This vegan cheesecake is also paleo and super rich, creamy and decadent! Made with coconut milk, dates and coconut sugar, this no-bake cheesecake is a little healthier than a traditional one.
You all doing anything special for Valentine’s Day? We never do (although I don’t have anything against the holiday) but I do take it as the perfect excuse to make something rich and chocolaty like this vegan chocolate cheesecake!
These gluten-free chocolate lava cakes and raspberry molten lava cakes (which are also gluten-free) are our favorite Valentine’s Day treats. I love that they yield just two! Perfect for portion control.
But back to today’s recipe! So many paleo cheesecake recipes use a 6″ or 7″ springform pan and I’ve always thought that this was so silly. How many people have a 7″ springform pan? Every traditional cheesecake recipe I’ve ever made calls for a 9″.
So I tried making this paleo cheesecake recipe in a 9″ pan. And the layer of cheesecake was like 1″ thick. It didn’t look impressive enough to get anyone’s attention.
I thought about doubling the filling but the recipe already calls for 3 cans of coconut milk and I couldn’t see anyone making a recipe that called for 6 cans of coconut milk. So here it is in a 7″ springform!
It’s super rich. We served it in 1″ slices and that was enough. So while the cheesecake looks quite small, it will provide much enjoyment. :) It freezes great so you can enjoy it a little at a time!
Cashew-based vegan desserts like these paleo lemon bars, raspberry cream pies and paleo key lime pie really taste like the real thing.
But I’ve had SO many bad vegan cheesecakes that use cashews or tofu in place of cream cheese. I’m not saying that they’re bad in general – perhaps I’ve just not had the right recipes! I just usually really miss the cream cheese in dairy-free cheesecakes.
This vegan chocolate cheesecake, though, won’t leave you disappointed. The filling is nut-free and uses coconut cream and dates, which results in a texture that’s creamier than regular cheesecake.
And does it taste like coconut? Not at all! This paleo cheesecake is all chocolaty goodness. I used unrefined coconut oil and even with that and the 3 cans of coconut milk, there’s not a bit of coconut taste (at least with the coconut milk I used!).
I tried out a load of crust recipes. I keep trying to recreate a paleo Oreo-like crust (like this classic Oreo crust from Crazy for Crust) and it just seems impossible.
I’ve tried other vegan chocolate cookie crust recipes I’ve found online and none of them are even remotely like an Oreo crust. I desperately want it to taste like the real thing!
So I went a different route and ended up with something super simple and no-bake. Which also means this vegan cheesecake is no-bake and raw! For more no-bake treats, check out this post on 85 no-bake paleo desserts (most of which are also vegan!).
If you try it out, I’d love to hear what you think! Happy Valentine’s Day. :)
Substitution questions for this vegan chocolate cheesecake:
- What can I use in place of the coconut cream?
Nothing unfortunately. There’s no sub for it.
- Can I use something instead of coconut sugar?
Granulated sugar would work if you don’t care about it being paleo. A liquid sweetener would make the cheesecake too runny. You could probably add a bunch of coconut oil to firm it up but I think that’d require a lot of experimenting to find the right amount.
And as always, I have no idea how to make this vegan chocolate cheesecake low-carb (I say this in every post because someone asks this in every recipe). - Can I reduce it?
I already give a range of 1 cup to 1 1/3 cups. If you want, you could try 2/3 cup and add a bit more sweetener at a time until it’s your desired level of sweetness.
- Can I use something instead of dates?
I haven’t tried it but perhaps prunes would work. I’m not sure how different they taste but I think with all that cocoa powder, it’d cover up any unusual taste.
- Can I use a different sized pan?
Definitely! Your cheesecake will just be thinner. Think about the crust, though. If you want an 8″x8″, you’ll probably want to double the crust. If you use a 6″ springform, you’ll have a little too much for the pan and will need to put the leftover filling in something else. I recommend just eating it straight from the blender with a spoon. :D
- I don’t have a food processor or high-speed blender. What else can I use?
Sorry to say you need one of those. You can’t chop up the dates finely enough. And I really, really recommend a high-speed blender (not a regular blender!) over the food processor. They’ll get the filling perfectly smooth and creamy. I can’t say that all food processors will do the same (though I’m sure some would!).
- Can I use X type of cocoa powder?
I first tried this vegan chocolate cheesecake with Dutch-process cocoa powder (it’s my favorite!) and it made the cheesecake have a very odd bitter taste to me. My husband didn’t taste the bitterness.
I tried the next day and it still tasted very bitter. The third day, though? Totally normal. I wasn’t sick and nothing else tasted off to me so I have no idea what that was about.
I’m pretty sure it had to be the cocoa powder. So because of this, I’m recommending that you not use Dutch-process cocoa powder and use the regular natural kind (like Hershey’s unsweetened) instead.
I hope you’ll enjoy this vegan chocolate cheesecake! Here are some resources in case you’re new to vegan baking:
Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake (paleo, no-bake)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
- Yield: 12-16 slices
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (93 grams) almonds
- 2/3 cup (140 grams) pitted dates, firmly packed
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (19 grams) cocoa powder
- little less than 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (720 grams) warmed coconut cream1
- 1 cup (210 grams) pitted dates, firmly packed
- 1 2/3 cups (183 grams) cocoa powder (I don't recommend Dutch-process - it made my cheesecake bitter)
- 1 to 1 1/3 cups (200-266 grams) coconut sugar, very firmly packed (it's best to weigh this)
- 1/4 cup + 1 1/2 teaspoons (64 grams) coconut oil (I used unrefined)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- raspberries and strawberries
For the crust:
For the filling:
For the top:
Directions
- Line the bottom and sides (all the way to the top) of a circular 7"x3" springform pan (if a little smaller, you can pour the leftover filling in a small dessert glass / bowl) with a piece of foil.
- In the bowl of your food processor using an S-blade, pulse all the crust ingredients until it starts to come together. Depending on your food processor, this will take 1-3 minutes. Pinch a bit of it together - it should stick together easily. You can also use a high-speed blender to make the crust but you have to scape the sides of the container often. I thought it was much easier with a food processor.
- Press firmly onto the bottom of the lined pan.
- Get out a high-speed blender and make sure it's large enough to fit all the ingredients. The filling yields about 5-6 cups. If your blender isn't big enough, a food processor will do - but it'll likely (it depends on your food processor) be creamier with a high-speed blender. Add all the filling ingredients, in the order listed (starting off with 1 cup (200 grams) of coconut sugar), and blend for about 30-60 seconds, or even longer, depending on your blender, or until totally smooth and no lumps of dates remain. Taste and add up to another 1/3 cup (66 grams) of coconut sugar, if desired.
- Pour the filling over the crust and place the cheesecake in the freezer for 6-8 hours or until the filling is frozen. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer and remove the foil from around the sides. If it's difficult to do now, wait until it thaws a bit more.
- Let thaw for about 1 hour at room temperature (it'll depend on the room temperature and how long the cheesecake was frozen) and top with berries. Can be stored in the fridge for a softer consistency.
Prepare the crust:
Prepare the filling:
Notes
- You can use 3 cups of canned coconut cream or get three 14-ounce (400-gram) cans of full-fat canned coconut milk, chill them overnight, then scoop out the coconut cream that has formed at the top. You should get 3 cups (720 grams) of coconut cream. Warm it up slightly so that the mixture will be easier to blend.
Join over 12,400 readers and sweeten up
your inbox with new posts for free!
This subscription is free of charge and can be canceled at any time.
122 comments on “Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake (paleo, no-bake)” — Add one!
6 comments are awaiting moderation!
You think I can substitute coconut cream with dairy cream?
Sorry for just now seeing your question! Chilled coconut cream is very firm and dairy cream is liquid so it won’t work. The cheesecake wouldn’t set up properly. Sorry about that!
This looks like just what I need for a delicious Valentine’s Day menu!
I think it is! ;)
Best dessert ever! I’ve noe made it twice and only now seeing that I don’t have to get the coconut milk but that I can get the cream instead, d’oh’ oh well. Now I’ve got tons of the milk leftover haha! Anyway thanks a bunch! Made it originally for my girls book club and now for my mommas bday. lasts a while even for us sweet tooth’s! Hehe! Can’t wait to make the brownies I saw on here as well, yum!
Yay! I’m happy to hear that you liked it that much! I just added a note to the recipe to make it clearer with the coconut cream / milk thing. Sorry that you’re stuck with so much coconut water now. If anyone gets some tummy issues, you could use it to make some homemade natural Gatorade-like electrolyte drink. :D Haha. Thanks for your feedback!
Holy fudge this looks amazing! I’ve never seen such a dense and chocolaty cheesecake, and I love that it uses just fruit and coconut sugar for sweetness!
Hi, is there a reason you used the cream off coconut milk instead of straight coconut cream ? Would a can of coconut cream work ?
Thanks !!
Hi there! We don’t have coconut cream where I live so cans of coconut milk is what I use. I’m sure canned coconut cream would work fine. I hope you’ll enjoy the cheesecake. :)
It worked fine !! I made it for a friends birthday and she loved it !! Thanks for the recipe
You’re welcome! Thanks for letting me know how it came out. :)
I just made this today for my boyfriends birthday tomorrow. I was left with a little extra which I poured into a dish and have just tried now. Wowee that is SWEET!!! The texture’s perfect, but for anyone who doesn’t have an immensely sweet tooth I recommend adding the sugar bit-by-bit as you blend the mixture and taste-testing. I’m more of a 80% dark chocolate kinda gal so can’t really manage more than a few bites at a time. But that’s just personal preference and I’m just extremely glad it came out looking like a cake! I’ve never been great with the puds. Thanks for the recipe I’ll definitely be referring to it again! :)
I’m so happy that it came out well! I hope that your boyfriend enjoyed it and that he had a great birthday. :) I wonder if the type of cocoa powder could be the reason why you found it so sweet. The recipe uses just enough sweetener for me and I don’t think I have an immense sweet tooth. Although I’m much more of a milk chocolate girl and don’t like dark chocolate! You used unsweetened, right? Thanks for your feedback!
Hello,
I tried making this and partially did succeed with a 13” pan but I didn’t read the recipe right so instead of chilling the coconut milk and taking the cream from it, I just filled it in.
It was still awesome, hence why I alone ate half :P, but insanely sweet for my folks. Now I would like to make it again with experience so I would like to do it right this time, but I have a question about it then.
Instead of chilling the milk and scooping for the cream, can I just buy the already made coconut cream?
Hi! I’m happy that you enjoyed it and that it came out well with the added coconut water in there. :) And yes – it’ll definitely work if you just use coconut cream! Thanks a bunch for your comment.
Hello, I have a question about the type of cocoa powder you used. Can we talk via email?
thank you!
Lana
Hi! I used a German brand of Dutch-process cocoa powder so I don’t know if it’s relevant for you (unless you live in Germany!).
This looks divine! Can’t wait to try it out myself!
Thanks! Hope you’ll love it as much as we do. :)
Found new inspiring cheesecake recipe! Thank you for your super amazing recipe
Hope you’ll like it! :)
Thank you for offering this recipe! I made this for my husband to celebrate his second father’s day and he loved it! I would call it an ice cream cake rather than a cheesecake ;) it will be my go to healthy ice cream from now on! I only used 1/2 the coconut sugar recommended and it was still sweet and delicious.
That’s great that half the coconut sugar worked well! And an ice cream cake… sounds about right! Or, well, half ice cream and half cheesecake. ;) I hope that your husband had a lovely Father’s Day! Thanks a bunch for your comment. :)
Thank you for this recipe. I have a question. Can I substitute honey for the dates in the filling and if so how much honey should I use?
Hi there! So sorry for just now seeing your question. I see you’ve already made it but for the others wondering the same thing, please read the question, “Can I use something instead of dates?” in the post. :)
I saw that you have comment notification on for this comment but not for the one where you left a review so I thought I’d respond again to this one, just to make sure you come back and see that I answered. :)
Hi Erin, looks amazing. Do u k if I could use maple syrup in place of dates for filling.
Thanks! I don’t think so. Check out the section that says, “Can I use something instead of dates?” :)
Wow! This pie is divine!
I substituted half of the coconut sugar for dark chocolate chips and it is amazingly delicious.
We decorated it with strawberries, pumpkin seeds, bananas and goji berries.
Thank you so much for this recipe!
How long do you think the pie will keep in the fridge rather than the freezer?
It’s so rich that it will take us a while to finish….
You’re welcome! I’m so happy that you enjoyed it. :) Your decoration ideas sound great! I’ll have to try that. I think it’d be fine in the fridge for about 4 days. You can always cut it into pieces and then freeze if you think it’ll take a while to finish. Thanks for your comment!
This is so good! Everyone loves it, and can’t believe it’s dairy free, and grain free.
Thanks heaps!
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear that it was enjoyed by everyone. :) Thanks a bunch for your comment!
Wow. This is the best vegan dessert I have had. The texture is amazingly creamy. It makes me wonder why all other vegan cheesecake recipes call for combinations of coconut cream, cashews, vegan cream cheese, and tofu – all you need is the coconut cream!
Also, I only put in half the cocoa powder and sugar and put in chocolate chips to fill the rest and the flavor came out to be really rich.
I’m happy that your chocolate chips sub worked! If you ever try it as written, I’d love to hear how the two versions compare. :) And best vegan dessert ever?! Woohoo. That made my day. :) Thanks so much for your comment!
Does this actually taste like cheesecake?
It’s creamier and richer than cheesecake.
Beautiful and clear photos on this post! It looks delicious.
Thanks so much! Hope you get to try it out. :)
This is the best cheese cake I have ever tasted. As my son-in-law said it is better than Cheesecake Factory cheese cake.
Wow! That’s amazing. You’ve made my day! Thanks a bunch for your comment. I’m thrilled you and your family liked it so much!
Hi I made this today flavor great. Just too soft, next time I’ll add more coconut oil to firm it up a little more.
Hi! So happy you liked it. :) Thanks for your comment!