No Bake Pineapple Cheesecake (Vegan, Gluten Free)

This pineapple cheesecake recipe is a no bake three layer tropical dessert with a gluten free nutty crust, cashew coconut cream cheese filling that's free from soy and topped with sweet pineapple.

As a little girl I remember seeing my mother bake cheesecake from scratch. It always looked so complicated but nevertheless worth the wait.

When I started blogging I knew I had to make an amazing cheesecake that was gluten and dairy free.

Now that time has come and I'm so excited to share this no bake vegan pineapple cheesecake made using all natural ingredients.

When it comes to desserts and sweet treats, a cheesecake is usually on the agenda. Go to a restaurant or even a dinner party and cheesecakes tend to be an option.

I really adore cheesecake but I don't care for the ones that are store bought, you know those that are unhealthy and ladened with refined ingredients. I get this sense of crash and burn after consuming them.

Granted pineapple cheesecake, baked, is amazing, yeh I get it. This no bake cheesecake trend is still catching on with many people being skeptical. I debut my chocolate cheesecake recipe some years ago after sharing it with my co-workers at the time and they loved it.

How to make a no bake cheesecake with pineapple

I'm confident that you will enjoy this recipe, the base consists of a mixture of nuts and coconut.

The "cream cheese" a pseudo cream cheese filling made from a duo of cashews and coconut cream.

The topping is nothing but pure pineapple pieces in juice with agar agar (plant based gelatin) to hold everything in place.

Pans - This recipe requires a springform pan, so the cheesecake can be removed with ease. My pan is approximately 9''inches with a depth of 3"

Making the base - the base or should I say crust is made with walnuts. I used walnuts because I had a spare bag lying around in the pantry, unused. My preferred go to is almonds, so you can use walnuts or almonds for this recipe to work. The coconut oil and nectar act as a sweet binder for the aforementioned.

Use a food processor to pulse all of the ingredients, add the nuts first of all and once they breakdown then simply add the rest of ingredients. You want the nuts to resemble a crumb like texture, similar to how conventional cheesecake crumbs would look.

The filling - This is the interesting part, for a dairy free recipe there appears to be two popular methods - cashews or tofu, is the most popular choice to yield that creamy texture. I actually did something different in order to create my filling. Instead I used a combination of coconut cream and cashews which needs to be soaked for several hours or overnight.

This is a crucial step so the filling is smooth, lump free and creamy, do not skip it. I also chilled two cans of coconut milk for 24 hours and used the solid part which separates from the clear liquid when cold.

Again, if you want to follow this recipe to the tee then please make sure 2 cans of coconut milk are chilled so the solid part can be used as cream cheese. Also please make sure to soak the cashew nuts for a creamy result.

The filling once whipped up will be slightly runny and needs to be set in the freezer for at least 3 hours before going ahead with the topping.

Pineapple cheesecake topping

To some a pineapple topping for a cheesecake might sound messy and intimidating but this couldn't be further from the truth.

It's very simple to put together especially if using canned pineapple which is what I did. I used one large can of pineapple slices and cut them into smaller pieces along with the juice.

You need  2 cups worth of pineapple juice in total, so source more if the juice from the can isn't suffice.

The agar agar which is a vegan friendly version of gelatin will help the juice set. Use a saucepan to heat the juice, pineapple pieces and agar agar together. It will start to thicken up (not completely). Allow the mixture to cool down, then pour the pineapple contents onto the cheesecake.

Freezing - very important step, this cheesecake needs to freeze order to completely set. Make sure there's enough space in the freezer to house this bad boy.  I found that at least 8 hours  or preferably overnight should do the trick and allow the cheesecake to chill and thaw out for up to an hour prior to serving. Then return the remaining bit of dessert to the freezer.

The steps

Draw a circle on some parchment paper, around the removable part of the spring form pan then use some oil or spray to adhere to the inside of the pan.

Pulse the ingredients for the base into a crumble consistency and then use a spoon to evenly layer the base on the parchment paper in the spring form pan.

Scoop the coconut solids out of the can and blitz it with the rest of the ingredients to make the filling and pour this onto the base then allow to set in the freezer for 3 hours

Meanwhile prepare the topping by simmering the pineapple and agar gar on medium heat for 3-4 minutes, then stir in the pineapple pieces. Allow to cool before pouring the topping onto the filling, cover then freeze for  up to 24 hours.

Do you have other cheesecake recipes?

Yes, I do! Try theses ones

• No Bake Gluten Free Chocolate Cheesecake
• Guava Cheesecake
• No Bake Mango Cheesecake Recipe 

Is there an alternative to using agar agar?

This recipe definitely needs a vegan gelatin for the topping to be stable. However the 3 closest plant based substitute are xatham gum, guar gum and kappa carrageenan.

I don't have first hand experience using any of these aside from agar agar in this recipe.

Can you make this cheesecake ahead of time?

Yes, if you want to make sure the cheesecake is ready to eat the same day then make it the day before and freeze it down. All you will need to do is defrost the cheesecake when ready to serve.

Can you make the cheesecake using a blender instead?

You can make the filling in the blender but not the base which is why it's best to use a food processor to prepare the middle and bottom.

Notes and tips 

• Make sure to keep the cheese cake in the freezer at all times until it's ready to serve
• You can use fresh or canned pineapple (slice or pieces) add the excess juice to my Jamaican Sexy Juice or Pineapple Chicken Wings
• Use oats instead if you want to omit using walnuts for the base and tofu to keep the filling nut free
• To achieve perfect slices use unflavoured dental floss
• Use a palette knife to spread out the filling evenly.
• The spring form pan is 9'' circumference with depth of 3''

More vegan desserts you may like

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No Bake Pineapple Cheesecake

The best pineapple cheesecake that's not baked, vegan friendly, grain free and contains no gluten!!

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

freeze: 12 hours hours

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 824kcal

Author: Charla

Ingredients

For the base

• ▢ 2 cups of walnuts or almonds
• ▢ 3 tablespoon of coconut oil melted
• ▢ 3 tablespoon of shredded coconut
• ▢ 3 tablespoon of coconut nectar agave or other low GI sweetener will work
• ▢ For the filling
• ▢ 1 cup of cashew nuts soaked for several hours or overnight
• ▢ 2 cans of coconut milk chilled overnight (see recipe post)
• ▢ ½ cup of coconut nectar or agave etc..

For the topping

• ▢ 1 large can of pineapple
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoon of agar agar
• ▢ 2 cups of pineapple juice

Instructions

• Use parchment paper and draw around the circumference of the pan with a pencil or pen before cutting it out and fitting the circle on the inside of the pan. Use some spray or oil to keep it in place.
• Fit a food processor with an S blade then proceed to add the walnuts and breakdown into a crumb.
• Add the coconut oil, nectar and shredded coconut to the food processor and pulse until all the ingredients are combined together.
• Grab your spring form pan fitted with the parchment paper then pour the crumbs which form the base into it. Use a spoon to gently press down so it spreads out evenly, then set aside.
• Meanwhile prepare the filling by opening the 2 cans of coconut milk, you should notice the top half  is solid. This is what you need to make the cream, carefully scoop off the top until there's only the clear liquid left at the bottom. Discard the liquid or add to a smoothie!
• Add the coconut cream/scoops to a blender or food processor along with the rest of the ingredients which form the filling then blitz until smooth and creamy.
• Pour the filling on the base and use a spatula to spread evenly
• Cover the spring form pan with cling film then freeze for 3 hours
• Finally prepare the topping on medium heat, in a saucepan, add the pineapple juice, agar agar and stir constantly until slightly thickened then add the pineapple pieces.
• Allow to cool down before drizzling the topping onto the cheesecake.
• Freeze for at least 8 hours or preferably overnight
• Thaw out for up to an hour prior to serving, the rest of the cheesecake should be stored in the freezer. Cut the leftovers into slices before re-freezing so the cheesecake can be eaten/thawed on an individual basis.

Notes

• Make sure to keep the cheese cake in the freezer at all times until it's ready to serve
• You can use fresh or canned pineapple (slice or pieces) add the excess juice to my Jamaican Sexy Juice or Pineapple Chicken Wings
• Use oats instead if you want to omit using walnuts for the base and tofu to keep the filling nut free
• To achieve perfect slices use unflavoured dental floss
• Use a palette knife to spread out the filling evenly.
• The spring form pan is 9'' circumference with depth of 3''

Nutrition

Calories: 824kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 67g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 775mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 113mg | Iron: 5mg

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