To make and enjoy a Paleo cheesecake, you have to bend your definition of what a cheesecake really is. Cream cheese, of course, isn’t Paleo. So what we’re making here are an assortment of cakes made with ingredients like cashews and macadamia nuts to create a creamy filling that feels and tastes like cream cheese. Enjoy!
1. Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars
This beautiful cheesecake has a gooey caramel topping and a thick, creamy filling that’s rich with cashews, maple syrup, and coconut oil. This is probably my favorite Paleo cheesecake and a must try!
Photo: The Healthy Foodie
2. Secret Ingredient Strawberry Cheesecake
What’s the secret? Are you dying to know? Cauliflower. Really! You won’t even know it’s there, I promise. But it makes this cheesecake creamy while also allowing it to be a bit lighter than the traditional cheesecake. And I love the cinnamon crust on this cake!
3. Strawberry Rhubarb Ginger Cheesecake
Doesn’t that sound fantastic? And it’s vegan, too! Better yet, instead of a tofu-based filling (I’m not a huge fan of tofu or soy in general), this filling is made with cashews and coconut cream for a luscious and silky filling that’s creamy and topped with a ginger rhubarb fruit layer.
I love the combination of maple and cinnamon, especially with the creaminess of cashews! I’d even consider adding a teaspoon or more of vanilla extract to this recipe to add even more complexity to the flavor—even if you don’t, they’ll still be fabulous.
Many cashew cheesecakes (and cheesecakes in general) have a myriad of different ingredients coming in a long list. Not this one! This easy and simple recipe is delicious and has only a few ingredients. It’s vegan, and you better make a double batch!
Photo: Every Last Bite
6. Lemon Cheesecake With Blueberry Sauce
Here’s another blueberry and citrus cheesecake—this one with cashew and macadamia nuts without coconut cream, and made into little mini cheesecakes that are the perfect size for a small treat that won’t overwhelm you.
7. Raw White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
What makes this white chocolate if it’s Paleo? The cocoa butter! melted cocoa butter gives this cake a white chocolate flavor without any of the yucky ingredients in the typical bar of non-food white chocolate. Plus the bright flavor of raspberries and the goodness of nuts!
8. Vegan Passionfruit Cheesecake
Here’s another cake made with a cashew filling and coconut cream. This ensures a very creamy end result, and the flavor of the cashews blends beautifully with the homemade passionfruit “jelly” topping. To make it Paleo, use a tablespoon of gelatin in place of the agar agar.
9. Raw Strawberry, Lemon, and Macadamia Cheesecake
This simple cheesecake is made from a macadamia filling, similar to the way cashews are used for many dairy-free and Paleo cheesecakes. The flavor is wonderful and full of vanilla and strawberries, with a clean and sweet macadamia-date crust.
Photo: Blissful Basil
10. Caramel and Vanilla Cheesecake With Fresh Berries
This extremely decadent cheesecake is actually full of nourishing ingredients. Don’t get me wrong—it’s still a treat—but coconut milk, raw cashews, dates, vanilla beans, almond butter, and fresh berries are way less likely to leave you feeling gross and foggy than cream cheese and white sugar any day.
11. Raw Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake
We rarely see hemp seeds in a cheesecake, but why not? This pecan and hemp seed crust is covered with a macadamia and cashew filling, stabilized with coconut oil and coconut milk, and served-semi frozen. The decorative raspberries are option, but a nice touch.
In this recipe, the bright tastes of lemon and mango blend together to contrast with the cool, sweet, and creamy taste of the cheesecake filling. I’d try sweetening this with maple syrup instead of a agave syrup, just to replace a more processed ingredient with a less processed one.
The fruit and fruity flavors of blueberry and lime are perfect for summer, and this cheesecake is the ideal cooling, refreshing treat. Coconut cream makes a fantastic creamy base that melts in your mouth, and is blended with cashews and macadamia nuts.
Photo: Peachy Palate
14. White Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake
The title of this recipe doesn’t do it justice. With the seeds of two whole vanilla pods, raw cacao powder, nuts galore and maple syrup, the flavors of this recipe pass far beyond white chocolate into the blissful cheesecake beyond. In other words, you have to try it.
15. Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake
This Paleo cheesecake is made with dates, crushed pecans, and a bit of lemon juice in the crust, with a cashew and cherry filling that’s extra creamy and chocolaty from coconut milk, honey, and raw cacao powder. Like many Paleo cheesecakes, this one’s no bake.
This simple Chocolate Cheesecake can be made in a set of ramekins to serve four people, or easy portions and fewer dishes. If you want to, you can double the recipe and make it in a 9-inch springform pan. The maple syrup gives this cake a lovely chocolate-maple flavor.
17. Pumpkin Pecan Mini Cheesecakes
These mini cheesecakes are a cross because pumpkin pie and pecan pie—and cheesecake, too, I suppose! Cashews and pumpkin pie make the base, along with almond milk and coconut oil (you can use honey or maple instead of agave), and pecans make the crust.
Photo: Downshiftology
18. Raw Mixed Berry and Vanilla Bean Cheesecake
The minute I saw this recipe, I know I’d be making it. The crust is nut-based with a cashew cream cheesecake layer and a multi-berry topping that’s sweet and tangy, and that perfectly complements the creaminess and sweetness of the cheesecake filling.
19. Vanilla Almond Cheesecakes
I suppose if it’s a vanilla cheesecake I want, I should just use this one instead of messing with the others, right? This perfect little cheesecake has both vanilla and almond flavors for a decadent treat that tastes like its from a fancy bakery instead of from your own kitchen.
20. Vanilla Cheesecake With Berries
I’m a huge fan of the crust on this cheesecake. It’s a bit more substantial than many of the other cheesecake crusts, with a full cup of almond butter, shredded coconut, coconut butter, and honey. The filling is sweet and tangy with a lovely vanilla flavor and hints of coconut.
21. Pink Cream Cakes With Chocolate Macaroon Crust
This cakes have a sweet vanilla flavor, but they get their beautiful pink color from beet juice! Don’t worry, you can’t taste it. But you’re getting some of the vitamins anyway! My favorite part of this cheesecake is the chocolate macaroon crust, because it perfectly balances the vanilla filling.
Photo: Kim’s Cravings
22. Mini Cranberry Pumpkin Cheesecakes
These little cheesecakes have a crust made from nuts and dates, a filling of creamy cashews, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup, and a topping of gently sweetened cranberries. They’re the perfect fall dessert, and could easily replace pumpkin pie at your Thanksgiving table!
23. Roasted Rhubarb and Vanilla Cream Raw Pie
This raw “pie” is actually a cheesecake, if you consider a crust with a soaked-nut filling a cheesecake (and my guess is you do, or you wouldn’t have made it this far down my list!). This delicious pie has an intense vanilla flavor and a bright tang from roasted rhubarb.
24. Raw Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake in a Jar
These jars would be perfect to take to a picnic, because they’re already perfectly portioned servings in mess-free containers! The lovely raspberry flavor of these cheesecakes perfectly balances the rich creaminess of the cashews and the sweetness of the maple syrup and dates.
This cheesecake has a filling made from macadamia nuts and is sweetened with agave—I recommend replacing the agave with 1/3 cup of honey. For an extract tropical taste, trying substituting coconut milk for the almond milk in the filling.
Photo: Dreamy Leaf
26. Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
This vegan cheesecake is—you guessed it—made with cashews (don’t worry—if you’d rather dairy cheesecakes or are allergic to nuts, there will be plenty on this list for you). It’s sweet and tangy with strawberries and drizzled with delicious dark chocolate.
If you’re wondering what’s up with all these dainty little cheesecakes and their thin layers of filling, here’s the cake for you. This one has a modest crust made from nuts and a thick, rich, pumpkiny cashew filling. I bet you can’t eat a whole slice at once! Maybe I shouldn’t bet on that.
28. Key Lime Cheesecake With Coconut Cream Topping
This little mini cheesecakes have a macadamia filling and a bright lime flavor (I’d use key limes for a true key lime pie experience), but are sweetened with maple syrup, and topped with a cool and creamy coconut cream topping, along with a sprinkle of chopped nuts.
When you use bananas in your cheesecake filling, you don’t need to add as much sweetener, as they’re naturally sweet. And why wouldn’t you want to add bananas? They’re creamy and dreamy in any frozen dessert, and they pair beautifully with plums in these orange-banana-plum cake.
Photo: Sweet n’ Savory Life
30. Mini Blueberry Vanilla Cheesecakes
These miniature cakes are bright and beautiful with a creamy, blended blueberry filling and layers of blueberry and vanilla over an almond, coconut, and date crust sweetened with maple syrup. These look especially kid friendly to me, with those colors!
31. Simple Cashew Cheesecake With Almond Crust
The case is the simplest iteration of the cashew cheesecake with a date and nut crust. No frills, no fancy pants additions or crazy names. But it’s still delicious, and still so much fun to make. You can use whatever fruits you like for the jelly topping—be creative!
32. Pink Velvet Cheesecake Bars
Instead of soaked cashews, these cheesecake bars have a filling made from cashew butter, which is all that much more decadent, creamy, and totally perfect for any dessert. Palm shortening helps achieve the right texture, and coconut oil helps these bars firm up in the freezer.
These cheesecake bars have an intense mango flavor that comes from two whole mangos blended up into the filling. I highly recommend decorating the tops with cocoa nibs and goji berries, even if you’re just going to shove them right into your own face afterwards.
Photo: Lexi’s Clean Kitchen
34. Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
You guys have no idea how excited this recipe makes me. Cookie dough ice cream is something I miss dearly since I’ve started eating differently, and while it feels so much better, it’s great to have treats like this one that have the same amazing taste as what we remember, without the side effects.
