If you’re after an easy make ahead mini dessert these raw blueberry swirl cheesecake are for you. Made from plant based whole foods and pretty as a picture they are the perfect no fuss dessert with a healthy twist.
I love making baked recipes but in all honesty my favourite type of dessert are easy make ahead slices that are no bake, wholesome and not too sweet. I love making them, I love looking at them and I love that as a family we enjoy them without the sugar high afterwards. We like to eat cake on the regular (because life is too short not to) so having healthy alternatives is a win for us.
If you are ready to make this raw blueberry swirl cheesecake here is what you will need.
- Raw (or roasted) macadamia nuts. Even though macadamia come with a hefty price tag I prefer them for a few reasons. Firstly, here in Australian they are a native plant. Secondly, their flavour is subtle and perfect for pairing with lemon. Other nuts can be used (almonds, pecans, roasted cashews) but do take over the favour profile more.
- Shredded coconut. Adds texture and a sweetness to the base. You can use flaked coconut too but avoid swapping for desiccated coconut.
- Coconut flour. Coconut flour has a unique property for absorbing a lot of liquid in a recipe. It should not be substituted. It can be found at most healthy food stores and major super markets.
- Lemon juice and zest. Its lemon season so if you don’t have lemons at home go on a neighbourhood walk, you’re bound to find a box some kind community member has left out.
- Medjool dates. Any soft juicy dates work here. Dried dates can be used too but you’ll need to soak them in hot water for 5 minutes then drain well (and you will likely need double the amount).
- Raw cashews. Cashews make up the base of the cheesecake. they are the perfect nut for no bake desserts being mild in flavour and naturally high in fat. If you regularly make no bake desserts find a bulk suppler and save some money. Nuts can be stored in the fridge or freezer to massively increase self life, so if you buy in excess store in either of these places.
- Pure maple syrup, or your preferred liquid sweetener. Maple syrup has the best flavour in my opinion, however honey, rice malt syrup, agave and coconut nectar will also work for this recipe. All these syrups vary in sweetness so you will need to taste your filling add add extra sweetener if desired.
- Cacao butter. I like these cacao butter buttons for easy use (I also think they have the best taste of nay I have tried). Cacao butter is a saturated fat meaning it is solid at room temperature essential to set our raw blueberry swirl cheesecake (or any no bake cheesecake). It has a pleasant flavour and I prefer it to coconut oil. If you want to use coconut oil I would recommend adding 50% extra by weight.
- Salt. Flavour, obviously.
- Almond milk, or any boxed or homemade milk of choice.
- Blueberries. Fresh or frozen work fine, as do blackberries and raspberries if you want to change up the flavour of your no bake cheesecakes.
- Chia seeds.
Frequently asked questions
How can I make these without cacao butter or coconut oil?
If you are after an oil free recipe I would recommend checking out this recipe here. There is no straight swap for this recipe, however it is possible to use gelatine or vegan gelatine to set the cake, but the method varies a little and you would need to understand how to incorporate these ingredients into a recipe. Cacao butter and coconut oil help no bake cakes set, so they are essential in this recipe.
Is this recipe actually raw?
Actually no, you got me there. The berries are cooked down into a jam so technically this is a no bake cake, however you could simply blend the berries instead of cooking them down. Cooking the berries removes water and creates a thicker and more pleasant texture, so I do recommend it.
I want an easy make ahead slice- is this ok to make a day beforehand?
Yes, or even 2 days ahead of time just ensure you store the slices in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also make these no bake cheesecakes a week in advance and store them in the freezer. To defrost just take out the night before and place in the fridge to allow for even defrosting.
I want to serve these in Summer, how long can they stay out of the fridge?
Both cacao butter and coconut oil begin to soften and melt above 35 degrees C. If the ambient temperature is above 30C it is best to leave your no bake blueberry cheesecakes in the fridge until they are ready to be eaten. In cooler weather it is fine to take them out for 30-60 minutes prior. I have deliberately used a small amount of cacao butter in the recipe- it means they are less stable at room temperature but taste a lot better (if you have bought a raw dessert and it just tastes like coconut oil you will know what I mean).
Can I make these nut free?
Maybe. I have not tried any nut free versions however you could substitute macadamia for rolled oats and cashews for silken tofu or sunflower seeds. I have not tried this but theoretically it would work. If you would like a nut free recipe let me know in the comments and No aim to create something for you.
If you’re after more easy, no bake recipes you might enjoy:
- Easy vegan chocolate fudge with rose and pistachio
- Healthy no bake mocha cheesecakes
- No bake vegan jelly cheesecake
- Healthy fruit and nuts bars with coconut and goji
If you made this Raw blueberry swirl cheesecake slice we would love to hear from you. Your reviews and feedback help or little blog grow and find new readers.

Raw blueberry swirl cheesecake
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours setting
- Total Time: 42 minute
- Yield: 12-16 squares 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Australian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This easy and delicious raw blueberry swirl cheesecake is the perfect make-ahead healthy dessert. Not too sweet, tart and a delightful mix of textures it is naturally vegan and free from dairy, eggs, gluten and refined sugars.
Ingredients
Crust
- 135g (1 ½ cups) roasted macadamia nuts
- 35g (½ cup) shredded coconut
- 21g (3 Tbsp) coconut flour
- 6+ soft (eg Medjool) dates. Pitted
- 1 tsp lemon zest, optional
Filling
- 280g (2 cups) raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours in water
- 62g (¼ cup) fresh lemon juice
- 75g (¼ cup) pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- Pinch salt
- 62g (¼ cup) almond milk
- 55g (¼ cup, melted measurement) cacao butter, finely chopped (see notes)
Blueberry compote
- 70g (1/2 cup) blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
Instructions
- Prepare a tray for use. Ideally use a 25cm square tin with a removable base, then grease and line. Any shape or size similar will work just fine.
- Add macadamia, coconut, coconut flour and zest to a food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes or until very finely chopped. Add dates and pulse to combine well, about 12-15 times. Check that the mixture has enough moisture- take a small piece and roll into a ball. It should not be crumbly. Add 1-2 more dates if needed. Transfer to your lined tray. Spread to create an even base layer, and use a spoon to press down firmly. Set aside.
- Make the blueberry compote. Add blueberries, water and chia seeds to a small saucepan and heat over low-medium heat for 5-10 mins, stirring regularly. Once berries are completely soft and the liquid has thickened a little you can turn off the heat. Set aside to cool.
- Make the cashew filling. Add cacao butter to a heat proof bowl. Heat 2cm water in a small saucepan. Once the water boils reduce heat to a simmer. Place heatproof bowl onto the rim of the saucepan and gently melt. Once cacao butter is completely liquid, turn off heat and remove bowl from the saucepan to cool slightly.
- Place cashews, lemon juice, maple, zest, salt and milk into a blender. Blend until very smooth- this takes 30 seconds in a high speed blender, but longer in lower powered blenders. Once smooth, and with the blender still running, stream in melted (and cooled ) cacao butter. Blend on high for 1 minute then pour over the macadamia base. Bang out air bubbles and set aside.
- Use a stick blender to blend the cooled blueberry mixture (this is optional). Spoon the blueberry compote into the cashews, adding random blobs all over the surface. Very gently swirl together, remembering more is less for this. Transfer to the freezer. Freeze for 4+ hours, then remove cake from the freezer and tin. Using a hot, sharp knife cut into desired serving sizes, then store in an airtight container in the fridge (up to 5 days) or freezer (up to 3 months).
Notes
- To exchange cacao butter for coconut oil increase to 75g coconut oil and follow instructions as written.
Keywords: No bake, vegan, cheesecake
I made this last night (1x) I used a NutriBullet (lots of on and off again, but the cashew cheese part is as smooth as a cheesecake) and it came up a treat! It was so easy, I pre weighed all my ingredients at bulk food store and just whipped it up. Ingredients were easy to find! Was hit with my son, who quickly advised we could substitute blueberries for cherries! I took it to work (The “non cheesecake cheesecake”) and it was almost all gone by 2pm (we had 4 people in our office today)! Thankyou for this little gem!!!!
★★★★★
Hey Clair. I have totally been there with the mini blenders, haha. Painful but worth it! Love how you could take a list to the bulk store, that’s so cool. So happy to serve you and the office with a loved recipe 🙂
I love the recipe. Its my first time I did a raw cake and I expected a huge mess in the kitchen. However the measurements in the recipe is so good that there was no mess. Adding the dates one by one for the bottom part is a good idea. I also added 35 gr. cacao to the base for it to be more chocolatey and also 15 gr. shredded coconut. For the filling I used exactly the ingredients above. I love it! Its so good, you could even use it as a dessert (I put a little asside to just eat it like it is, hehe). For the top I used raspberries instead of blueberries. Worked as well. All in all: this will be a new favorite, thank you Jade. ☺️
★★★★★
Hi ina,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply and the changes you made- so helpful for others readers. Stoaked to hear that your first raw cake was a success!
Warmth,
Jade
Hello, I would like to prepare this cheesecake, but I don’t have almond milk. What can I add instead of it? Will it be possible just to skip it, without changing other products?
You can substitute for any other milk (rice, soy, cashew, oat, cows- whatever you have) or even water if you don’t have milk. Please don’t omit entirely though.
This recipe is a keeper! It is so quick and easy to make but the result is impressive-looking and absolutely delicious. The crust tastes like shortbread cookies, thanks to the roasted macadamia nuts, and pairs beautifully with the light lemon flavor and blueberries. I keep the squares in the freezer and take out a couple at a time in the refrigerator so that they are perfectly creamy and ready-to-eat (and so we don’t eat them all within a few day!)
★★★★★
I’m so glad you love this recipe- I do too! Happy snacking 🙂
I made this delicious Raw Blueberry Swirl cheese cake , making it was easy ! and eating it is a bliss ???? This is amazing , thank you for the recipe ????
Such a lovely review, thank you!
Made this recipe also using a Nutribullet (my big blender was at my Dad’s house) – but it actually was totally fine! Such a creamy delicious filling (I used the coconut oil sub as I can’t get cacao butter easily). I made the mistake of using desiccated coconut in the base (before I read the note about shredded) but everything held together well. The blueberry coulis is so easy and I’ve now made it several times for other recipes and toppings on vegan cakes and yoghurt etc. Yum! Total winner – thank you!
★★★★★
Hi Kathryn,
So glad this was a success, and I’m so happy to hear the NutriBullet was a win. The coulis is such a winner, I always make some for chia puddings.
I made this today. It is yummy. I replaced macadamia with hazelnuts. And used coconut oil. For the blueberries I added 2 tbs of maple syrup. Delicious. Thank you.
★★★★★
Thank you for the feedback Shey, I love the hazelnut addition. Yum!
Very easy and super tasty to make! I will agree that the macadamia nuts make it even more tasty even tho here are a bit difficult to find. I made it as a form of a cake in a pot of 25cm with removable bottom. Highlhy recommended!! I am making it again for sure 🥰🥰🥰
★★★★★
Thank you Simona- I’m so glad you enjoyed this, and love knowing it worked as a cake.
hiii , what did you sprinkle on top of the cheescake that we see in te photos ? it looks like cardamom seeds and chucks of …maybe chocolate??? would love to add that touch as well on my dessert… currently in the freeezer…….
Hi Yara,
Actually it’s dried lavender flowers and yep, chocolate!
tried this recipe (only substitute i used was coconut oil instead of cacao butter) and what can i say… 10/10!!!
the soft, moist and cold texture of the filling goes so well with the crust and blueberries. macadamia nuts & lemon zest bring the aromas to a next level.
★★★★★
Loved seeing your beautiful pics over on Instagram Yara- thanks for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
At first I was really overwhelmed by thus recipe and thought it would take a lot of organisation and time. But once I got the missing ingredients from my local bulk store I did it. I gave half to a friend who is also on a df diet like me (we are both breastfeeding babies who can’t handle cows milk just yet) and it was a HIT. I am going to make it for Christmas so that I can have something creamy that is dairy free.
★★★★★
Aww Kate, I love taht this was such a success for you. Bulk food stores are such a game changer! Enjoy your Christmas.
What your thoughts on the old hot water soak for cashews? If you don’t have 4hrs to let them soak..
Yeah that’s a great option if you don’t have time 🙂
2nd time I’ve made this now – a massive favourite in our house
★★★★★
I am so happy to hear that. Thank you Sheridan.
Was super excited to make this but unfortunately it just didn’t hit the mark. It came out right and was beautiful looking but just didn’t taste right. Everyone who tried it only had one bite and said that was enough. The texture of the filling was nice but the flavor was off.
I would call these cashew breakfast bars maybe instead of cheesecake bars
★★
Hi Tess- sorry to hear this one didn’t work for you. We’ve had so many people make + love these bars, so I wonder what could have gone wrong. Did you change anything?