Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cheesecake is thick, creamy, and rich with delicious peanut butter flavor. This cheesecake is plant-based and dairy free - a healthy, yet decadent dessert perfect for a celebration!
Today is a happy day! The day this post goes live is my 21st birthday!! I don't normally celebrate too much for my birthday but I made this cheesecake for my birthday and it is WAY TOO GOOD not to share.
When I was brainstorming cheesecake flavors, I knew I wanted something super rich and decadent. A milestone birthday like this is cause for celebration. Peanut butter has a definite spot on my top 5 favorite foods list so so it just made sense to use it in my favorite dessert.
This Vegan Peanut Butter Cheesecake is rich and ultra creamy. It is absolutely loaded with peanuts and peanut butter. So the texture is even more decadent than a regular vegan no-bake cheesecake.
If you love all things peanuts and peanut butter, this cheesecake is for you.
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Why I love this Plant-Based Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Dietary needs - this recipe is dairy-free, plant-based, oil-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free
- Decadent dessert - this cheesecake is rich and thick. The creamiest no-bake vegan cheesecake!
- Quick and easy - this cheesecake is not a lot of work. The hands-on time is only about 15 minutes. The majority of the time is freezing
- No-Bake - just freeze! This cheesecake can be prepped days or weeks in advance because it sets and is stored in the freezer
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Crust Ingredients
- Quick Oats: I use oats in many of my crusts because they are naturally gluten-free! You can also use rolled oats.
- Medjool Dates: since this is a no-bake crust, medjool dates help bind the crust together. They also add some sweetness. I recommend using medjools because they are soft - if your dates are a little hard, soak them in hot water for a few minutes before you add them to the crust
- Peanut Butter: usually I recommend using a neutral-tasting nut butter, but since this is a peanut butter cheesecake, why not use peanut butter in the crust too?!
- Maple or Date Syrup: for a fruit sweetened crust, use date syrup
- Salt
Filling Ingredients
- Cashews and Peanuts: many vegan cheesecakes use cashews as the base - when they are soaked in hot water they become soft and easily blendable. To get even more peanut flavor we'll use half peanuts and half cashews. If you'd rather use all cashews, that's fine. There's also regular peanut butter in this cheesecake
- Creamy Peanut Butter: use a natural peanut butter that only contains peanuts and salt
- Maple Syrup: I recommend using maple syrup in the filling instead of date syrup, because date syrup will alter the pink color. But, for a completely fruit sweetened cheesecake, feel free to use date syrup.
- Fresh Lemon Juice & Zest: for that classic cheesecake tang
- Vanilla Extract
- Salt
- Hot Water: the peanut butter makes this cheesecake SO thick, so we need some hot water to help the mixture blend. Don't worry - the texture is not icy or watery. It is incredibly luscious and decadent.
How to make Vegan Layered Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Step 1. Soak the cashews and peanuts (if using) in boiling water for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, boil on the stove. Set aside while you make the crust.
Step 2. Make crust. Add the oats and dates to a food processor and blend until the dates are broken down. Add the nut butter, syrup, and salt. Pulse to combine.
Step 3. Press the crust mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Set aside while you make the filling.
Step 4. Drain the cashews and peanuts.
Step 5. Add the drained nuts to a blender along with the remaining filling ingredients. Blend until completely smooth and no nut pieces remain (this may take several minutes).
Step 6. Pour the filling over the crust and use a spatula to spread an even layer.
Step 7. Freeze for 3-4 hours, or until set. Let thaw for 5-10 minutes at room temperature before slicing.
Step 8. To serve, drizzle with peanut butter and garnish with peanuts and vegan peanut butter cups, if desired.
FAQs & Expert Tips
Yes! Peanuts are a legume. They don't come from animals, so peanut butter is entirely suitable for vegans.
Yes and no.
Peanuts generally aren't consumed raw. Raw peanuts are susceptible to a mold that produces a carcinogen.
It can be safe to eat raw peanuts, but most peanut butters have roasted peanuts so they can be shelf stable for longer.
A raw vegan diet usually means eating mostly, but not entirely raw. So some raw vegans will include peanut butter.
Generally, this vegan peanut butter cheesecake is considered raw.
Make sure your peanut butter does not have any added oils or sugar. These ingredients aren't necessary and they are decreasing the nutritional quality of your peanut butter.
Plus, natural peanut butter has a much stronger peanut flavor.
If you have Kroger near you, I love the Kroger brand natural creamy peanut butter. It is SO creamy and has a texture like no other.
Otherwise, I like the Smucker's brand natural creamy peanut butter.
- I blended this cheesecake on the "soup" setting of my blender
- If your blender comes with a plunger, this will be helpful - the cheesecake filling is THICK
- If you choose the half peanuts half cashews option for the filling, the mixture may be a bit thicker. I promise it will blend!
If you have an 8" springform pan or cake pan with removable sides, you can use that. Both the crust and cheesecake layers will be thicker.
You can also use a muffin tin like I did for my cranberry cheesecake cups.
Love that chocolate + peanut butter combo? Turn this into a peanut butter cup cheesecake!
Add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder and an extra tablespoon of maple syrup to the crust for a chocolate base.
Serve with a drizzle of melted chocolate and plenty of peanut butter cups!
Store this cheesecake in the freezer.
Once the full cheesecake is frozen, I like to slice my cheesecake into serving-size pieces. Then wrap and freeze them individually. Pull a piece out of the freezer whenever you want!
To serve leftovers, remove from the freezer and let thaw at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.
The full cake may take a bit longer to thaw than an individual slice.
Recipe Prayer
Jesus thank you for giving us delicious foods with which to celebrate happy occasions. Bless us in these times of celebration and joy. Amen.
More vegan cheesecakes
Love cheesecake? Try my other plant-based cheesecake recipes next:
Tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ Cups Quick Oats
- 6 Pitted Medjool Dates
- ¼ Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Maple or Date Syrup
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
Filling
- 2 Cups Raw Cashews OR 1 Cup Raw Cashews + 1 Cup Peanuts
- 1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
- ½ Cup Maple Syrup
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
- Zest of 1 Lemon
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt to taste if your peanut butter is salted
- 1 Cup Hot Water
Toppings
- Peanut Butter
- Peanut Butter Cups
- Peanuts
Instructions
- Soak the cashews and peanuts (if using) in boiling water for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, boil on the stove. Set aside while you make the crust.
- Make crust. Add the oats and dates to a food processor and blend until the dates are broken down. Add the nut butter, syrup, and salt. Pulse to combine.
- Press the crust mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9" springform pan. Set aside while you make the filling.
- Drain the cashews and peanuts.
- Add the drained nuts to a blender along with the remaining filling ingredients. Blend until completely smooth and no nut pieces remain (this may take several minutes).
- Pour the filling over the crust and use a spatula to spread an even layer.
- Freeze for 3-4 hours, or until set. Let thaw for 5-10 minutes at room temperature before slicing.
- To serve, drizzle with peanut butter and garnish with peanuts and vegan peanut butter cups, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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