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

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
• 3/4 cup dates
• pinch of pink salt

Filling

• 2 1/3 cup cashews - soaked
• 1/2 cup maple syrup - or honey
• 1/3 cup lime juice - from 2 large limes
• 2 Tbs lime zest
• 1/2 cup coconut oil - melted
• 1 tsp 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!