If you love my lemon cheesecake bars, you'll adore this warm and cozy apple version. The filling is infused with homemade stovetop apple butter and topped with even more for extra flavor.
The combination of creamy apple vanilla cheesecake and spiced apple butter topping gives it all the nostalgic vibes of apple pie in a rich, velvety bar. No eggs, no dairy, and no oven needed!
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🧾 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make this no bake cheesecake. Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
Ingredient Notes
Apple butter: You'll need about two-thirds of a batch of apple butter for this recipe, and the rest won't go to waste - use for swirling into other desserts or breakfast, or you can make a little extra and try my apple crumb cake. It's made with apple cider, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
Note: If you're using store-bought, make sure it's very thick and concentrated. A runny apple butter can affect the texture and prevent the cheesecake from setting properly.
Non-dairy cream cheese: I use Violife cream cheese for its smooth texture and mild flavor, but you can also use homemade vegan cream cheese if you prefer a less processed option. Just make sure it's thick and tangy for the best cheesecake consistency.
Cashew nuts: For a rich, creamy cheesecake filling and a subtle cheesy flavor. If you're avoiding cashews, you can swap them for sunflower seeds or macadamia nuts. Alternatively, substitute with an additional 200g of cream cheese for a nut-free version.
Greek-style yogurt: Adds a light, tangy note that balances the sweetness and enhances the cheesecake flavor. I love using Alpro Greek-style yogurt, but vegan sour cream or a thick coconut yogurt also works.
Cookies: I use biscoff cookies for the crust, but any vegan cookies will work. Vegan graham crackers or gingersnaps are great options, especially if you want to enhance the warm, spiced flavor of the apple butter filling.
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📷 Step-By-Step Images & Recipe Tips
Here's a visual overview showing how to make these easy cheesecake bars. Please refer to the detailed recipe card at the end of this page for full measurements and written instructions. You can also hit the jump to recipe button at the top of this page to skip to it.
You'll want to blitz the crust ingredients in a food processor until they're finely ground and start clumping together, a bit like wet sand. This texture helps the crust hold its shape.
When pressing it into the pan, take a moment to compact it well - you can use the back of a spoon, rubber spatula, or your fingers. A firmly packed crust will slice cleanly later. Pop it in the fridge to set while you work on the filling.
The key to a perfect cheesecake filling is blending until it's completely creamy. Start on a low speed and gradually work up to high - this helps everything combine evenly. At first, the mixture will feel thick, but keep going and you'll see it transform into a loose, silky batter.
Once poured over the crust, give it plenty of time to chill so it sets properly. You can speed this up in the freezer, just let it soften slightly before serving.
Spread the apple butter evenly on top of the cheesecake, smoothing it out for a neat finish. Let it firm up again in the fridge, or use the freezer to speed things along.
For clean, tidy cuts, slice while it's still firm with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between each cut.
💬 FAQs & Customizations
Yes! Simply use gluten-free cookies for the crust. Be sure to double-check that your yogurt, cream cheese, and vegan butter are also certified gluten-free if you're using different brands than those listed.
You can scale the recipe up by 1⅓ times and make it in a 7.5- or 8-inch springform pan for a taller, sliceable version that serves about 12 people.
For a 9-inch or 10-inch pan, doubling the recipe will give you the best height and comfortably serve around 15.
Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To freeze, slice into individual bars and store them in a freezer-safe container.
They'll keep well for a couple of months. When ready to serve, let a bar defrost at room temperature for about an hour.
🍰 More Vegan Cheesecake
📖 Recipe
No-Bake Vegan Apple Butter Cheesecake
Ingredients
Prep Ahead
- 1 batch vegan apple butter *note 1
Crust
- 150 g vegan cookies I use biscoff
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 45 g vegan butter melted
Filling
- 150 g cashews soaked ahead of time *note 2
- 350 g vegan cream cheese
- 80 g vegan Greek-style yogurt *note 3
Instructions
- Prepare: Make the apple butter up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate until ready to use. Pre-soak the cashews in water for 4 hours, rinse, and drain. You can also quick-soak your cashews by soaking them in boiled water for 30 minutes. Line the base and sides of a 9" loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Make the crust: Add all the crust ingredients to a food processor and blitz for a minute or so until finely ground and the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Press the crust into the base of the pan and smooth it down with your fingers or using a spoon - make sure it is compact. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
- Make the filling: Add 250g (about ⅓ of the batch) of apple butter to a high-speed blender with the other filling ingredients. Blitz until smooth and creamy without any lumps. Taste the filling and if it's not sweet to your liking, add 1-2 tablespoons of brown sugar or coconut sugar and blend again. Pour the filling into the pan and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours (or overnight) until set. *note 4
- Add the topping: Top the cheesecake with 250g apple butter and smooth it out with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Place back in the fridge for an hour, or set it in the freezer for 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Homemade Apple Butter: This recipe uses 600g, and a batch makes 700g so it's easier to make a full batch and save some for other uses.
- Soaked Cashews: soak the cashews in water for 4 hours, rinse, and drain. You can also quick-soak your cashews by soaking them in boiled water for 30 minutes.
- Greek-Style Yogurt: Sub with vegan sour cream, vegan skyr, or very thick coconut yogurt.
- Setting Time: If you can't wait overnight, set the cheesecake in the freezer for 3-4 hours. Slice the cheesecake while frozen and let the slices defrost for an hour before serving.
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Delicioso y Facil.😍😘👏👏👏
Thanks Gisel, happy you like it!