These irresistible no-bake blueberry cheesecake bars have it ALL. The perfect ratio of crunchy crust, and creamy filling, all topped with flavorsome blueberry curd and fresh blueberries.
The latest edition in a series of summer desserts that will help you make the most out of seasonal fruit and berries. What's more, the easy fruit curd topping can also be made with frozen blueberries, making this the perfect no-bake dessert all year round!
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📖 Recipe Overview
- No-Bake - This quick & easy cheesecake comes together with no need to turn on the oven. This also makes for a more forgiving recipe, as there's no messing with a water batch or tricky cooking times and temperatures.
- Small Batch Cheesecake - This recipe serves 6-8 people, so it's fantastic when you don't want to make an entire cheesecake. That also means fewer ingredients and saving some cash!
- Vegan & GF Option - As always, this blueberry cheesecake is made entirely without eggs or dairy, and there's also an option to make it gluten-free if needed.
If you love blueberry desserts, don't miss out on my Blueberry Cookies, Lemon Blueberry Cake, and full-sized Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake recipes.
🧾 Ingredients Needed
Here's everything you need to grab to make homemade blueberry cheesecake bars:
Ingredient Notes
- Cashews- Soak them for at least 4 hours before blending to help soften them and for a creamy end result. If you're short on time don't worry! Just "quick-soak" the cashew nuts in boiling water for just 30 minutes.
- Vegan Cream Cheese - Feel free to go for homemade vegan cream cheese or storebought. If using a branded cream cheese I recommend VioLife as it has great setting abilities. This can be an issue with some soft spreadable cream cheeses.
- Greek-Style Non-Dairy Yogurt - This changes the game with vegan cheesecake recipes and that's why I almost always include it in the ingredient list. If you can't get Greek-style vegan yogurt or Skyr, use coconut yogurt instead or another dairy-free yogurt that has a thick consistency.
- Agave Syrup - I use this for its neutral flavor but you can use pure maple syrup instead.
- Blueberry Curd - This curd takes these bars over the top. It adds far more flavor to the dessert than simply adding fresh berries to the batter. It tastes like blueberry pie filling as it's made using vanilla-flavored non-dairy milk and a hint of lemon!
🥣 How To Make Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
These easy cheesecake bars come together in 3 stages; the curd, filling, and crust. Here's how it is done:
Step 1: Make the blueberry curd up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate until ready to use. Pre-soak the cashews and line the base and sides of a 9" loaf pan with parchment paper.
Step 2: Add the vegan cookies and sea salt to a food processor and blitz for a minute or so until finely ground. Add the butter and blend again until the mixture sticks together between your fingers.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: Add all of the cheesecake filling ingredients to a high-speed blender. Blitz until smooth and creamy without any lumps.
Step 5: Pour the vanilla cheesecake filling into the prepared pan with the cheesecake crust. Refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours (or overnight) until set.
Step 6: Gently warm the blueberry curd over a double boiler. This brings it back to a spreadable consistency. Be careful not to overheat it as you don't want it to melt the cheesecake. Add the curd on top of the set cheesecake and refrigerate for another 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
🫐 Variations
If you'd like to tweak the appearance, flavors, or adapt these cheesecake blueberry bars to your dietary needs, here are some ideas:
- Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes - If you want perfectly portioned mini cheesecakes you can make this recipe in a mini cheesecake pan or muffin pan. If you're using the latter, be sure to line the pan with muffin cases so you can easily lift out the miniature cheesecakes once set.
- Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake - Switch the vanilla filling for a more zesty version packed with lemon juice and zest as featured in my lemon cheesecake bars.
- Graham Cracker Crust - You can easily swap out the cookies at a 1:1 ratio. Note that you will need a vegan-friendly brand of graham crackers.
- Gluten-Free - To make them GF, use gluten-free cookies or opt for a whole food cheesecake crust like in this peach cheesecake.
📝 Recipe Tips
When lining your loaf pan, leave some overhang with your parchment sling. This will make your life SO MUCH EASIER when it comes to removing the set cheesecake from the pan.
Use a little blueberry curd to help stick the parchment paper to the sides and bottom of the loaf pan.
If your blueberry curd has been stored in the fridge it will become quite thick. Use a double boiler to gently warm the blueberry curd before using it as the topping. But make sure that you do not heat it too far, as you don't want to risk it melting the cheesecake underneath.
Wipe your knife clean with some kitchen paper or a clean kitchen towel between each cut. This will help give you nice even cuts with clean layers.
💬 FAQs
When stored correctly, these blueberry cheesecake bars will keep in the fridge for about 4-5 days. Make sure you place them in a sealed container or wrap the container with plastic wrap to make sure its airtight.
No-bake cheesecake is a great make-ahead dessert! At a minimum, it will need 5 hours in the fridge to set properly. This is because the cheesecake filling ingredients such as non-dairy cream cheese and coconut oil solidify when chilled.
I recommend preparing the cake the day before you plan on serving it so that it can set in the refrigerator overnight.
Yes, these blueberry vegan cheesecake bars can be frozen. I recommend slicing them into servings first. Then place them in an airtight container separated by parchment paper so it's easy to grab one when the craving hits!
To defrost the bars, place them on a plate and refrigerate overnight, or at room temperature for an hour.
🍰 More Cheesecake Bars
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Description
Equipment
Ingredients
Make-Ahead
- 1 batch blueberry curd
Crust
- 140 g (1⅔ cups) ginger nut or digestive biscuits, vegan graham crackers,*see note 1 for GF option
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 45 g (3½ tbsp) vegan butter, (block-style)
Filling
- 150 g (1 cup + 2tbsp) cashews, soaked *see note 2
- 200 g (7 oz) vegan cream cheese
- 80 g (⅓ cup) vegan Greek-style yogurt, or vegan Skyr *see note 3
- 30 g (7½ tsp) coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons agave syrup, or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste , or vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare: Make the blueberry curd up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate until ready to use. Pre-soak the cashews as per the recipe notes. Line the base and sides of a 9" loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Make the crust: Add the cookies and salt to a food processor and blitz for a minute or so until finely ground. Add the butter and blend again until the mixture sticks together between your fingers.
- 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 all of the filling ingredients to a high-speed blender and blitz until smooth and creamy without any lumps. Pour the filling into the pan and refrigerate for a minimum of 5 hours (or overnight) until set.
- Add the topping: Add the blueberry curd to large bowl and very gently heat it over a double boiler whilst stirring so that it becomes a spreadable consistency - be careful not to overheat it as you don't want it to melt the cheesecake. Add the curd on top of the set cheesecake, smoothing it out with the back of a spoon. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes to an hour before serving.
- Serving and storage: Once set, use a hot wet sharp knife to cut it into servings. They will keep for up to 5 days in a covered container in the fridge. They should keep well in a freezer-safe container for up to a month. To serve, simply defrost in the fridge overnight.
Notes
- Gluten-Free: To make them GF, go for gluten-free cookies or use a wholefood crust like in my lemon cheesecake bars.
- 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.
- Yogurt: Use thick coconut yogurt for a soy-free option.
Nutrition
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