Vegan and Raw Lemon Blueberry Mini Cheesecakes

With a creamy cashew filling and the zest of lemons and fresh blueberries, these vegan and raw Lemon Blueberry Mini Cheesecakes are decadent, sweet, and can be whipped up within minutes!
Vegan and Raw Lemon Blueberry Mini Cheesecakes pinit

About This Blueberry Lemon Mini Cheesecakes Recipe

Not a fan of baking? This blueberry lemon mini cheesecake recipe is just what you’re looking for! While it may sound intimidating to get the flavors right when making a vegan and raw-friendly cheesecake, whipping up these treats is, in fact, a lot easier than making the real thing!

Traditionally, to make a cheesecake, you would use a graham cracker crust held together with melted butter and sugar. But in this gluten-free version, my crust is a nutritious blend of nuts, seeds, and raisins blitzed together in a food processor and chilled. It’s just as delicious, and so much healthier!

The creamy filling here is made not from cream cheese, but from cashews blended into a smooth, buttery texture and flavored with lemon and blueberries in two parts to make distinctive, beautiful layers. The addition of lemon to the filling not only adds a zing to the cashew filling but also elevates the blueberry flavors, making it a perfect stand-in for cream cheese.

You could easily flavor these vegan cheesecakes with any of your favorite fresh fruits, or even add a few shavings of vegan dark chocolate on top for added decadence.

Making a classic dessert like a cheesecake that even vegans and raw dieters can enjoy is tricky, but with this recipe, all you need is a good blender or food processor and some time in the fridge. I love the tang that the lemon adds to the creamy cashew filling and the way that the blueberries shine against the nutty, salty crust. In less than an hour, you have a refreshing dessert that is the perfect balance of sweet and tart as well as incredibly healthy.

Vegan and Raw Lemon Blueberry Mini Cheesecakes

What You Need for This Blueberry Lemon Mini Cheesecakes Recipe

Vegan and Raw Lemon Blueberry Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredient Notes

  • Pecans: Their salty flavor and natural oils make the crust stand up to the creamy filling!
  • Pumpkin Seeds: Also known as pepitas, these help to bind together the crust.
  • Raisins: To add sweetness to the crust.
  • Cashews: Builds the body of the creamy filling.
  • Maple Syrup: Natural, raw sweetener for the cashew filling.
  • Lemon Juice/Zest: Adds flavor and tang to the filling.
  • Coconut Oil: Helps the texture of the filling stand up in the fridge and freezer. Make sure to melt the oil before adding it to the filling.
  • Lemon Extract (Optional): Adds a more vibrant lemony flavor to the filling.
  • Poppy Seeds: Add texture and additional flavor! It can also be used as a garnish.
  • Blueberries: Adds a beautiful, fresh flavor and color to the filling.

Vegan and Raw Lemon Blueberry Mini Cheesecakes

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Pecans: The crust can be made with walnuts instead of pecans if you desire. Try to stay away from drier nuts like almonds.
  • Raisins: You can use sultanas or pitted dates in the crust as well.
  • Blueberries: Strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries can all work deliciously in this recipe!
  • Lemon Juice: Instead of using lemon juice and zest, you can also use lime. The flavor will be stronger and more distinct, but it can work well with other berries like blackberries or strawberries.

Vegan and Raw Lemon Blueberry Mini Cheesecakes

FAQs

What makes these cheesecakes vegan?

I’ve replaced the dairy and eggs in these cheesecakes with a creamy filling made with cashews and lemon juice. You won’t miss the cream cheese at all!

What makes these cheesecakes raw?

People who follow a raw diet (also called Rawism) prefer to eat foods that have not been processed or cooked. These cheesecakes are raw because of the natural, unprocessed foods that have been subbed in for ingredients like graham crackers, refined sugar, and cream cheese.

How much do these raw and vegan mini cheesecakes cost to make?

These cheesecakes are certainly less expensive to make at home than buying at a specialty bakery. But it is better to buy the nuts in this recipe in bulk so that you can make raw and vegan recipes like this one easily and cheaply!

How can I store any leftover cheesecakes and how long will they keep?

If you have any leftover cheesecakes (we never do in my house!), you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They’ll keep for about five days.

Where can I find these ingredients?

You should be able to find these ingredients at any grocery store. For bulk nuts, try Costco, Sam’s Club, or Amazon.

Vegan and Raw Lemon Blueberry Mini Cheesecakes

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 40 min Total Time 40 mins

Description

A scrumptious yet healthy way to enjoy your favorite dessert, these vegan and raw lemon and blueberry mini cheesecakes are so easy to put together, you can make them every week!

Yield: 6 mini cheesecakes

Ingredients

For the Crust

For the Filling

How To Make Blueberry Lemon Mini Cheesecakes Step By Step

  1. Let’s make the crust first. In a high-powered blender or food processor, combine the pecans, pumpkin seeds, and raisins. Blitz until they’re crumbled and sticky, with no large pieces remaining. You should be able to pinch a lump of the crust together and have it hold its shape.

    blueberry lemon mini cheesecakes steps
  2. Divide the crust into six parts and add to mini cheesecake tins. If you don’t have mini cheesecake tins, you can use ramekins or even a mini cupcake tin. Just adjust the amount of filling in the tin to be appropriate for the crust of a cheesecake. Put the filled tins in the freezer while you make the filling.

    blueberry lemon mini cheesecakes steps
  3. To make the lemon filling, add the cashews, maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, and ¼ cup of melted coconut oil to the same high-powered blender or food processor. Process until the filling is very smooth and a few pieces of cashew remain. You may need to add a bit of hot water, a teaspoon at a time, to help this process along. Do not add too much water though, because it will affect the way that the filling chills.

    blueberry lemon mini cheesecakes steps
  4. Divide the filling in two, adding half to a bowl and leaving half in the food processor or the blender. Add the poppy seeds and lemon extract to the bowl and stir until properly combined. Divide the lemon mixture between the six cheesecake tins, then chill in the fridge while you make the blueberry filling. Make sure you fill the molds to the edge to get a distinctive line!

    blueberry lemon mini cheesecakes steps

    blueberry lemon mini cheesecakes steps

  5. Add the remaining melted coconut oil and blueberries to the food processor, then blitz until the filling is purple and the blueberries have been incorporated. Divide the filling between the tins and chill for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

    blueberry lemon mini cheesecakes steps

    blueberry lemon mini cheesecakes steps

  6. To serve, garnish with remaining poppy seeds and blueberries. Enjoy chilled!

    blueberry lemon mini cheesecakes steps

Note

  • Depending on the tins that you are using, line the tins to easily remove the cheesecakes after chilling.
  • If the filling is not sweet enough for your taste, add another teaspoon of maple syrup.
  • Do not over-blend the filling. You’ll end up with some very delicious cashew butter!