Paleo Vegan no-bake Cheesecake with Berry Topping! A clean and delicious dessert made with real food only — just cashews, nuts, and fruit! Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Low Carb!
Paleo Cheesecake
It really stinks to be being “that person” who doesn’t eat anything at parties because you’re on a diet. Not only do you have to say no to many of the delicious things right in front of your face, but people will ask questions, lots of questions, about why you aren’t eating.
Then you have to explain your diet plan, over and over. I try not to make it a big deal, because it isn’t. It’s just my thing right now, and I’m not bothered by it. I can say no when I have to.
And I thought September would be a quiet month for my first round of Whole30, well enough past the BBQs and parties of summer but still before the fall and winter holiday parties. I was wrong. Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been that hard to get through; I’ve had lots of support from family and friends at events and gatherings.
That said, i’s just a little bit of a bummer when you have to miss out on the social parts of life and celebrating. I wanted to make a delicious snack that would let me join in on some birthday fun for a family member tonight!
You may also like: Keto Strawberry Cheesecake Fat Bombs, Banana Almond Butter Bites.
Whole30 Desserts
And if you’re on a Whole30 during a holiday or extra special occasion, Melissa says it’s actually okay to participate with a fruit-based dessert.
I’ve seen recipes circulating for Paleo cheesecakes around, but they normally call for straight up sweeteners.
Yes, cheesecake it’s technically off limits because it’s a dessert, which is against the spirit of Whole30, BUT it tastes nothing like cheesecake, I wasn’t using it as a replacement for something I’d normally overindulge in, and it definitely didn’t have me wishing for real cheesecake.
In my opinion, it’s actually less dessert-like than a sweet, juicy piece of fruit like an orange, since it was only lightly sweet, and mostly pretty nutty in flavor. All this to say, I don’t think it’s SWYPO for me.
Every Whole30 coach out there will tell you it is SWYPO, though, so please use caution. If you’re a Whole30 Coach reading this, please don’t hate me.
You can even tell me I’m not Whole30 if you want, but this Paleo Vegan Cheesecake did absolutely nothing to activate my sugar dragon at all. So yes, you’re supposed to skip all desserts in order to help break the cycle of cravings, instead of Whole30-fying recipes. But you know what?
After some thought and reflection before I made and ate this, I felt comfortable with my decision. Personally, this doesn’t trigger any emotionally unhealthy eating habits.
I want to love the food I’m eating through this Whole30, and that means I don’t want to deny myself some of the social enjoyment of food on a special occasion. I like food, and I plan on continuing to enjoy it once I’m done with this.
Here’s what I really like about this recipe:
- It takes less than 5 minutes of cooking time, so you can make it way ahead of time or whenever you have a few minutes to spare.
- It presents like a really pretty treat, so it feels special, even though it’s not traditional birthday cake.
Are you making this? I’d love to know what you think!
Tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom or leave a comment below!
Vegan Paleo Cheesecake with Berries
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup raw cacao nibs
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/3 cup dates
- pinch salt
Cake:
- 1 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 1/2 large lemon juiced
- 3 Tablespoon coconut milk full fat
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
Berry Topping:
- 1/2 cup mixed berries frozen is fine!
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Place all crust ingredients into a blender or food processor and pulse until fully broken down and combined. Press into a 6 inch pan.
- Rinse out your blender, then add all the cake ingredients into the cake. Blend on medium speed until creamy and dreamy. Taste and check consistency. You may need to add a little more lemon juice or apple sauce to sweeten it.
- Mix together the berries and lemon juice and spread on top of the cake.
- Freeze at least 4 hours, but let it sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Nutrition
Looking for more clean treats? Check out my Paleo Chocolate Mousse – you’ll never guess the secret ingredient!
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