If you want a rich, luscious, refined sugar-free dessert, this vegan snickers cheesecake is perfect! It’s packed full of all the snickers flavors, with peanut butter, caramel, and chocolate and is gluten and refined sugar-free and so, so easy!
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If you’ve been following me for awhile now, you’ll know that if I had to choose my all-time favorite dessert, it would be a raw vegan cheesecake. Raw cheesecake was what made me fall in love with whole-food baking, or in this case.. “un”-baking? When it comes to anything, if there’s a snickers option.. i’m 100% choosing it!
This particular cheesecake isn’t raw, because of the cookie base and caramel sauce, but I tried to stick to the premise of using more whole-food ingredients, without added refined sugar!
What is a vegan cheesecake made out of?
There are many different ways you can make a raw vegan cheesecake! My favorite is using raw cashews, soaking them so they soften and blend easier, and use those as the base. I know some love using tofu, coconut yogurt, or even just nut butter as the base.
For this vegan snickers cheesecake, we’re going to use peanut butter as the base. This way, you don’t have to buy and soak cashews – it’s just a little bit easier!
Why you’ll love this vegan snickers cheesecake
It’s so rich and delish! You could serve this to anyone and I can almost guarantee that they wouldn’t know it was vegan or refined sugar-free, unless you told them!
The LAYERS! This is one of those cheesecakes that is definitely easy on the eyes 😉 It has a cookie base, a rich peanut butter cheesecake, a caramel peanut layer, and is topped with chocolate.
It’s easy: I feel like raw vegan cheesecakes can seem pretty intimidating, but it’s incredibly easy! The caramel layer takes the longest, but is sooooo worth it!
Ingredients and substitutions
Peanut Butter: This is going to make up the base of the cheesecake. If you can’t have peanut butter, you can swap almond or cashew, however, peanut butter will give the most authentic snickers flavor! I make sure to use a peanut butter that is simply just peanuts or peanuts and sea salt.
Maple Syrup: This will be the sweetener of the recipe. You can swap any sticky sweetener you like.
Crunchy cookie base: I used Simple Mills double chocolate crunchy cookies for the base. They are refined sugar free/paleo and are probably my favorite cookies of all time. However, you can feel free to swap in your favorite.
Chocolate chips: You can use whatever you have on hand. I love Hu Kitchen. You can use “danishealthyeats” for a discount.
Coconut milk: You’ll want to use full-fat canned coconut milk. If you can’t have coconut, you can use heavy cream.
Peanuts: You can swap in another nut of choice if you can’t have peanuts!
How to make vegan cheesecake
There are a few steps to making this cheesecake, but it’s SO easy!
First, you’ll want to start by making the caramel sauce. You’ll simply combine everything in a pot and cook it for 20-30 minutes. Once it’s reduced to caramel consistency, you’ll stir in the peanuts and let it cool for a few minutes.
In the meantime, you can prepare the crust by blitzing the cookies and coconut oil in a food processor. Then, you’ll press it into the bottom of your cake pan.
To make the filling, you simply blend everything in a blender until smooth. You’ll pour it over the base and even it out. Then, you’ll pour the peanut caramel mixture over top. You’ll want to place it in the freezer for 30-45 minutes to let the caramel layer firm up a bit before pouring the melted chocolate over top. Once you pour the chocolate on top, you’ll spread it out and stick the cheesecake back in the freezer for a few hours-overnight before cutting into slices!
Storing the cheesecake
You’ll want to store the cheesecake in an air-tight container in the freezer. It’s best when you let it thaw for 10 minutes or so before enjoying!
Other candy-inspired recipes you’ll love
Vegan Snickers Cheesecake
Ingredients
Base
- 1 box Simple Mills Double Chocolate Cookies *See Notes for subs
- 3 tbsp coconut oil or butter, melted **See Notes for subs
Cheesecake layer
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut oil or cacao butter melted
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
Caramel Layer
Chocolate Layer
- 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
Caramel
- Add the water and coconut sugar to small pot over medium heat, bringing it to a light boil, being sure to stir very frequently. Then add in the coconut milk, vanilla, and sea salt.
- Let the mixture simmer on medium heat for 15 to 20. You'll want to stir every couple of minutes so the mixture doesn't burn.
- The mixture will start to darken in color and reduce to a caramel consistency. Remove it from the heat and stir in the peanuts. Then, let it cool a few minutes, it'll thicken up while it cools as well.
Base
- Add the cookies to a food processor and process for a few seconds until super fine. Then add in the melted coconut oil or butter and pulse until it's combined well.
- Pour the cookie mixture into the bottom of a lined/greased 9" pie pan and press it down firmly. Set aside.
Cheesecake Layer
- Combine everything in a blender and blend for a minute or so until super smooth. Taste and adjust as you'd like. Pour over the cookie base.
- Give the caramel mixture a good store and then pour it over the cheesecake layer, gently spreading it out even. Place the cheesecake in the freezer for 30-40 minutes to let the caramel layer harden enough to pour the chocolate over.
Chocolate layer
- When ready to make the chocolate layer, add the chocolate chips to a heat-proof bowl with the coconut oil. Heat in 20 second increments, stirring well between each one, until smooth. Pour it over the caramel layer, quickly spreading it over top.
- Top with sea salt and place back in the freezer for at least 2 hours-overnight before cutting into slices.
