Orange Dreamsicle Cheesecake {Vegan, Paleo}

This dairy-free Dreamsicle Cheesecake is bursting with the creamy vanilla orange goodness that dreams are made of! It's easy to make with wholesome ingredients and free from gluten, grains, eggs and refined sugar. (Vegan and Paleo friendly)  Jump to Recipe

Originally published August 2017. Updated June 2022.

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Orange + vanilla cream is an absolute DREAM.

Now I get why they call it DREAMSICLE! I'm dying over how good this Orange Dreamsicle Cheesecake turned out!

This dairy-free vegan/paleo 'cheesecake' is brought to you by the magic of cashews. And I have a feeling this may become your FAV orange dessert ever.

I HAD to have more cheesecake (MY FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD) -- especially since I couldn't have a single bite of the birthday cake I made my son (because they were full of oats and sugar, which tear up my stomach)

After my fam tasted it, this cheesecake was declared to be one of my TOP, best, crazy good, most delicious recipes EVER. 

How to Add Amazing Orange Flavor

I had pretty high expectations for this cake. And I wasn't sure I could achieve the bold orange flavor that I wanted without having to go out and buy orange extract, or use frozen orange juice concentrate. But it happened!!

How? 3 navel oranges (for LOTS of fresh zest), and ⅓ cup of freshly squeezed orange juice. That's all you need to give this cake AMAZING orange-y flavor.

TIP, use a microplane. Seriously life-changing. This is a major time saver.

Clean Ingredients

This recipe uses all natural plant-based ingredients:

1. Cashews - which replace cream cheese and eggs
2. Coconut Oil - holds the cake together
3. Oranges
4. Vanilla
5. Maple Syrup
6. Almonds or other nuts for the crust
7. Dates for the crust
8. Coconut Milk for the whipped cream

Ingredient Substitutions

Need to sub an ingredient? I'm happy to help! Leave a comment or email me at emily (@) prettypies.com.

To make this recipe lower carb, use my Orange Spice Cheesecake (Dairy/Gluten/Sugar-Free) OR use monkfruit syrup or allulose syrup instead of maple syrup + a low-carb crust (without dates).

How to Make Dairy-Free Cheesecake

Just like my other cheesecake recipes, it's SUPER easy to make-- just blend & chill. There's no baking or cooking involved!

First, you'll need to soak your cashews in a bowl of water for a minimum of 6-8 hours (or overnight). This makes them easy to blend and adds moisture to the mixture.

Add the ingredients to a food processor and blend smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.

Pour the mixture over the crust and chill to set. It's typically ready in about 4 hours.

AND I've even learned a trick to speed up the process:

Soak your cashews in HOT water (brought to a boil first) for just 2 hours instead of overnight. Hot water softens and plumps the cashews quicker! 

How to Add Color Without Food Coloring

Add a sprinkle of ground turmeric to give the cheesecake filling a pretty color boost! You can't taste it, but it gives the cake a wonderful golden glow (instead of being a plain beige). Pretty, isn't it?

Garnish the sides and top with orange slices too, to give it a pretty POP of color. So beautiful. The fluffy white whipped cream adds a nice contrast, too.

How to Store Vegan Cheesecake

Keep this cake refrigerated or it will melt. It should stay fresh for 5-7 days in the fridge or up to 1-2 months in the freezer.

Store in an airtight container for best freshness. Frozen cakes can be placed in the fridge or on the counter to thaw.

Orange Dreamcicle Cheesecake

Dreamy creamy cheesecake bursting with orange flavor! Dairy-free and no-bake!

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 slices

Author: Emily

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Crust

• 1 ¼ cup almonds
• 3 medjool dates - about ⅓ cup
• Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
• Orange slices (from about ⅓ of an orange) - for decoration
• Splash of water to help blend, if needed

Orange Cheesecake Filling

• 2 ⅛ cup raw cashews - soaked
• ⅓ cup maple syrup - to taste
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 3 tablespoon orange zest
• ⅓ cup  orange juice - freshly squeezed
• ½ Tbsp vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric - for color
• Dash of Himalayan pink salt

Optional: Whipped Coconut Cream

• 1 can Thai Kitchen coconut milk - refrigerated overnight
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• 1-2 teaspoon maple syrup

Instructions

To make the crust:

• Pulse ingredients in food processor until sticky crumbles form. Add a splash of water at the end if it needs help coming together.
• Press crust into a parchment-lined 7" springform pan. Press the dough up the sides about ¾".
• Decorate the perimeter with orange slices to make it pretty!
  

To make the cheesecake:

• Soak the cashews. (overnight in a bowl of water left on the counter. OR soak in HOT water (brought to a boil first) for 2 hours.) Drain, rinse and shake cashews dry.
• Place cashews in food processor and blend for several minutes until smooth.
• Scrape down sides and add remaining ingredients (Except the coconut oil)
• Stream in the melted coconut oil & blend well. Taste and add more sweetener or zest, if needed.
• Pour cheesecake filling over crust and smooth with a spatula. Garnish the top with orange slices.
  
• Cover with foil and set in the freezer for 3 hours to solidify. Then transfer to the fridge until set (about 1-2 hours).
• When it's ready, add coconut whipped cream (see video below) and orange zest -- however much you like. Enjoy!

Notes

I used a 7" springform pan to make this cheesecake tall and pretty. If you use a larger pan, your layers and cake will be flatter/shorter.

To make whipped coconut cream, see my 1 minute video tutorial to see how easy it is! You can sweeten with just a few drops of stevia or 1-2 teaspoon maple syrup.

 

 

Nutrition Facts

Orange Dreamcicle Cheesecake

Amount per Serving

Calories

499.79

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

41.3

g

64

%

Saturated Fat

 

20.25

g

127

%

Trans Fat

 

0.01

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

4.64

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

13.27

g

Sodium

 

14.77

mg

1

%

Potassium

 

516.72

mg

15

%

Carbohydrates

 

29.1

g

10

%

Fiber

 

4.72

g

20

%

Sugar

 

16.28

g

18

%

Net Carbs

 

24.4

g

Protein

 

9.92

g

20

%

Vitamin A

 

34.24

IU

1

%

Vitamin C

 

7.66

mg

9

%

Calcium

 

85.88

mg

9

%

Iron

 

3.29

mg

18

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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