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    Home >> Vegan Cheesecake

    Key Lime Cheesecake (Vegan & Paleo)

    Published: Apr 26, 2016 · Modified: Apr 11, 2023 by Emily · This post may contain affiliate links · 14 Comments

    No bake key lime cheesecake! Delicious tangy, tart citrus flavor. Rich and creamy without any dairy! (Gluten-free, refined-sugar-free, Paleo & Vegan!

    Key Lime Vegan Cheesecake
    Key Lime Vegan Cheesecake

    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.672

    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!

    Click the image below to save this on Pinterest:

    Key Lime Cheesecake (Vegan & Paleo) - PrettyPIes.com

    Vegan & Paleo Key Lime Cheesecake

    Dairy-free and absolutely DELISH vegan key lime cheesecake! Warning: addictive.
    4.41 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes
    Soak + Chill: 4 hours
    Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
    Servings: 12 slices
    Author: Emily

    Equipment

    • Food Processor

    Ingredients

    Crust

    • 1 cup almonds
    • ¾ cup dates
    • pinch of pink salt

    Filling

    • 2 â…“ cup cashews - soaked
    • ½ cup maple syrup - or honey
    • â…“ 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!

    Notes

    To soak cashews: place in a large jar filled with fresh water and cover. Soak overnight, or a minimum of 4-6 hours. Alternatively, soak in hot water (brought to a boil) for 1-2 hours until nuts are softened and plump. Rinse and shake dry.
    To store: Keep refrigerated for about 1 week, or frozen for 1 month, tightly wrapped.
    If your cheesecake is too hard to slice, just set it on the counter for a few minutes. You can store this in the freezer and it will last a long time (if you don't eat it all up in a few days like my family does)  🙂
    Featured Products: Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through referral links in this post (at no additional cost to you). 
    I used a 7" springform cheesecake pan from Amazon (pictured below). If you use standard (larger) size pan, your cake will be flatter/shorter.
    Raw Cashews: click here
    Food processor click here
    Organic Maple Syrup,Grade A Amber Color here
    Recipe adapted from Pure2Raw
    Tried this recipe?Tag @emily.likes.food #prettypies!
    « Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes (Vegan, Paleo)
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    Filed Under: Vegan Cheesecake Tagged With: almonds, cashews, cheesecake, dairy free, dates, gluten free, lime, no-bake, paleo, raw, vegan

    About Emily

    Emily is the creative force behind the food blog, Pretty Pies, a destination for people interested in healthier eating, and for those with dietary restrictions and preferences, such as dairy-free, gluten-free and egg-free.

    Emily specializes in healthy desserts that are low-carb, keto, and made with plant-based natural ingredients. She is the author of two cookbooks in the low-carb sweets niche, "PS It's Healthy," and "Yay It' Sugar-Free!"

    Her recipes have reached millions of people across the globe over a 7-year time span, and helped countless readers enjoy delicious desserts without detriment to their health.

    When she's not creating in the kitchen, she loves spending time with her family and petite Goldendoodle, Eevee, spending time in nature, and eating Tex-Mex.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nicole

      February 19, 2017 at 11:12 am

      Just a suggestion...change "pink salt" to Himalayan pink salt...pink salt is aka curing salt which is used in curing meats

      Reply
      • Emily

        February 19, 2017 at 11:13 am

        Will do. Thanks Nicole 🙂

        Reply
    2. Marilena

      March 19, 2017 at 11:32 pm

      Just made this but without honey/syrup. I used pure vanilla powder, don't think extract is paleo as it contains sugar??

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 19, 2017 at 11:35 pm

        I always buy pure extract without added sugar.
        Hope you enjoy! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Deb

      May 20, 2017 at 7:53 am

      Whats the fat content? Calories?

      Reply
      • Emily

        May 20, 2017 at 9:33 am

        Deb, if you go to MyFitnessPal.com you can paste the url into their calculator and it will give a full nutritional analysis 🙂

        Reply
    4. Jessica

      March 30, 2018 at 6:17 am

      Curious why add oil when nuts are already so oily? What is the ingredient’s purpose?

      Reply
      • Emily

        March 30, 2018 at 6:59 am

        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

        Reply
    5. Mindy

      August 10, 2018 at 2:54 pm

      This looks amazing!

      Any suggestions to make this keto-friendly? Without maple syrup, but with stevia?

      Reply
      • Emily

        August 10, 2018 at 2:58 pm

        Thanks! Yes, I did a low-carb key lime cheesecake here: https://prettypies.com/recipe/low-carb-lime-cheesecake-vegan/

        Reply
    6. Carmen

      September 04, 2019 at 2:44 pm

      5 stars
      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

      Reply
      • Emily

        September 04, 2019 at 2:58 pm

        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!

        Reply
    7. Lexi

      April 20, 2022 at 12:54 am

      Hi, what other oil can I use besides coconut? I have an allergy to it.

      Reply
      • Emily

        April 20, 2022 at 11:25 am

        Palm oil should work

        Reply

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