These vegan lemon cheesecake bars are a must for lemon dessert lovers. The cheesecake filling is flavored and topped with homemade vegan lemon curd for an intense lemony taste experience!
Note: I have updated my original recipe to be small batch, featuring with a cookie crust and an even more flavorsome filling made without coconut oil!
Similar to my lime cheesecake and mango cheesecake, this no-bake recipe is the perfect light and refreshing treat for spring and summer.
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📖 Recipe Overview
- Incredibly Easy - Being no-bake, means there's no need to fiddle with water baths or baking times. The curd is cooked on the stove and the crust and filling are simply blitzed and blended.
- Make-Ahead Dessert - You can spread out the elements of this recipe by making the lemon curd a few days ahead. Then prep and set the cheesecake in the fridge the day or night before your special occasion.
- Eggless, dairy-free, and can be adapted as gluten-free by using GF cookies for the crust.
If you love lemon desserts, try my recipe recipes for lemon meringue pie, lemon curd cake, lemon loaf, lemon cookies, and lemon ice cream next!
🧾 Ingredients Needed
Here are all the ingredients to gather before making these cheesecake bars:
Ingredient Notes
Find the complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Vegan Lemon Curd - My homemade curd is made with freshly squeezed lemons and lemon zest for a bright tangy flavor. You can make this ahead if you want to save time.
- Non-Dairy Cream Cheese - I use violife cream cheese, but you can also use homemade vegan cream cheese. You could also swap in chilled full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream, but you may need to add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to add the tangy flavor.
- Greek-Style Yogurt - This adds a lovely light and tangy flavor to the cheesecake. Alpro Greek-style yogurt is my favorite, but you can also use vegan sour cream or very thick coconut yogurt.
- Cashew Nuts - For that cheesy, nutty flavor and a wonderful creamy consistency. If you can't have cashews, use sunflower seeds or macadamias. You can also substitute with 200g extra vegan cream cheese.
- Cookies - I use digestives, but you can use any vegan cookies of your choice.
🥣 How To Make Vegan Lemon Cheesecake
Remember, the detailed printable recipe card is at the end of this page, but here are the step-by-images that you can use as a guide:
Step 1: Blitz the cookies, salt, and vegan butter in the food processor until it resembles fine crumbs. The mixture should hold together when pressed between your fingers.
Step 2: Press the cookie crust into the base of a 9-inch loaf pan lined with parchment. Press it down with a spoon or spatula, and place it in the fridge while you make the filling.
Step 3: Blend all of the filling ingredients until smooth and creamy (cashews, cream cheese, yogurt, lemon curd, agave, and vanilla).
Step 4: Pour the filling into the loaf pan and smooth out the top with an offset spatula. Place it in the fridge to set for a minimum of 6 hours (overnight works well).
Step 5: Once set, spread the remaining lemon curd on top of the cheesecake. If your lemon curd was stored in the fridge, you may need to gently warm it on the stove to help it become runnier.
Step 6: Place the lemon curd topped cheesecake back in the fridge for an hour, or set it in the freezer for 30 minutes before slicing.
💡Recipe Tips
Quick-Soak The Cashews. If you forget to soak the cashews in advance, don't worry! You can soak them in boiled water for an hour ahead of time. I sometimes soak them for as little as 30 minutes in simmering water, which also works!
Make a parchment sling with a slight overhang to easily lift the set cheesecake out of the pan once set.
Speed up the setting time. If you can't wait overnight, you can 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.
Use a large sharp knife to cut the cheesecake and wipe the blade with a kitchen towel between each slice for the cleanest cuts.
💬 FAQs
Yes! Just opt for GF cookies for the crust. Make sure you also check the labels on the yogurt, cream cheese, and butter if you're using brands different from those listed in the recipe.
Of course, you can make it in a 7.5 or 8-inch springform pan. Just times the recipe by 1 +⅓ so you get a decent-height cheesecake! A full-sized version of this cheesecake will feed around 12 people.
For a 9-inch pan, I would double the recipe to comfortably serve around 15 people.
Place the cheesecake in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
To extend the shelf-life, you can freeze it in an airtight container for up to a few months. I recommend slicing the cheesecake into individual bars before freezing, and defrosting them as needed. Then just grab a cheesecake bar and let it defrost at room temp for an hour before serving.
🍰 More Vegan Cheesecake
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Description
Ingredients
- ¾ batch (450 g) vegan lemon curd, prep-ahead option *see note 1
Crust
- 140 g (1 ⅔ cups) vegan cookies, I use digestives *see notes 2 + 3
- 45 g (3 ½) unsalted vegan butter, (block-style)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Filling
- 150 g (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) cashews, soaked ahead of time *see note 4
- 300 g (10.6 oz) vegan cream cheese
- 80 g (⅓ cup) vegan Greek-style yogurt, *see note 5
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons agave syrup, or maple syrup
Instructions
- Prepare: Make the lemon curd 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 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 150g (about ⅓ cup) of the lemon curd to a high-speed blender with the other filling ingredients. Blitz until smooth and creamy without any lumps. Pour the filling into the pan and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours (or overnight) until set. *see note 6
- Add the topping: Add the remaining lemon curd to a saucepan and gently heat while stirring so that it becomes a spreadable consistency. Top the cheesecake with the curd 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.
- 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
- Vegan Lemon Curd: I recommend making a full batch and saving the rest for other recipes. This can be prepped a couple of days in advance and stored in the fridge.
- Vegan Cookies: Use vegan cookies such as digestives, ginger nuts, or vegan graham crackers. Use GF cookies if needed.
- Wholefood Crust: Instead of the crust ingredients listed, blend 100g shredded coconut, 100g cashews, ½ tsp salt and 7 medjool dates.
- 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.
Nutrition
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*This recipe was originally published in February 2021. The recipe has since been improved with simplified instructions and ingredients.
