I’ve been a long time fan of cheesecake and I’m always looking to try new recipes and create different variations as well. When I first visited Cheesecake Factory years ago, I was pretty much in heaven. And if you’re a fan of vegan cheesecake and cookie dough, you’re in luck! Because this no bake vegan cheesecake is super creamy and rich and loaded with all the raw cookie dough flavour. And even though I’ve been such a fan of cheesecake over the years, I actually prefer a no bake vegan cheesecake over the real thing. This cookie dough cheesecake takes a bit of time to prepare, but it’s mostly hands off and completely worth it when you take that first bite.

Ingredients

Here is everything you’ll need to make this delicious, creamy cashew based vegan cheesecake.

raw cashews: this will be used in both the cookie dough balls throughout the cake and to make the creamy cheesecake filling.
rolled oats: for the cookie dough balls
maple syrup: to sweeten the cheesecake
cashew butter: this is used in the cookie dough balls and the crust, you can also use almond butter if you prefer.
vanilla extract
kosher salt and ground nutmeg
chocolate chips: for the cookie dough balls
blanched almond flour: for the base of the no bake vegan cheesecake.
coconut oil: to help hold the crust together and to provide richness to the cheesecake filling.
dark chocolate (70%): for the crust
coconut cream/coconut milk: this will be used for the filling and the chocolate topping.
fresh lemon juice: to provide some acidity and balance to the cheesecake filling.

How to Make the Cookie Dough Balls

The first thing you’ll need to do for this recipe is to make the cookie dough balls. These are studded throughout the cake so whenever you take a bite, you get a delicious taste of raw cookie dough.

These raw cookie dough balls are super easy to make.

Simply put all of the ingredients for the balls, except the chocolate chips, in a food processor or blender and pulse until the dough comes together.

Remove the dough, put it in a bowl, and add in the chocolate chips. Form into about 16 balls with your hands and flatten them slightly into discs and place in the fridge.

How to Make the No Bake vegan Cheesecake

The next step is to make the no bake cookie dough crust for the cheesecake.

Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, letting some paper hang over all sides to make removal easier.

Put all of the ingredients for the crust, except the chopped dark chocolate, in a medium-sized bowl and stir with a spoon until the dough comes together. Fold in the chopped chocolate.

Press the crust mixture into the prepared pan, starting in the center and moving outward. Press down firmly with your fingers until smooth. Then place the pan in the fridge while you prepare the filling.

Next, let’s make the cashew cheese cake filling

Put all of the filling ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy, two to three minutes.

Pour just over half of the filling over the crust.

Top the filling evenly with the flattened cookie dough balls and press down slightly if needed, but not so deep that they go through to the crust.

Pour the remaining filling over the cookie dough balls and then place the pan in the fridge to firm up, about 1 to 2 hours.

The last step is to make the chocolate ganache topping.

Melt the chocolate and coconut milk over a double boiler and whisk for three to five minutes, until smooth. Let stand for one to two minutes.

Remove the cheesecake from the fridge and pour the ganache over the top in an even, smooth layer. Place the pan back in the fridge to set, for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

Time to serve:

Remove the cheesecake using the overhanging parchment paper, slice into squares, and serve.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, or freeze for longer.

Why You’ll Love This No Bake Vegan Cheesecake

Creamy and so delicious (anyone will love it!)
Refined sugar free so it’s not as sweet as traditional cheesecake.
Don’t need to turn your oven on = perfect as a summer treat!
Easy to make and pretty hands off.
It tastes like cookie dough!

Tools For Making This Cookie Dough Cheesecake

In order to make this no bake raw cookie dough cheesecake, it will be easier if you have a few tools.

Vitamix or high powered blender: to get the cashew filling as smooth as possible, a high powered blender will be your bff. This is the Vitamix I have (I love it) and I’ve had it for ten years.
food processor: this will help form the raw cookie dough balls a lot easier. But if you don’t have one, you can chop things and make them by hand. This is the food processor I use.
one square 8″ pan
parchment paper
small saucepan

Tips

Prep ahead of time: this no bake vegan cheesecake needs to sit overnight, so it’s best tp prep ahead of time so that when it comes to putting it together, it’s an easy process.
Refrigerate overnight: for best results, allow the cookie dough cheesecake to sit overnight before slicing into squares. This allows time for the cheesecake to set.
Wet your knife: when ready to slice the cheesecake, wet a sharp knife beforehand and wipe between slicing.

How to Store

You can store leftover slices in the fridge for up to three days.

Or store leftover slices in a freezer safe container or in a plastic freezer bag for up to three months.

Other No Bake Recipes to Try

If you make this no bake cookie dough cheesecake, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to tag me on Instagram, and/or leave a comment, rating or review below.

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