If you love creamy and delicious no-bake treats, you'll enjoy these freezer-friendly vegan blueberry cheesecake bars which are made up of a Digestive crust and a blueberry cheesecake filling.
These bars are great all year round and make a tasty option for when you want a fruity and sweet dessert. The crust is beautifully buttery and the filling is silky smooth, complimenting the blueberry compote considerably.
I've been making these blueberry cheesecakes for years and the more I eat them, the more they taste better and better. They're a firm favorite in my household and they're definitely here to stay!
For more delectable blueberry recipes like this one, be sure to check out my vegan blueberry cream pie, vegan blueberry cream cheese muffins and vegan lemon blueberry muffins which are all incredibly moreish.
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Why You Will Love This Cheesecake
- Tasty Crust - The crust for these cheesecake bars is deliciously chunky. It's also super buttery too which is a bonus. See my vegan strawberry cheesecake bars for a similar crust structure.
- The Compote - I love the compote jelly filling as it's nice and thick and well as having a beautiful, tangy sweetness. It also looks beautiful inside the cheesecake filling with it's bright purple color and swirls. I also made a similar cherry compote for my vegan black forest cheesecake.
- No Baking Required - The best thing about this recipe is that it is completely no-bake. Once you've made the crust, filling and compote all you need to do is place it inside the freezer to freeze. There's nothing else to do after that, as the freezer does all the work for you.
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This vegan blueberry cheesecake bars recipe is wholly vegan and dairy free.
Ingredient Notes
- Digestives or vegan Graham crackers - These can be used interchangeably and will be used as the main ingredient for the cookie crust. Neither of these are gluten free options but they're both almost always vegan.
- Vegan butter block - Don't use a vegan margarine or dairy-free spread. They set differently in the freezer to a vegan butter block and you'd also need different amounts of each. However, if you can't get hold of a butter block like the Flora dairy-free one, this is the next best thing.
- Raw unsalted cashews - These nuts need to be soaked overnight in order to soften them. If you don't do this it will be very difficult to blend them, even with the water. Once blended your raw cashews will be super soft. See my vegan snickers cheesecake and vegan chocolate cheesecake recipes for other cheesecakes that use this technique.
- Coconut oil - Adding this to the mixture helps the cheesecake to firm up when frozen.
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice - Using lemon juice in this recipe is an awesome hack. By adding just a teaspoon to the cheesecake filling mixture it makes such a big difference to the taste. The lemon juice gives this dairy-free cheesecake a 'cheesecakey' taste which isn't dissimilar to non-vegan cheesecakes. I used this trick for my vegan peanut butter cup pie recipe to the same effect.
- Fresh blueberries - Fresh blueberries are the best option for this recipe due to their convenience and ease of use. They also keep their shape better inside the cheesecake, in comparison to frozen blueberries which will also have to thaw before being used.
- Cornstarch - This is an important ingredient as it thickens the blueberry compote. If the compote is too thin, it won't swirl into the cheesecake properly and you won't get to see the awesome marbling!
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Only one ingredient in this recipe contains gluten, which are the Digestives/Graham crackers. You can make these blueberry cheesecake bars gluten free by substituting the type of cookie you use for the gluten free equivalent. If you can't find a version of those cookies which is free from gluten, you can use a gluten free cookie of your choice.
- You can use frozen blueberries but you will need to thaw them first, unlike in my vegan blueberry cobbler. Frozen blueberries won't keep the natural shape that fresh blueberries possess, but they can still be used, albeit in a more messy fashion.
How To Make Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1: Line a large, square baking tin with parchment paper.
2: Blitz the Digestives or Graham crackers inside a high-speed blender.
3: Add the remaining crust ingredients and blitz again.
4: Press the crust into the bottom of the lined tin.
5: Blend together the cashews and water.
6: Add the other filling ingredients and blend one more time.
7: Pour the filling over the crust and smooth out.
8: Make the blueberry compote.
9: Swirl the compote into the filling. Place into the freezer.
10: Let the cheesecake thaw a little. Slice and serve.
Expert Tips
Use raw unsalted cashews - Roasted cashews will not work and they will also make the cheesecake taste weird.
Freeze the bars - This is a freezer-only recipe and chilling isn't an option initially. It won't set properly and you'll end up with a soupy mess. However, once you have set the cheesecake in the freezer, you can then thaw it inside the fridge for a short while to soften the texture.
Use full fat coconut cream - Don't use the 'light' version for this recipe. It will affect the texture of the cheesecake.
Soak the cashews overnight - This will make them far easier to blend and you will also have a creamier cheesecake. If you forget to soak them overnight, leave them to soak in boiling water for 1 hour.
Recipe FAQs
If you want to use frozen ones, let them thaw inside a colander to allow the excess water to drip first. This will mean that the compote is sweet and not watery.
Yes, you do! This is very important. Otherwise, these cheesecake treats will become mushy and messy. These bars will last for up to 3 months in the freezer. Placing the cheesecake into the freezer simply speeds up the setting process. If you like your cheesecake a little softer and creamier, thaw in the fridge for a couple extra hours after freezing.
This will give the bars the 'cheesecakey' taste that the vegan cream cheese will often have. It's best if you don't leave it out.
Store inside the freezer for up to 1 month or inside the fridge for up to 4 days. Store inside an airtight container or a freezer-friendly zip-lock bag.
The main ingredient for this cheesecake recipe is cashews! Many people are surprised when they hear about cashews being used for cheesecake. They are such a brilliant and cheaper alternative to dairy free cream cheese. When soaked overnight, the cashews become hydrated and therefore, it ultimately gives cheesecake a creamy texture with great consistency.
This delightful blueberry jelly adds a nice sweetness to the filling. It's made up of only 4 ingredients which are, blueberries, cornstarch, maple syrup and lemon juice. The cornstarch thickens the mixture, while the maple syrup enhances that sweetness that I just mentioned. I like to swirl the compote into the filling with the bottom and of a thin knife as it creates a nice pattern on top of the bars.
More No-Bake Vegan Recipes
If you tried this Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake Bars Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake Bars (No-Bake)
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 400 g Digestives or vegan Graham crackers
- 150 g vegan butter block melted
- Pinch of salt
For the cheesecake filling:
- 300 g raw unsalted cashews soaked overnight
- 120 ml water
- 180 g full fat coconut cream
- 60 g coconut oil melted
- 30 ml maple syrup
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
For the blueberry compote:
- 150 g fresh blueberries
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Preparation:
- Line an 8 x 8” square baking tin with parchment paper.
Make the crust:
- Add the Digestives or Graham crackers to a high-speed blender and blitz until the crumbs become fine.
- Melt your vegan butter in a saucepan then pour it into the blender, as well as the salt. Blitz the base mixture again. It should begin to look like wet sand.
- Press the cheesecake crust into the bottom of the prepared square tin. To pack it in firmly, press with the bottom of a glass.
- Place the crust into the freezer to set while you prepare the filling.
Make the cheesecake filling:
- Add your soaked cashews to the blender with the water. Blend for about 40 seconds until fully combined.
- Pour in the remaining filling ingredients and blend for 60 seconds one more time until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps.
- Pour the filling over the crust.
Make the blueberry compote:
- Cook all the compote ingredients in a small saucepan over a medium heat for 8 minutes. Stir regularly until it thickens.
- Add dollops of the blueberry compote to the top of the filling and swirl it in with a knife or a skewer to create a marble effect.
Freeze:
- Place the blueberry cheesecake into the freezer for 4 hours to set.
- Let it thaw for 5-10 minutes, slice into bars. Serve. If you like them a little softer, place into the fridge after freezing for 2 hours.
Video
Notes
- Roasted cashews will not work and they will also make the cheesecake taste weird.
- This is a freezer-only recipe and chilling isn't an option initially. It won't set properly and you'll end up with a soupy mess. However, once you have set the cheesecake in the freezer, you can then thaw it inside the fridge for a short while to soften the texture.
- Don't use the 'light' version for this recipe. It will affect the texture of the cheesecake.
- This will make them far easier to blend and you will also have a creamier cheesecake. If you forget to soak them overnight, leave them to soak in boiling water for 1 hour.
Giuseppe says
The BEST! Guys honestly... I'm like speechless and I know that not helping, but PLEASE, PLEASE! Try this recipe. I'm Italian and vegan for five years, I've tried everything and beyond but I can finally say I found My Cheesecake Recipe!!!!! (Also a big fan of blueberries 🫐)
Thank you so much @vegan_treats_blogger can't wait to try more! Well done! Grazie, Giuseppe
Giuseppe says
The BEST! Guys honestly... I'm like speechless and I know that not helping, but PLEASE, PLEASE! Try this recipe. I'm Italian and vegan for five years, I've tried everything and beyond but I can finally say I found My Cheesecake Recipe!!!!! (Also a big fan of blueberries 🫐)
Thank you so much @vegan_treats_blogger can't wait to try more! Well done! Gracie, Giuseppe
Dianne Leigh says
Love this recipe so much. So creamyyyy