No bake key lime cheesecake! Delicious tangy, tart citrus flavor. Rich and creamy without any dairy! (Gluten-free, refined-sugar-free, Paleo & Vegan!
Dairy-Free Lime Cheesecake
If I HAD to pick a favorite recipe, this would probably be it! THIS is is one recipe that I keep going back to over and over again. I just LOVE lime! And especially when it's part of a rich creamy cheesecake!
How to Make Cream without Dairy
And the extra creamy sweetness does not come from cream cheese with cups (and cups!) of white sugar added.
It's from CASHEWS! It's simply amazing how they transform into cream!
YES you can make vegan/paleo dairy-free cream by blending soaked cashews! Soaking softens the nuts and helps them blend easier. They also absorb some of the water while soaking, which helps make a FANTASTIC cream.
Update: I learned a shortcut to making cashew cheesecakes over the years!
Major time saver: If you don't have 12 hours to soak your cashews, you can soak them in as little as 1-2 hours.
How? By using HOT *just off a boil* water. This speeds up the process dramatically.
Simple, Whole Food Ingredients!
The main ingredients are pretty simple
- nuts (almonds to make a crust and cashews for the cream)
- dates to act as a binder and sweetener for the crust
- limes for that tangy citrus flavor
- coconut oil to act as the binder for the filling. (An alternative is palm oil - must be an oil that solidifies when chilled since we are not baking)
- liquid sweetener of your choice. Light amber maple syrup or light colored honey both taste great. (Click here for a low-carb version)
Always add a pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla to *every* dessert for good measure 😉 It really makes a difference.
So. much. deliciousness in this cheesecake. It is addictive. You have been warned, ha.
ps: For more CRAZY good Paleo & Vegan cheesecakes (my FAV dessert!) check out my collection here. Some of my favorite flavors are: Berry, Orange Spice and Peanut Butter Cup.
If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating below, comment and tag me on Instagram @emily.likes.food so I can see your creation!
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Vegan & Paleo Key Lime Cheesecake
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup almonds
- ¾ cup dates
- pinch of pink salt
Filling
- 2 ⅓ cup cashews - soaked
- ½ cup maple syrup - or honey
- ⅓ cup lime juice - from 2 large limes
- 2 Tbs lime zest
- ½ cup coconut oil - melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest for garnish
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Pulse crust ingredients in food processor until sticky crumbles form.
- Press into parchment lined springform pan (I used a 7" pan)
To make the filling:
- Add soaked cashews to food processor and thoroughly blend, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Add remaining ingredients and blend, streaming in oil last.
- Taste & adjust sweetness/tartness.
- Pour over crust and add zest for garnish.
- Freeze for about 2 hours to speed up the hardening.
- Transfer to fridge. Keep refrigerated (or frozen).
- Remove from springform pan. Slice & Enjoy! You can also top this with coconut whipped cream for an even more decadent cheesecake!
Nicole
Just a suggestion...change "pink salt" to Himalayan pink salt...pink salt is aka curing salt which is used in curing meats
Emily
Will do. Thanks Nicole 🙂
Marilena
Just made this but without honey/syrup. I used pure vanilla powder, don't think extract is paleo as it contains sugar??
Emily
I always buy pure extract without added sugar.
Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Deb
Whats the fat content? Calories?
Emily
Deb, if you go to MyFitnessPal.com you can paste the url into their calculator and it will give a full nutritional analysis 🙂
Jessica
Curious why add oil when nuts are already so oily? What is the ingredient’s purpose?
Emily
Coconut oil is a key ingredient in raw cakes because it's what holds the cake in shape-- since coconut oil hardens when chilled. Otherwise you'd have a bowl of cream instead of a cheesecake 🙂 It also adds to the silky texture and richness. It doesn't make it taste oily. It's delicious
Mindy
This looks amazing!
Any suggestions to make this keto-friendly? Without maple syrup, but with stevia?
Emily
Thanks! Yes, I did a low-carb key lime cheesecake here: https://prettypies.com/recipe/low-carb-lime-cheesecake-vegan/
Carmen
Hello, this looks lovely
I would like to incorporate some coconut to this, can you recommend how I could do that? I’m not very good in the kitchen but love coconut with key lime
Emily
Hi there! Thanks!
Are you talking about coconut shreds/flakes (texture) or simply coconut flavor?
If it’s just flavor you’re after, add 1-2 teaspoons of coconut extract to the filling.
You can also add 2-3 Tbs coconut shreds to the crust for a mild coconut flavor.
Another delicious way to add coconut is to sprinkle toasted coconut flakes on top of the completed cake! hope that helps!
Lexi
Hi, what other oil can I use besides coconut? I have an allergy to it.
Emily
Palm oil should work