Snickers bars are very popular around the world and this smooth and chocolatey vegan snickers cheesecake replicates them perfectly in a creamier form. It's completely no-bake, gluten-free and delicious.
If dreamy, chocolatey treats are your go-to's, look no further than this recipe which so easy to make. Just blend all of the ingredients, add them to a springform tin and let it set.
The chocolate filling sits elegantly on the crunchy cookie crust and also has a sweet and homemade vegan caramel drizzled over it. There are so many features that are absolutely delectable in this recipe.
If chocolate and peanut butter flavored desserts are high on your list, I also recommend my vegan chocolate snickers cake, vegan chocolate bundt cake and vegan chocolate peanut butter cake recipes which all taste fantastic!
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Why You Will Love This Cheesecake
- Chocolatey Texture - The consistency of the cheesecake is my favorite part. It's similar to the vegan chocolate cheesecake in the sense that it is so creamy and luscious. There is no difference in texture between this cheesecake and a non-vegan version and whoever tries this will love it. It also has a lovely, rich and deep chocolatey taste which shows off the high-quality nature of the dessert.
- The Caramel Topping - You'll also enjoy the vegan dulce de leche topping which is like a smooth, gooey and buttery salted caramel. Snickers bars are very well known for their chocolate and peanut butter but some people forget about the caramel in the center too. You'll also find the exact same topping on my vegan twix cookies.
- Little Preparation Time - Making the crust and filling doesn't take long at all and before you know it you can place the cheesecake into the fridge to set. That is the hardest part. Waiting for this tasty treat to be ready!
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This vegan snickers cheesecake recipe is wholly vegan, gluten free and dairy free.
Ingredient Notes
- Gluten free or regular digestives - This is a gluten free recipe but you can also use regular Digestives for the crust too if you'd rather. As well as Digestives Graham crackers are also most often vegan. However, if you want a gluten free cheesecake, you'll need to find Graham cracker which are both vegan and free from gluten. Some other recipes that can be easily made gluten free are my vegan danish mini pastries and vegan nanaimo bar custard slices recipes. They're both also really easy to make.
- Vegan dark chocolate - I love to add melted chocolate to the cheesecake filling mixture as it transforms both the flavor and the texture. It makes the cheesecake thick and creamy, as well as gorgeously rich which I love.
- Unsalted cashews - When it comes to the consistency of the cheesecake, this is even more important than the chocolate. Once you have blended the softened cashews with water, it creates a mixture that is responsible for the final outcome. This is what makes it just as good as a non-vegan cheesecake.
- Vegan cream cheese - I love to use the dairy-free Philadelphia cream and the dairy-free Oatly cream cheese for this recipe. They're both super smooth and contribute greatly to the filling.
- Smooth peanut butter - I don't recommend using crunchy peanut butter because I personally love to have a silky smooth experience when eating a cheesecake. If you'd prefer crunchy, there's nothing stopping you. The peanut butter is a delicious addition as it gives the cheesecake that Snickers vibe.
- Vegan dulce de leche caramel - As well as chopped peanuts this will be used as the topping for the cheesecake. It's linked inside the recipe card.
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- If you don't have Digestive cookies where you live, use gluten free or regular Graham crackers instead. There are versions of Graham crackers that are vegan and gluten free and if you can find some, they will be the perfect substitution.
- A special ingredient which you can add to the filling is lemon juice. You only need to add about 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice and the taste of the Snickers cheesecake will transform greatly. It gives it a tangy, 'cheesecakey' flavor which many non-vegan cheesecakes tend to have. I used this recipe trick for many other recipes including my vegan peanut butter cheesecake and vegan banana cream cheesecake.
How To Make A Vegan Snickers Cheesecake
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1: Line a round, springform tin with parchment paper.
2: Blitz the Digestives inside a blender.
3: Add the melted vegan butter to the mixture.
4: Press the crust into the prepared tin.
5: Blend together the cashews and the water.
6: Add the other filling ingredients, apart from the chocolate.
7: Melt the vegan chocolate.
8: Add the melted chocolate to the filling mixture and blend again.
9: Pour the filling into the tin. Sprinkle on some peanuts. Place into the fridge to set.
10: Garnish with vegan caramel and serve.
Expert Tips
Freeze the crust - While you make the chocolate peanut butter cheesecake filling, make sure that you place the cheesecake crust into the freezer. This will give it chance to firm up a little before the chocolate is poured onto it.
Use the bain-marie method to melt the chocolate - The bain-marie method is where you place a heatproof bowl over some boiling water and continuously stir the chocolate until it melts. I've found that this method helps to prevent the chocolate from burning.
Soak the cashews overnight - If you don't soak your cashews overnight, they won't be soft enough for blending. Therefore the texture of the cheesecake will suffer as a result. If you forget to soak them, boil some water and let the cashews sit in it for at least one hour.
Recipe FAQs
Cashews are one of the main ingredients that make vegan cheesecakes unique. When softened cashews are blended for the filling, they create a texture that can rival any non-vegan cheesecake.
There are also no dairy products in vegan cheesecakes so vegan cream cheese is used instead. This has a similar consistency to regular cream cheese, except they're often made from things like nuts. Silken tofu is another great option for a creamy dairy-free cheesecake.
Store the cheesecake inside the fridge for up to 1 week. It will still taste great whenever you choose to eat it!
More Vegan Cheesecake Recipes
If you tried this Vegan Snickers Cheesecake 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!
Best Vegan Snickers Cheesecake (Gluten Free + No-Bake)
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 180 g gluten free digestives or regular digestives vegan graham crackers also work but they’re not gluten free
- 60 g vegan butter block
- Pinch of salt
For the filling:
- 250 g vegan dark chocolate chopped
- 85 g unsalted cashews* soaked overnight (see notes)
- 150 ml water
- 450 g vegan cream cheese
- 50 g smooth peanut butter
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
Toppings:
- Chopped peanuts to taste
- Vegan dulce de leche caramel or store-bought vegan caramel sauce to taste
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Line a round, 8” spring form cake tin with parchment paper then set aside.
- Add the Digestive biscuits to a high-speed blender or a food processor and blitz until fine crumbs form.
- Melt your vegan butter then pour it into the blender along with the salt. Pulse again until the mixture has the texture of wet sand.
- Press the Digestive crust mixture into the bottom of the spring form tin. I use the bottom of a glass to press it in nice and compactly.
- Place your crust into the freezer while you make the filling.
Make the filling:
- Add your dark chocolate to a heat-proof bowl and place it over a pan boiling water (bain-marie). Stir the chocolate over a low heat until it has melted completely.
- Drain the soaked cashews then add them to a high-speed blender along with the water. Blend until the mixture is smooth.
- Now, add in your vegan cream cheese, peanut butter, granulated sugar, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cocoa powder and salt. Blend again until a smooth mixture forms.
- Lastly, add in the melted dark chocolate. Blend one more time.
- Pour the snickers cheesecake filling over the Digestive crust and place it into the fridge for 5 hours to set.
Make the caramel topping:
- For this recipe you can make your own vegan dulce de leche caramel or you can use store-bought vegan caramel.
- Make the caramel just before the cheesecake is due to come out of the fridge.
- When the caramel is ready, place it into the fridge for 30 minutes to thicken.
- Take the cheesecake out from the fridge along with the thickened caramel.
- Top the chocolate cheesecake with chopped peanuts, then drizzle on the thickened caramel.
Video
Notes
- While you make the chocolate peanut butter cheesecake filling, make sure that you place the cheesecake crust into the freezer. This will give it chance to firm up a little before the chocolate is poured onto it.
- The bain-marie method is where you place a heatproof bowl over some boiling water and continuously stir the chocolate until it melts. I've found that this method helps to prevent the chocolate from burning.
- If you don't soak your cashews overnight, they won't be soft enough for blending. Therefore the texture of the cheesecake will suffer as a result. If you forget to soak them, boil some water and let the cashews sit in it for at least one hour.
Haley-Jo says
This cake is incredible! Simple to make and yet it tastes like something I’d order for dessert in a fancy vegan restaurant!
Connie says
One of the best cheesecakes I’ve ever tried. Thanks so much 😊