Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
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Published Jul 18, 2022, Updated Jul 03, 2024
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These vegan blueberry cheesecake bars combine a creamy cashew and coconut filling with a date pecan crust and a blueberry swirl topping. They’re no bake, gluten-free and absolutely delicious!
Introducing your new favorite summertime treat: no-bake vegan blueberry cheesecake bars! No need to turn on the oven and heat up the house, just throw it together, pop it in the freezer and enjoy!
Besides being completely obsessed with the blueberry swirl, I love how healthy and delicious this recipe is. It’s made with all-natural, wholesome ingredients and packed with healthy fats from pecans, coconut and cashews!
These bars are raw, vegan, gluten-free and naturally sweetened without being over-the-top sweet. Plus, they’re so rich and creamy, I bet no one will even know that they’re made without dairy!
Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- It’s cool and refreshing and makes for the perfect summertime treat that everyone will love!
- Made with healthy, wholesome ingredients that won’t leave you feeling guilty.
- It’s raw, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free and refined sugar-free. These bars are the perfect dessert or snack for most diet types.
Ingredients Needed
Crust
- shredded unsweetened coconut – add a ton of flavor to the crust by adding shredded unsweetened coconut! The dates add enough sweetness, so make sure you grab unsweetened coconut!
- chopped pecans – I love the slightly sweet flavor of pecans in this crust, but I’ve also tested it with cashews and almonds and both worked well!
- medjool dates – medjool dates add sweetness to the crust and help hold it together thanks to their stickiness. You can buy medjool dates that are already pitted or pit them yourself (it’s super easy). Two brands that I like are Natural Delights and Joolies. You can find Natural Delights in the produce section of most grocery stores (near the bananas) and Joolies are offered on Amazon and Thrive Market.
- sea salt – a hint of sea salt to bring all of the flavors together.
Filling
- raw cashews – cashews’ mild flavor and fatty texture are the perfect substitute for cream cheese. Make sure to soak the cashews in water for at least 4 hours or boil for 10 minutes to hydrate them, making them soft and pliable. This will help create a really smooth cheesecake-like texture once blended.
- coconut cream – we’re scooping out just the cream part from the can, not the liquid! The fat content gives the filling its creamy, rich texture. Make sure you’re using canned coconut cream or just the cream part from a can of full-fat coconut milk.
- maple syrup – this natural sweetener is the perfect addition to the creamy filling. Make sure you get pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup as that will have corn syrup and a ton of added sugars.
- coconut oil – use solid coconut oil. I like extra virgin coconut oil. I’ve purchased several different brands before, but Nutiva organic extra virgin coconut oil is my favorite.
- fresh lemon juice – lemon juice helps give the very important and all familiar “tang” that cream cheese gives to cheesecake.
- vanilla extract – a flavor enhancer.
Blueberry Compote
- blueberries, maple syrup and lemon juice – when mixed together and heated, this fresh, sweet compote brings the bars together in perfect harmony. Plus it adds such a vibrant pop of color! Fresh or frozen blueberries both work for the compote.
How to Make
Make the crust – blend dates, pecans, coconut and salt together in a food processor. Once the mixture has blended into a sticky paste, spread it into the bottom of an 8×8 inch pan lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer to set.
Make the filling – add soaked cashews, coconut cream, maple syrup, coconut oil, lemon juice, and vanilla to a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until creamy. Pour the filling over the crust, using a spoon or spatula to make sure the filling is even and smooth.
Make the blueberry compote – add blueberries, maple syrup and lemon juice to a small saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes or until thickened.
Combine filling and blueberry compote – dollop spoonfuls of compote on top of the cheesecake layer and use a knife or chopsticks to swirl together.
Freeze and serve – place pan in the freezer to set for at least 4 hours or overnight. When ready to eat, remove from the freezer and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Cut into bars and serve. Store any leftovers back in the freezer.
How to Serve
When you’re ready to serve these vegan blueberry cheesecake bars, take the pan out of the freezer and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to soften just a bit. Cut into squares and enjoy!
It’s important to note that the longer these bars sit out, the softer they will get – it becomes pudding-like! It will still taste amazing, but won’t be as firm.
How to Store
These vegan blueberry cheesecake bars need to be stored in the freezer! Do not try storing them on the countertop or in the fridge. As they sit out, the filling will soften too much.
Store these bars in an airtight container or in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. They can be eaten directly out of the freezer or thawed for 5-10 minutes before eating.
Tips For Success
- Use raw, unsalted cashews – make sure to use raw unsalted cashews for this recipe. Roasted and/or salted cashews will throw off the flavors and nutritional value.
- Don’t forget to soak the cashews – soaking the cashews in water for at least 4 hours or overnight will help to soften the cashews and make them easier to blend, ensuring you end up with creamy cheesecake bars. In a pinch, you can also boil them for 10 minutes before making these bars.
- Use full-fat coconut milk or a can of coconut cream – this recipe will not work with light coconut milk, The fat is important in giving the bars a creamy, rich texture.
- Use just the coconut cream – do not use any of the “liquid” part of the coconut milk as your bars will have too much moisture and not solidify. Store coconut milk in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to fully separate the cream from the liquid, making it easier to scoop out just the cream from the can.
- Make sure bars are stored in the freezer – otherwise you’ll end up with vegan blueberry cheesecake pudding or, worse, soup!
- Soak dates – fresh medjool dates are usually soft and give easily when squished. If your dates are older or just seem dry and hard, you may want to soak them before using. Simply place them in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes to soften and rehydrate them. Drain well and pat dry before using.
FAQ
Yes, you can sub frozen blueberries for fresh. If the frozen blueberries are thawed, make sure to drain as much liquid from the berries as you can.
Yes! You can use any type of berries you love to make the compote. I bet raspberries, blackberries or strawberries would all be delicious!
The mild, creamy flavor of raw cashews helps make the filling for these bars so cheesecake-like. If you don’t have cashews, you could probably use another raw, mild tasting nut (like macadamia nuts) that can blend up to be rich and creamy.
YES. I can’t emphasize this enough, these bars must be stored in the freezer! If not, the ingredients will soften too much and you’ll end up with a mushy dessert. The great news is this vegan blueberry cheesecake will last for 3 months in the freezer!
Don’t throw away your leftover coconut water or cream! Both can be used in a variety of different recipes. The leftover coconut water is a great liquid base for smoothies like this tropical green smoothie or mango smoothie.
With the leftover coconut cream you can mix it with a little water to make coconut milk, which can be used in so many different recipes. Some ideas: coconut shrimp curry, detox soup, tropical oatmeal, mango chia pudding or this butternut squash turkey chili.
More No Bake Desserts
- Creamy Avocado Lime Tart
- Frozen Cottage Cheese Bark
- Greek Yogurt Popsicles
- Cottage Cheese Ice Cream
- Chocolate Strawberry Banana Yogurt Clusters
- Frozen Banana Snickers
- Healthy Banana Pudding
Be sure to check out all of the dessert recipes as well as the full collection of vegan recipes on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup pecans, almonds or cashews
- 1 cup medjool dates, about 12 dates
- pinch of sea salt
Filling
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 4 hours or overnight or boiled for 10 minutes
- ¾ cup coconut cream, from a can of full fat coconut milk, just the cream part
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, solid
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blueberry Compote
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Line a 8×8 inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside
- Process the crust ingredients (coconut, pecans, dates and sea salt) in a food processor or mini chopper until the dates have turned into sticky paste holding the crust ingredients together.
- Take mixture out of the processor and press evenly into baking dish. Place dish in freezer while you make the filling.
- While the crust is setting in the freezer, blend ingredients for the filling (soaked cashews, coconut cream, maple syrup, coconut oil, lemon juice, and vanilla) in a high-speed blender or food processor until creamy.
- Pour the filling over the crust. Use a spoon or spatula to make sure the filling is even and smooth.
- Add blueberries, maple syrup and lemon juice to a small saucepan and cook on medium heat for 7-8 minutes, until it starts to thicken, stirring occasionally. Add spoonfuls of the blueberry sauce on top of the cheesecake layer.
- Use a knife or chopstick to swirl the blueberry sauce. Place baking dish in the freezer to set up for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to eat, remove from freezer and let sit for 5-10 minutes, cut into bars and serve. The longer it sits out, the filling will soften and become more pudding like. Store any leftovers back in the freezer.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Brittany, I made these bars today and they were sensational! I did do one additional thing that one of your commenters here asked about, and that is I added about 3/4 tbsp of gelatin to the cashew mix so that I wouldn’t have to worry about keeping it out on the counter or in the fridge, and it worked like a charm! It was the perfect firmness and so delicious! (I realize this doesn’t make the dessert vegan anymore, so it’s not the solution for everyone.) Oh, and I found that a toothpick did a lovely job of creating the pretty swirls with the blueberry compote. Thank you for sharing such a quick, tasty, and attractive recipe with us!
YUM! These are the perfect treat! Thank you so much for giving these a try and sharing your feedback. I appreciate you sharing your review & star rating, I truly appreciate it!
Fantastic! What a healthy treat. I made it for a family event and even the smaller kids loved it and their parents were extra grateful for feeding the kids with healthier stuff.
I only had frozen blueberries, it worked out well, although I could not make the waves so nice. It still looked pretty and everyone enjoyed it in the hot weather.
YUM! I am excited to hear that these bars turned out great for you, Emese. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
Could I use a little gelatine in the filling to give it more stability when it thaws. Regards J.
Hi Judith – I haven’t tried adding gelatin to this recipe, so I can’t say for sure. Is the filling still liquid when you go to cut it?
Can you use almonds instead of cashews? I can’t eat cashews
Hi Mindy – I haven’t tried it, but if you can’t have cashews, you could probably use another raw, mild tasting nut (like macadamia nuts) that can blend up to be rich and creamy. Let me know if you give it a try and how these turn out for you!
Nom nom
made this recipe for thanksgiving and everyone loved them.it’s a keeper
WOO! I am excited to hear that this recipe was a hit, Terrie. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I so appreciate it!
You deserve 10 stars for this one!! Honestly!! So sublime and yet so simple to make. I tripled it and am I glad I did!! Thank you for sharing the good stuff!!
Ahh yay! This makes me so happy to hear, Suzi. So glad that you loved these bars. Thanks for making them and for the review. I so appreciate it!
Hi! Excited to try this recipe – but I’m not a big fan of shredded coconut – could I substitute with a little coconut flour, or just omit?
Hi Raemie – It should be fine to omit the shredded coconut in the crust, although I have not tried it without the shredded coconut. If you give this a try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Enjoy!