This no-bake lemon cheesecake is easy to throw together, with a super creamy perfectly sweet-tart filling and chewy crust. The dairy-free cheesecake is cashew based, making it both paleo and vegan. It’s also gluten-free and refined sugar free.
With Spring in full force aren’t you just CRAVING citrus? I definitely find myself buying bag after bag of lemons and oranges because I can’t resist when I’m at the store.
Sorta like in the fall when I have ridiculous amounts of winter squash in my house, the Spring is all about citrus for me! And hey, when a crazy delicious no-bake lemon cheesecake tart like this one comes out of it in the end, it’s obviously all worth it.
Last year, I made a similar cheesecake, but key lime flavored. This year I was craving lemon and berries – so this is what we’re doing today.
It’s an easy filling, chilled and topped with homemade coconut whipped cream and berries. The crust is exactly the same as for my key lime cheesecake, except it’s lemon flavored instead of lime!
I honestly love both and can’t really pick a favorite. As long as we’re dealing with creamy “cheesecake”, no one needs to pick a favorite – it’s ALL good.
I find that my cashew cheesecakes turn out the absolute creamiest when I use my Vitamix to blend the cashew/coconut cream based filling.
You can also use a food processor with good results – the cheesecake filling might not be quite as creamy, but, you’re not missing out on flavor at all.
If you plan on using a food processor, soaking the cashews a bit longer can help you get a nice smooth filling.
Since there’s no baking involved here, the cheesecake itself comes together really quickly. It needs several hours to set up in the fridge, however, and I find that chilling overnight gives you the best results.
Make sure it’s all prepped and has chilled for at least 6 hours before you plan on serving for that perfect texture. You can also freeze it several days ahead of time, and then thaw in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. Options! Something you have to love when it comes to dessert.
I linked to another cheesecake for the coconut whipped cream, because I use the same basic recipe whenever I top a dessert.
It’s super simple, but it can also be frustrating to get the texture right sometimes. The main concern is that your coconut cream is solid and chilled before beating it. Otherwise, you’ll wind up with something sort of soupy and not thick enough to spread on anything. Occasionally, certain brands just don’t make good whipped cream for some reason – this one is my favorite and hasn’t failed me!
If you plan on topping with coconut whipped cream and berries, I recommend doing that step right before serving. This way the berries don’t bleed into the whipped cream.
I hope you’re ready for a seriously creamy, delicious, and healthy paleo + vegan lemon cheesecake! Grab those lemons and let’s go!
No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake {Paleo, Vegan}
No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake {Paleo, Vegan}
Ingredients
crust:
- 1 1/2 cups raw pecans or walnuts
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 3 tbsp raw honey or maple syrup, for the vegan version
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
filling:
- 2 1/2 cups raw cashews soaked in water for at least an hour, and drained
- 3/4 cup organic coconut cream *or thick part only of 15 oz can coconut milk
- 1/2 cup raw honey or pure maple syrup, for the vegan version
- Grated zest of 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp organic coconut oil refined or unrefined
- 1/8 tsp fine grain sea salt
Toppings:
- 1 cup fresh mixed berries
- coconut whipped cream
Instructions
For the crust:
-
Place all ingredients in a food processor or high speed blender and blend/process until it sticks a bit (do not over-mix or it will become greasy, like a nut butter) then press into 9 inch tart pan bottom and up the sides; freeze while you prepare the filling.
For the filling:
-
Place all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and process/blend/pulse until a creamy mixture forms. Pour the mixture over the chilled crust, then place in the freezer and allow to chill for 3+ hours or overnight. Alternatively, you can refrigerate overnight to set (this will avoid having to thaw before serving)
-
Once ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator for 1-2 hour to soften (unnecessary if you didn’t freeze)
-
Serve with coconut whipped cream and fresh berries if desired. Enjoy! Store leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer - you’ll need to thaw in the refrigerator before serving.
Nutrition
Shop Products and Ingredients:
Want More Paleo + Vegan Desserts? Try One of These!
Strawberry Lemon Vegan Cheesecake
Chocolate Chip Cookie Vanilla Cheesecake
Chocolate Cheesecake with Chocolate Cookie Crust
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Paleo Running Momma!
If subbing out the honey with maple syrup to keep it strictly vegan, should we use the same amounts?
Yes definitely! Forgot to put the vegan option in there – I’ll add it, thanks.
Hello! I love your recipes! Although I was wondering if you know of a substitute for cashew? Is there another nut that would behave similarly in this recipe? Maybe macadamia?? I know you can’t win all the allergies though 😉
It’s possible that macadamia would work but I’m not positive, that would be the one to try though!
This sounds so tart and absolutely delicious! I’m also craving all things lemon this time of year!
YUM! This cheesecake looks and sounds absolutely amazing!
In the photos, how did you get the crust out of the tart pan without breaking it? Or are you supposed to serve it still in the pan? I prefer the way it looks out of the pan on a cake stand.
I plan on making this with a vanilla bean filling and strawberries on top.
My tart pan has removable sides so I keep it on the bottom and just lift up the crimped part. I highly recommend having a tart pan that does this as it makes life so much easier! Great for quiches and things like that too.
I will try this recipe tomorrow for my family
My wife and i would like to ask two things – are your receipes diabetic/keto friendly, we tried the chocolat chip cookies, awesome
I just made this and followed directions carefully but the filling was so thick it wouldn’t pour, I had to scoop it out. Any idea what went wrong? Too many cashews?
Thank you for an insanely delicious recipe! And so easy to make :)~
Stumble guys is a game inspired by the famous game fall guys. You will have to play the levels with many people. Overcome the challenges to pass the next level. Each level passes, there will be a lot of people eliminated, Let’s overcome them to become the winner.
I will try it on upcoming weekend
I hope it will be same as photo.
Thank you very much for the useful information. It has been challenging for me to come up with numerous questions about this subject. I’ll be right behind you!
This was one of my favorite paleo tart/cheesecakes I’ve ever made!!! So yummy! Thank you for sharing the deliciousness!
The newest games are waiting for you for free on the unblocked site, try it now!
I absolutely love making No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake! This recipe combines simplicity with deliciousness, and it’s perfect for those following paleo or vegan diets. The skilled nursing facility Los Angeles zesty lemon flavor paired with a creamy texture makes it a refreshing dessert. Plus, I appreciate that it requires minimal ingredients and no oven time!