I am looking forward to Oatmeal Week. Thanks Katie for the awesome recipes you post.
laura says
This looks great, I love your emphasis on real foods (cashews, coconut oil etc) instead of trying to replace with fake, chemical-laden, fat-free ingredients! I will definitely be making this with the date nut crust in the future.
Kathleen L says
I would be interested in literally anything you post (for example, this cheesecake) so if theme week is what you’re feeling, theme week is what I encourage!
Ilona says
This looks delicious!
Reagan says
I was so excited to see this post until I saw it needed nuts. Is there any sort of substitute for those of us with peanut/tree nut allergies?
I’d love a good cheesecake 🙂
EVA says
She has her greek yogurt pies which are quite similar to cheesecake, at least in texture. Give ’em a go!
Anna says
Check out her other cheesecake recipes. There are a few that are nut-free
Unofficial CCK Helper says
Try her Cappuccino Cloud Cheesecake or the Greek Yogurt Cheesecake: https://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/09/24/greek-yogurt-cheesecake/
Maria G. says
Perhaps you could substitute with coconut butter… but you will need less than the 2 1/2 c. nuts…
Reagan says
Thank you all for the comments. I will look at the other recipes with greek yogurt. Coconut products are out for me. No tree nuts or peanuts or seeds 🙁
Karen says
Yum! And just in time for my birthday! Katie, you are a culinary GENIUS! And “theme weeks” sounds like a good idea.
Alpine Pedestrian says
Is there any way to avoid using coconut oil in your recipes? This one probably needs it to help with the texture. But any mention of coconut sends me running to the rails. Would vegetable oil work?
Anna says
Coconut oil solidifies when it’s cold, so I don’t think vegetable oil would have the same effect/texture
Sophie says
cocoa butter would most likely work. it solidifies when cold as well (it’s a bit harder than coconut oil tho). it’s a little less moderate in flavour than coconut oil so your cheesecake might taste kinda cocoa buttery but tbh….is that really a bad thing?
Sammi @Sammi Sunshine says
Mmmmm… My favorite kind of cheesecake is always the no- bake ones. I love them so much.
EVA says
YES YES YES I LOVE the theme weeks! Although I look forward to the surprise of what the next recipe may be, it’s even better themed because then I can meal plan for the rest of the week. I’m a big practicer of breakfast for every meal, so breakfast month was awesome!
BRING IT ON
Claudia (@Breakfast Drama Queen) says
OMG Oatmeal week would be the best! I love oatmeal so much. Then again, maybe Pancake Week – or Waffle Week (alliteration for the win!)
k says
Yes! Waffle week please!
Ana says
Oatmeal week? When? Next week????? Please???? I am waiting desperately to try your frapachino oatmeal!
LIENE says
Looks delicioud! There should be more healthy desserts.
Christine says
Looks great! Hope you’ll consider linking up to Good Food Fridays with us! http://www.socalledhomemaker.com/2014/06/good-food-fridays.html
Abigail says
Oatmeal week?!?! Yes! That would be awesome!
Steph says
Yum, ymu, yum! I have to make this- thanks for the recipe!
Sarah says
Strawberry Cheesecake is my favorite dessert (for reals) – totally pinning this and giving it a try! I like the idea of theme weeks; especially an “Oatmeal Week” seeing that I have oatmeal at least 5 days a week for breakfast! =P
Tammy & Katie says
This looks really good! I can’t wait to try it! Theme weeks sound good!
Melissa @ Nourish By Melissa says
This is perfect. I always want to try more raw baking but some overly complicated recipes with mile long ingredient lists are intimidating….thanks katie! 🙂
AnnaBananaBelle says
This looks delicious! I’ve never had raw cheesecake before but I would definitely like to try it sometime. Oh btw, did i miss the giveaway winner announcement or does only the winner find out?
Sarah says
Themes are awesome!
Antonia says
I actually can not express in words the joy this cheesecake has brought to my life. Is that weird? Getting so much joy and happiness from a cheesecake that I can eat guilt-free (to an extent – I just woke up and ate some of this for breakfast haha oh dear), that is dairy-free, that doesn’t make my skin break out but actually does wonders for my health??
If it’s wrong to be this excited about cake, I don’t want to be right. Thank you. Changed my life lol
Maria G. says
I want to take a bite right now!!! The pictures are so appetizing. I was wondering whether you could substitute some of the nuts with cooked rice? I make delicious vegan dressings with cooked white rice and cashews, and the rice thickens when it sits just like the cashews do. That way you could make a lower-fat version that is less rich.
Regarding your theme-based recipes, I think I like the variety that you offer as it is now. 🙂
Chocolate Covered Katie says
You can definitely experiment!
Nathalie says
Hello katie, im making this cheesecake for the family reunion today, they’ve been asking for a cheesecake and what better than a healthy raw one? Anyway, i’m facing a slight problem, i do not have coconut oil, nor vegetable oil, the only two kinds i have are olive oil and sunflower oil 🙁 do u have anything i can substitue it with? Please answer asap, the reunion is tonight
Unofficial CCK Helper says
You will have to experiment, but be sure to report back if you do!
Adrienne says
I made this cheesecake for my birthday today and it was awesome!! Thanks so much!!
Chocolate Covered Katie says
Happy birthday! Thank you so much for trying it 🙂
Olivia N says
Hey I was wondering if I could sub some of the agave out for xylitol? Thanks!
kaytee says
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 🙂
Con Burke says
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!
Leigh Benigni says
I do not see how much strawberries this recipe calls for.
Lora Marie says
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
dasha18 says
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.
carla says
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.
Viktoria says
Hello! Could you tell me what is the cup capacity?
Maya says
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 🙂
Avi Strauss says
Katie,
I run a vegan cheesecake company. It’s not raw. But I just wanted to say I loved the food photography. The whiteness of the cake and the red ofthe strawberries really pop. Great job!
Krystyna says
Beautiful!
Cathrine Wadler says
I’m so going to try this for some gluten/dairy free friends.
Question about the crust, can I use it in other recipes, like baked cheesecake recipes or is it best left for the raw ones?
Julie Dove says
I’ve done it with her Cheesecake Of Dreams recipe!
Michele says
I tried this last week and wow! It is simply amazing and delicious.
LEISHA MULVEY says
Love this recipe ! You might enjoy my Raw avocado cheesecake !
https://leishamulvey.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/avocado-cheesecake
Diana says
Do you soak the cashews overnight in the fridge or on the counter?
Jason Sanford says
Either works!
Barb says
Do you need to soak the macadamia nuts ??
Jason Sanford says
Yes at least 6 hours
Mary Ann says
I tried this last night for a friend’s birthday. Everyone loved it, even those who would normally turn their noses up at the word vegan! Easy and Forgiving recipe. I only had 2cups of cashews, so I left out adding water in the blender step & reduced Lemon juice a little and it still turned out perfect!
Natalie says
This by no means is a recipe for a 9inch pan (re crust, about to do the “cheese” – once I redo the crust for another half!
Soraya says
Hello Katie,
Let me start by saying that I love your recipes, and you are incredible.
I made this recipe for Mother’s day as a gesture for my mom and she loved it.
It was delicious and looked so pretty. I made it into a 3 layer cheesecake: 1st layer is the crust, 2nd layer is the vanilla layer and finally last layer is the strawberry layer, with heart-shaped strawberries on top.
Picture of final cake below.
Jason Sanford says
That is so gorgeous!
Magda says
Great cheesecake recipe! This was my first time making a vegan cheesecake and it was incredible! I used a date/pecan crust because those were the ingredients I had on hand. The only think I would tweak for next time would be adding a little less honey as it was a bit sweet, but overall really delicious!
Kristin says
Can the crust from this recipe be used with the healthy cheesecake of your dreams recipe? Or should it not be baked? Will the dates get gummy??? Let me know. thanks! ?
Emma says
Made this recipe yesterday and it was a big hit ! Great lemon flavor !
Cass says
What food processor did you use for the crust!?
My tiny little kitchen aid had a real rough time, so thinking it may be time to upgrade.
Thanks!
Jason Sanford says
Hi! In some of her other posts, she mentions the Cuisinart food processor as the one she uses: https://amzn.to/2W2UPkf
Jason
Michele says
Can you substitute extra light olive oil for the coconut oil?
Jason Sanford says
Sounds like a fun experiment. Olive oil doesn’t firm up when chilled like coconut oil does, but it might work anyway. Be sure to report back if you try!
Jason
Salome says
Your recipe looks sooo delicious I want to do it but I am wondering if I can replace the maple syrup with melted panela? what do you think?
Here it’s described what it is.
http://www.obelo.nyc/what-is-panela
thank you so much, I m excited to make the recipe
Sally says
How do you get that white color? I bought raw cashews and soaked them although not overnight and with the cashews and maple syrup, My mixture is beige ( the color or cashews)not white.
Jason Sanford says
If you use light agave, that’s lighter than maple syrup. It also does look a little beige in her photos, not pure white!
Linda DeFoliart says
I have trouble finding raw cashews, can you use roasted? Thanks!
Jason Sanford says
Texture-wise, it would be fine. We just have never tasted it so can’t vouch for the flavor. But be sure to report back if you try! Alternatively, just buy raw cashews on amazon: https://amzn.to/2SkrFhO
Jason (media relations)
Beverley Dalgleish says
Do you think that the raw cheesecake base can be made using dried (ready to eat) apricots instead of the dates?
Jason Sanford says
It sounds like a fun experiment. Be sure to report back if you try!
MARY RYAN says
You can use cashew cheese spread instead of cashews. It comes out as a tangier cheesecake.
Theron says
I’ve had this recipe forever and just now got around to making it. Best raw cheesecake ever! I’m not really a fan of the raw crusts so I used the crust from the New York style cheesecake from your cookbook. Amazing with just a little puree of fresh strawberries!
Monet says
Hi, this looks great, but I only have hazelnuts. Would those work? Maybe if I roasted them in the oven, rubbed off the skins and then soaked them? Cashews are just so dang expensive! I have a vegan friend coming tomorrow and would love to make this for us to enjoy together:) Thanks
Mary says
Hi, I want to make your recipe but am afraid that it will not remain firm in the fridge (my freezer is tiny). Will it work just fine if kept in the fridge only? Thanks so much