No Bake Snickers Cheesecake – a devilishly decadent dessert that’s free of eggs, dairy, grains, and refined sugars. Make it paleo by swapping peanuts with almonds!
Hi, hello it’s Friiiiday which means it’s time to eat all.the.chocolate.
Not that you need a special day or another reason to eat chocolate. I could easily make up an argument for why you should eat chocolate on any given day of the week, but I’ll spare you the details because there are more important things to discuss: like these snickers cheesecake squares!*high five emoji*
I’m actually a little sad right now looking at all these pictures and knowing that there’s none left. They were just so damn good. On a brighter note, I already have more cashews soaking in the kitchen so that I can make some more tomorrow! This is my kind of mental health food and it’s 1000% necessary.
Vegan cheesecake is the kind of thing that always looks a lot more complicated than it actually is to make. There are all these nuts and crazy things that you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see in a regular cheesecake recipe that kind of throw you off. Once you actually try it though you’ll see how easy it is to make – the most difficult part is to waiting, but maybe that’s just me.
This cheesecake is a combination of a couple of recipes I’ve previously shared. The cheesecake part of this recipe is based off of this raw blackberry cheesecake and the nut butter caramel is from these no bake millionaires I made last year. These are my two most popular desserts on their own, but together they are beyond decadent and delicious. Really though – just try it!
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other no bake paleo/vegan desserts you might be interested in…
No Bake Snickers Cheesecake (Vegan & Paleo)
No Bake Snickers Cheesecake - a devilishly decadent dessert that's free of eggs, dairy, grains, and refined sugars. Make it paleo by swapping peanuts with almonds!
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 1/2 cup packed dates
- 1 1/2 cups raw pecans or walnuts
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
NUT BUTTER CARAMEL
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- 2 tablespoon peanut butter, or almond butter for paleo
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
TOPPINGS
- 1/2 cup salted peanuts or almonds for paleo
- 1/2 cup melted dark chocolate
Instructions
- If you haven’t already add the cashews to a bowl and cover with water. Leave the cashews overnight to use when you need it the next day.
Crust
- Make the crust by adding the dates and the pecans to a food processor or high powered blender. Blitz together until the dates and pecans are broken up into small pieces and come together. If your mixture is too dry add a couple more dates. You may need to stop to scrape the sides down occasionally.
- Press the crust into an 8in x 8in parchment-lined dish, until evenly spread. Use another sheet of parchment paper to place over the crust when pressing in the pan. This will keep the crust from sticking to your hands when you’re trying to press it into the tin.
Nut Butter Caramel
- In a small pot melt the caramel ingredients on a medium low heat for about 2 minutes (the maple, oil, nut butter butter, vanilla, and sea salt). Make sure to stir while everything melts to keep from burning. Pour the caramel mixture into a small bowl so that it cools faster. Set it aside in the fridge while you make the filling.
Filling
- For the cheesecake layer, begin by draining the water from the cashews and then placing them in a high speed blender or food processor with the remaining cheesecake ingredients. Blend it all together until it becomes smooth. If you need, stop and scrap the sides down to get all the bits mixed in. This should take 60-90 seconds. (If you own a Blendtec, I put mine on the smoothie setting and that did the trick
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed. Add another 1-2 tablespoons of maple if you like it sweet. Keep in mind that the nut butter caramel will add additional sweetness when we add it in later.
- Pour filling over the crust. Dollop half of the caramel mixture across the cheesecake filling and then drag a knife or toothpick across the top to create the rippled effect. Don't worry if it's not pretty because you're going to later drizzle dark chocolate and the remaining caramel over the top of the cheesecake. Take half of the peanuts (or almonds) and scatter them across the pan and press them into the filling
- Cover the cheesecake and place it in the freezer for 4-5 hours to set.
- Remove the cheesecake from the freezer to allow it to thaw slightly before cutting it.
- While it's thawing melt your dark chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments or over the stove top over a pot of simmering water on a low heat stirring constantly. Remove the chocolate from the heat and let it cool for a minute or two before drizzling it over the cheesecake.
- Drizzle the remaining nut butter caramel over the top along with the melted chocolate and remaining peanuts (or almonds).
Notes
If you want to speed up the cashew soaking process cover the cashews with boiling water and set them aside for at least 2 hours Keep these stored in the fridge or freezer.
Hands on prep time is about 30 minutes, but these need to set in the fridge for about 4-5 hours before eating.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
squareAmount Per Serving: Calories: 326 Saturated Fat: 9g Sodium: 38mg Carbohydrates: 24g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 15g Protein: 6g
Is it possible to use vegan cream cheese for the filling?
Hi Lisa! It’s hard to say without testing it myself first. I think you’d probably be able to use vegan cream cheese in place of the cashews, but I’m not sure how much of the other ingredients you’d have to change as well to adjust for taste
These look soooo good – but, unfortunately, with 24 carbs for just one of 16 servings, they are too sweet for my diabetic husband’s blood 🙁 Guess, he/we will just have to drool!!!
More for you at least! Thanks Kay 🙂
Hi there, is there anything you could swap the soaked cashews for as I’m intolerant! Thank you
Hi Eleanor! If you’re only intolerant to cashews and not other nuts as well you can try using another type of nut in its place. I’ve seen people use almond/macadamia instead of cashews before. If nuts are a no go then you can try using hulled sunflower seeds. Hope that helps!
For the photos, did you make more caramel than the recipe calls for? That topping is amazing but it seemed like such a small amount. Also, it was hard to spread since it was so thick. Every layer was delicious. I’m dying to taste the finished product. Your photos are amazing!
Hi Kirsten! Nope – everything picture is how much I made for the recipe. I’m wondering if maybe you needed to heat up the caramel layer a little more so that it could spread easier?
Hope you loved it in the end! 🙂
Hi ! Im making this today! , is it ok if i leave it on the freezer overnight covered and put in on the fridge on the morning while im at work and then do the finishing touches the next day? ( drizzle the nut butter caramel and melted chocolate, and toppings) or can i leave it all the time on the freezer until im back to finish it??
Thank you!!
Hi Maggie! Either way will work so whichever is easiest for you! If it’s kept in the freezer the whole time it will just need about 15-20 minutes to defrost before you’re able to enjoy it so it’s not too solid to eat. Hope you love it!
Your first ingredient is “packed.” What is that?
Whoops! I must have accidentally deleted that when trying to fix another typo! It’s packed dates – thanks for pointing that out to me!
Hi! Could I use a springform pan to make these, instead of the 8×8 you listed?
Thank you!
absolutely!
Thanks! Made it today, and it was scrumptious! Great recipe!
Awesome! So glad you liked them! Thanks so much for coming back and letting me know what you thought!
Your photos are way too realistic. You are not nice to make us all drool! Can’t wait to try these! Thanks for sharing!
Haha thanks! *mission accomplished* Hope you love them as much as we do here!
I am so impressed by this and it will now be one of my go to desserts all the time! So delicious and am trying really hard not to scoff it all (but I probably could right as it’s healthy yeah) still trying to get my head around something that tastes this good is actually good for me!
Any idea how many calories in this? (I don’t usually calorie count but am interested… )
Hi Jo! Really glad you like it! This is definitely one of our favourites! If you divide the bars up into 16 pieces like I recommend then they come out to about 300 calories each (it will vary slightly depending on whether or not your use pecans/walnuts & what type of chocolate). Because of the nuts/dates they do pack in a punch calorie wise. Though these are definitely healthier than regular cheesecake/snickers bars I think it’s still important to remember not to eat too much – which I know for myself can be tricky because I have such a sweet tooth!
Thanks so much for coming back to let me know what you thought!
Thanks for that I cut mine into about 5×5 (25 pieces) and used pecans & peanuts (but will try walnuts and almonds next time) so thanks for the indication for the 4×4 😋 I do love a Snickers and a cheesecake so am very happy to find this healthy refined sugar free version! But yes will keep with the portions (as hard as it is) due to the nuts and dates.
Freezes so well too and delicious frozen (I’m in QLD, Australia so it’s summer here atm)
This turned out really good and tasted amazing! I will definitely put this on my list of desserts I can make. I do not have a food processor unfortunately so I was very concerned because I had to put all of mine together very blocky and the blender and it was not smooth at all like yours, however it ended up tasting just as well chunky and fine, including not having the ability to soak the cashews very long. So I can’t imagine how much better this would taste if I had followed the recipe to a T! Thanks for the recipe!
That’s awesome! SO glad you liked it and really happy to know it was still good even without a high powdered blender! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review letting me know how it went 🙂
So once you thaw it, how long will it keep, please?
You only need about 15 minutes to let them thaw. If you keep them stored in the freezer and take them out when you need it these will easily last a few weeks – really they should last even longer than that in freezer but we never have them last longer than that to find out 🙂 If you wanted to keep them in the fridge then I’d say a week or two
Hi Sarah,
This Vegan Snickers Cheesecake recipe is just amazing.
I would also love to feature it in our website Greenthickies. Would it be all right if I used one image for it? I will not be posting the actual recipe but only one image, title, a small quote and then link directly back here.
Would that be okay?
Thanks a Lot 🙂
Hi Katherine! That’s no problem with me 🙂 So glad you liked the cheesecake! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment/rating!
Hi Sarah, thanks back 😉
so glad I found this recipe!! made them this weekend and it’s been hard not eating them all at once!!
Ahhh! So glad to hear it! Thanks Liz!
Can you make the snicker cheese cake in advance.
Yeah totally! Just keep them in the freezer until you need them and you’re good to go!
Haven’t tasted it yet because it’s still in the freezer but that topping…OMG…I could easily just cook that and eat it on it’s own.
Yay! Glad you like it so far! That topping is my weakness too – SO ADDICTING! Hope you like the rest just as much 🙂
Did you use canned coconut milk?
Yes! Full fat & from a can
Do you drain the water from the can of coconut or just mix it up?
I mixed it up so it was a like a thick milk but you can just use the coconut cream if you’d like
Totally amazing and really does taste like a Snickers bar! Never tried making a vegan ‘cheesecake’ before, but so glad I tried this recipe…I’ll definitely be making more!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment – they make my day!
These were amazing!!!! Made them today and they really tasted like real cheese cake and that’s saying a lot because I’m not vegan or vegetarian and they we’re amazing! Defiantly would make them again!
Yay! I’m so glad you liked them! Who’d have thought cashews make for such good cheesecake?! 🙂
oh wow.. these look unbelievable. pinning for later
Thanks so much! 🙂
Whoa, I HAVE to have these in my life! Thanks for sharing on Savoring Saturdays, this recipe and your Chia Seed Jam are featured this week and I would love to have you share more great recipes. Have a great weekend! ~Celeste
Thanks so much Celeste – can’t wait to see it 🙂
Wow. Those are beautiful, Sarah! Thanks so much for sharing them with us at Savoring Saturdays!
Thanks Raia!
How decadent and fabulous! Even better that they are vegan! Pinning for later dear. xo, Catherine
Thanks Catherine!
I don’t need a reason to eat these–they are incredible!! Pinned
Thanks Kristen! I’m with ya!
These look so decadent…I love snickers and cheesecake and really LOVE the fact that you can actually make a healthier version of such a yummy dessert!
Thanks Michelle! I LOVE snickers bars so these just had to be done 😉
Wow! These look so good!
Thanks Bethany!
This looks so unbelievably delicious! I was off dairy for 9 months and I would have probably made this every week. I can’t wait to try out this recipe now! Thanks for sharing, stopping by from SITS.
Thanks Bev! When my husband and I were both off dairy things like this made it so much easier for us – you don’t even miss the real thing!
OMG! Looks amazing!
Thanks Josephine!
Can’t even describe in words just how delicious these look. When I make them I’m hiding them all away in the freezer for myself 🙂 Thanks for sharing such a lovely recipe!
Haha, I wouldn’t blame you! Thanks Monique 🙂
Oh my goodness, this looks so amazing! I’m off sugar right nowAND I think I’ll be dropping dairy again for my son, so this looks beyond.
Thanks Morgan!
Wait… is that why I’m suddenly happy? ‘Cause it’s time to eat ALL of the chocolate?!? 😉 Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe, Sarah! I am just sitting here, looking at my bowl of oatmeal, thinking… hmm, I could use, oh, the ENTIRE tray of this snickers cheesecake. Also, it’s vegan. Yay!!!
I wouldn’t blame you if you did! If I didn’t have help getting through things like this there’s a good chance I’d eat everything myself too!
These look seriously, ridiculously, AMAZING! I need these in my life, ASAP!
Aww thanks Kristy!
Well, I am definitely drooling! I have an idea in my head for a vegan snickers bar, but I am LOVING this cheesecake version. Your pics are awesome and I want to reach through my screen and grab that stack right out of your hand! YUM!
Thank you Jenn! I’ve been wanting to make something snickers related for a long time too and now I’m OBSESSED!
This looks absolutely incredible. My husband was practically licking the screen! I have to ask — what kind of camera do you have? I’m assuming full frame?
Thank you so much, Lisa! I use a cannon EOS 1200 – not a full frame, but I love what I can do with it!