Description
These vegan mango cheesecake bars are a great summer treat with their tropical and creamy texture—the perfect refreshing gluten-free dessert to share with family and friends.
Ingredients
Base:
- 2 cups / 140g nuts (I used almonds, walnuts, and cashews)
- ½ cup / 40g desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
- 5 Medjool dates
- Pinch of salt
Filling:
- 1 cup / 140g raw cashews (soaked for 30 minutes in boiling water)
- 1½ cups / 360g coconut cream*, (or full-fat coconut milk)
- 1 cup / 245g vegan cream cheese, at room temperature (I used Tofutti)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (or lime juice)
- ¼ cup / 80ml maple syrup
- ¼ cup / 55g coconut oil (measured while solid)
Topping:
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or lime juice)
- 1¼ cup mango puree*
Instructions
- For the base: In a food processor, blend all the base ingredients until you can pinch it and it sticks together. (I like to have some smaller pieces of nuts to add a crunch to the bars.)
- Line a square baking dish (mine was 24cm x 24cm / 9.45 inches x 9.45 inches) with parchment paper and press down the base evenly into the bottom of the dish. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup to make it flat.
- For the filling: In a food processor or high-speed blender, add the cashews and blend for around 30 seconds. Then add in the rest of the filling ingredients. Blend the mixture until smooth. You’ll need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times.
- The filling should be pretty thick. Pour on top of the base, and even out the mixture. Set aside in the refrigerator.
- For the topping: In a small saucepan, dissolve the corn starch with the lemon juice. Make sure there are no lumps.
- Add in the mango puree and place on medium heat—cook for around 5 minutes, stirring until it thickens up. Remove from heat and let it cool for 30 minutes.
- Pour the puree over the filling and even it out with a spatula.
- Place in the refrigerator for 6 hours or until set, preferably overnight. Don’t skip this step, as the bars will be too soft to slice otherwise.
- Remove from the baking dish and slice to the desired size. Mine were 6.5cm x 4.5cm / 2.56 inches x 1.77 inches. Grate some lemon and lime zest over each slice (optional).
- Store the rest in the refrigerator. It will keep for 4-5 days.
Notes
Coconut cream: Coconut cream is the thick part that sits at the top of the can of coconut cream or chilled coconut milk.
Mango puree: Just as a guideline, 1 medium-sized mango is around 1 cup. To make the mango puree, place the mango chunks in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
Please note: These cheesecakes are meant to be a little softer than your baked varieties, and the mango topping is not meant to firm up completely, it will be set but still soft.
This recipe was adapted from a recipe that was originally posted in March 2016. It was updated in September 2021.
- Diet: Vegan
