Imagine biting into a dreamy NY style vanilla cheesecake that is gluten free, grain free, dairy free and refined sugar free. It doesn’t get much better than that, does it? This raw vegan vanilla cheesecake recipe is easy enough for anyone to make (no baking required) and I promise the taste won’t let you down!
How do I store this vanilla cheesecake?
You’ll want to store this no-bake cheesecake in the freezer! When you want to enjoy the cheesecake, simply remove it from the freezer about 15-30 minutes before serving. Once it softens up a bit (but not too much), slice and serve!
What ingredients do I need to make this raw vegan vanilla cheesecake?
You’ll need just 7 simple pantry and fridge staples for this recipe. They are:
- canned full fat coconut milk
- raw cashews (or cashew butter, see below)
- pure maple syrup
- lemon juice
- pure vanilla extract
- sea salt
- almond flour
About the coconut milk….
Be sure to use full fat coconut milk for this recipe or else this cheesecake won’t be nearly as creamy as it should be!
Help, I don’t have raw cashews!
If you don’t have raw cashews you can easily use roasted cashews instead (I just personally prefer the taste of raw). If you don’t have any cashews at all or you don’t own a powerful blender or food processor, you can substitute 1/2 cup cashew butter for the cashews. If you’re using cashew butter, I recommend Vör cashew butter from Amazon.
What should I serve my vanilla cheesecake with?
I serve this vegan vanilla cheesecake with a homemade elderberry syrup (it’s so good!). I made this simple syrup by heating pure maple syrup and Nature Restore Elderberry Powder together on the stovetop until a sweet and sticky elderberry syrup formed. This syrup is optional, but highly recommended! You could also serve the cheesecake with freshly sliced berries, chocolate syrup, or any other fruit or berry puree.
Looking for more cheesecake recipes?
If you’re looking for more cheesecake recipes, I got you covered!
Ready to make this delicious vanilla cheesecake? Here’s the recipe!
Raw Vegan Vanilla Cheesecake with Elderberry Syrup
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Filling
- 1 cup raw cashews (or 1/2 cup cashew butter)
- 1 cup full fat canned coconut milk
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
For the Elderberry Syrup
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp elderberry extract powder
- 1-3 tsp water (optional)
Instructions
- First, line an 8-inch cake pan or small cheesecake pan with parchment paper.
- Next, mix together the crust ingredients in a medium sized bowl until a sticky crust begins to form and take the shape of a ball.
- Place the crust mixture in the bottom of the lined cake pan and smooth it out with your fingers to form a smooth crust. If the crust is sticking to your fingers, you can press it down with some parchment paper. Make sure the crust covers the entire bottom of the cake pan and touches all of the sides (you don't want the cheesecake mixture to get between the crust and bottom of the pan).Â
- Place the crust in the freezer to harden while you prepare the cheesecake filling. While the crust hardens, blend together the cheesecake filling in a high speed blender or food processor.
- Once the cheesecake filling is ready, remove the crust from the freezer and pour the cheesecake filling over the prepared crust. Then place the cheesecake back in the freezer and freeze for 6+ hours, or overnight.
- While the cheesecake hardens, prepare the optional elderberry syrup: add the maple syrup and elderberry powder to a small saucepan and whisk until well combined.
- Heat the mixture over low heat until it begins to bubble. Let it bubble for 1 minute (stirring occasionally) then remove it from the heat and let it cool completely.
- If the elderberry syrup is too thick to stir or drizzle, simply add 1-3 tsp warm water to thin it out. Once the syrup cools, store it in the fridge until serving.
- After 6+ hours, remove the cheesecake from the freezer and let it sit out for 15-30 minutes (or until you are happy with the consistency; it should be soft and creamy but not melted).
- After thawing slightly, slice the cheesecake into 8 slices and drizzle each slice with elderberry syrup. Enjoy immediately and freeze any leftovers for later.