This No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake is an easy and healthy recipe made with only 9 clean, real food ingredients. It's the perfect plant-based dessert with a chocolate crust and chocolate drizzle that can be prepared in under 15 minutes!{ Plant-Based | Vegan | Gluten-Free | Dairy-Free | Soy-Free | Egg-Free | No-Bake | No Refined Sugar }
Optional: Soak the cashews in filtered/purified water for at least 30-60 minutes, then drain and rinse before adding them to your Vitamix. This step will not affect the flavor but will make the cashews soft and the mixture extra smooth.
Prepare the crust:
Add all the ingredients for the crust to a food processor and process until it becomes a wet, crumbly texture.
Transfer to a 6-inch springform cheesecake pan, spread evenly, and press it down firmly. Set aside.
Prepare the cheesecake filling:
Add all ingredients for the cheesecake filling to a Vitamix in the order listed (adding liquid ingredients first and the cashews and peanut butter last) and blend until creamy and smooth, using the tamper if needed.
Transfer to the prepared cheesecake pan and pour it evenly over the crust.
Place the cheesecake pan in the freezer for approximately 2-4 hours, or until it hardens and becomes firm.
When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake pan from the freezer, allow it to slightly thaw for about 5 minutes, then remove the cheesecake from the springform pan.
Prepare the chocolate drizzle:
Add all ingredients for the chocolate drizzle to a small mixing bowl and stir until well combined and smooth.
Assembly:
Cut and transfer the cheesecake slices to your serving dishes and using a spoon, drizzle the chocolate over the top. As soon as the chocolate comes into contact with the frozen cheesecake, it will harden, so don't add it until you're ready to serve.
Store in an air-tight BPA-free container in the freezer until ready to serve because it will get soft and lose its shape if left out at room temperature.
Notes
Peanut Butter: You can use homemade peanut butter instead of store-bought if you prefer.Cashews: Make sure to use "raw" cashews and not "roasted + salted" since this is a sweet recipe. In addition, if you have extra time, you can take the extra step of soaking the cashews before adding them to your Vitamix, which will make them soft and the mixture extra smooth.
Soak the cashew in filtered/purified water for at least 30-60 minutes
Drain and rinse the cashews before adding them to your Vitamix
This extra step does not affect the flavor but will affect the texture so if you don't have extra time, it's not a problem.Pecans: These can be substituted with another nut such as almonds or walnuts.Cacao Powder: Can be substituted with regular cocoa powder.Coconut Oil: If you don't like the taste or smell of coconut oil, use organic refined coconut oil which has zero coconut taste or smell.Vanilla Bean Powder: I prefer to use vanilla bean powder in my no-bake recipes to avoid the alcohol in the vanilla extract that normally evaporates in baked recipes, but you can always substitute with organic pure vanilla extract in the same amount.Almond Milk: I like to use homemade almond milk, but you can always substitute with your favorite non-dairy milk. Another great option is to use Joi Organic Almond Milk which is made with 100% organic almonds.Cheesecake Pan: I used a 6-inch springform cheesecake pan for this recipe, but you could also use a mini cheesecake pan and they would be really cute (and easier to serve).In addition, you can also use standard-size paper or silicone muffin cups.Simply divide the crust mixture and cheesecake filling evenly between the number of cups you'll be using.Serving Size: This recipe will make (1) 6-inch cheesecake with (12) small slices. Nutritional information is for (1) slice which is (1) serving.