No Bake Dairy Free Raspberry Cheesecake

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I very nearly didn’t post this recipe for gluten free and Dairy Free Raspberry Cheesecake. It’s been in my draft posts for a while now and I’ve ummed and ahhed about it because I thought it too retro, too fiddly and wasn’t sure about adding the colour to the cream cheese topping.

Then I thought that maybe I was being a foodie snob and some of you would actually like this recipe, so here it is – love it or hate it my Raspberry Cheesecake oozing with 70’s technicolour!

Can I use fresh raspberries in a cheesecake?

You can use fresh raspberries in a cheesecake, just as you can use strawberries and all the other berries. But it comes with a warning. The issue with using a juicy fruit in a dairy free cheesecake, is that the excess liquid can compromise the structure further. With a lack of solid fat in plant based creams it can be a challenge to get the cheesecake to set.

If you absolutely wanted to use fresh raspberries then there are a couple things you need to remember. Less fruit equals more chance of the cheesecake setting. Secondly, if you use fresh fruit you’re less likely to need to add a bit of food colouring to achieve the pink cream cheese topping.

Remember: if you plan to add the raspberry jelly topping you still need fresh raspberries for this stage.

Can I use frozen Raspberries in this cheesecake?

You most certainly can use frozen raspberries in the jelly topping. As frozen fruits tend to be wetter once thawed, you may find you need to use a little more arrowroot to thicken the raspberry coulis.

I’m dubious about using the frozen fruit in the cream cheese part of the cheesecake as I think this will compromises the final structure and prevent setting.

Where can I buy gluten free dried raspberries?

It was a challenge to find gluten free freeze dried raspberries with no may contains. This is another reason why I was dubious about posting the recipe.

The freeze dried raspberries I have are in a bumper bag from the local Jordan’s Mill shop, there were no may contains so I deemed them safe. However, with further investigation I found that they were a rare thing indeed. Many dried fruits are may contains due to the factories they are processed in being used for packaging all sorts of fruits and cereals.

I am pleased to tell you that I have sourced gluten free freeze dried raspberries available via Amazon so in theory relatively easy for many of you to buy. You can find tiny tubes of freeze dried raspberries in the cake decorating aisles in supermarkets. For example, I know Sainsburys and Waitrose have them but ALWAYS READ LABELS to check for may contains.

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Can I make this cheesecake with a different fruit?

I don’t see why you can’t make this with strawberries (fresh and freeze dried). If you plan to use other fruits you may struggle to find their freeze dried alternative even more so in those cases simply make a vanilla cheese topping and then make your fruit jelly for the final layer.

• blueberries
• kiwi
• peaches (fresh or tinned)
• gooseberries (fresh or tinned)
• cherries (fresh or tinned)

How do you make a dairy free cheesecake

There are three main stages to a dairy free cheesecake; the condensed milk, the base and the ‘cream cheese’ topping.

The condensed milk can be either made in advance (I tend to have a ready made jar in the fridge) or can be bought readymade like this Nestle Vegan Condensed Milk or my personal favourite the Natures Charm Vegan Condensed Milk (bought in bulk is cheaper)

To make you own condensed milk see the next section.

The biscuit stage is super simple. Just smash up or blitz in a processor, 300g of suitable biscuits. I use own brand free from digestives but have been known to use up stem ginger biscuits, choc chip cookies, you name it!. Then you add 80g of fat to the crumbs to act as the binding agent.

The cheesecake topping is your condensed milk, cream cheese and cream with a bit of added fat to hold it all in place. That’s right, it really is that simple.

How do you make vegan condensed milk from scratch?

What are the best dairy free creams?

There are a lot of dairy free plant based creams on the market now, this section gives you an idea on what ones work for different recipes.

I have an account with The Vegan Kind and do most of my dairy free and vegan shopping when it comes to stocking up for ingredients. Buying in bulk is cheaper and you get points for purchases too. If you use the link I get a few pennies as I am now an affiliate for TVK. They also have heaps of gluten free products too so well worth a look if you and your family have complex dietary needs.

Other delicious dairy free cheesecakes

Dairy Free Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe

If you make it and like the recipe I would be eternally grateful if you popped back and commented leaving a star rating as this will tell search engines that this recipe is worth checking out and others will get to find it in searches.

No Bake Dairy Free Raspberry Cheesecake

Glutarama

This gluten free, dairy free and vegan raspberry cheesecake is ever so simple to make and I promise no one will realise it's free from any ingredients at all. Made within no time at all and finished with a vibrant raspberry jelly topping it will certainly make a statement on the tea table!

5 from 4 votes

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Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

chilling time 40 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine Vegan

Servings 10 slices

Calories 499 kcal

Equipment

• 20cm round cake tin
• 1pt glass jug
• sieve
• silicone spatula
• electric whisk
• baking paper

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

0.5x1x2x3x

For the biscuit base

• 300 g gluten free biscuit(s) I use digestives
• 80 g butter I use Flora plant butter

For the cheesecake topping

• 250 g vegan condensed milk [see notes on how to make your own]
• 200 g dairy free cream cheese I use own brand dairy free cream cheese
• 200 ml dairy free cream I use Elmlea Plant Cream or Alpro Soya Cream, both work well
• 80 g fat (I use Trex white vegetable fat) I use Trex but Crisp n Dry works too.
• 5 tbsp icing/confectioners sugar or as much as you desire to taste
• 30 g dried raspberries roughly chopped

For the fruit jelly topping

• 150 g raspberries
• 2 tbsp water
• 50 g caster sugar add more or less to taste
• 1 tsp arrowroot

(optional) decoration

• 50 g dairy free cream cheese
• 25 g icing/confectioners sugar confectioners sugar

Instructions

 

To make the biscuit base

• Making the biscuit base could not be simpler. Crush the biscuits (this works out around two packets of gluten free biscuits) or blitz them in a food processor.
• Melt the 'butter' in the microwave for 30 seconds and then pour into the biscuit crumbs and mix or blitz again to combine.
• Pour the buttery biscuit crumbs into a 20cm loose bottom round cake tin. I use a circle to baking parchment to line the tin to prevent the biscuit base from sticking.
• Using the bake of a metal spoon press down the biscuit crumbs and smooth flat until you have a solid biscuit base – possibly the most satisfying thing to do ever!
• Pop the tin into the fridge to help the butter to harden and crack on with the cheesecake topping.

To make the cheesecake topping

• Pop the measured solid white vegetable fat into the microwave for 30 seconds to soften, it probably won't melt to a liquid, don't worry, you just need to soften it.
• In a large bowl or food mixer add the 'cream cheese' and softened white vegetable fat and beat for a minute or until you see no fatty lumps in the mixture.
• Add the vegan condensed milk, cream and vanilla paste and whip with a whisk, hand whisk or food mixer for at least 3 minutes. You want the mixture to thicken so that the whisk trail stays and you have firm peaks.
• Now you can add your icing sugar to taste. 5 tablespoons should be plenty so maybe add 1 tablespoon at a time and test until you have the desired sweetness.
• Finally add the dried raspberries and, if using, a drop of pink food colouring or colouring paste.
• Remove the chilled biscuit base from the fridge and pour the mixture into the tin smoothing flat with a silicone spatula.
• Put the cheesecake in the fridge while you make your raspberry jelly topping.

To make the raspberry jelly topping

• Add the fresh raspberries, water and sugar to a medium saucepan and gently heat until the fruit has broken down.
• Using a sieve and a jug pour the stewed fruit in into the sieve and using a spoon pass the fruit through the sieve to separate the fruit from the seeds.
• Pour the seedless fruit coulis back into the saucepan but keep back a couple of tablespoons worth in the jug.
• Now add the arrowroot to the remaining coulis in the jug and stir quickly to combine, make sure there are no lumps. The coulis will appear a cloudy/pastel colour at this point.
• Pour this arrowroot mixture back into the saucepan and continue to gently heat the fruit coulis until it becomes translucent (no longer cloudy) and starts to thicken.
• Remove from the heat, pour back into the jug (this speeds up the cooling process) and wait until it's slightly warmer than temperature to add to the cheesecake.

To add the top layer and decorate

• While you wait for the jelly to cool you can make a little sweetened cream cheese to pipe on top of the cheesecake to decorate. Simply beat together the free from cream cheese and icing sugar and add to a small piping bag with a nozzle of your choice. Stand up the filled piping bag in a pint glass in the fridge until you're ready to use it.
• Once your raspberry jelly has cooled enough, pour over the chilled cheesecake and with the back of a metal spoon smooth evenly to the edges.
• Decorate with piped cream cheese and some freeze dried or fresh raspberries for a really retro touch.
• Pop back into the fridge for 30 mins or until you wish to serve it. This cheesecake will keep for 2-3 days no problem if kept in a sealed container in the fridge (to prevent soaking up fridge smells).

Notes

Top tip when making your own vegan condensed milk is to use a tin that has 50%+ coconut extract in it. The tins I use are from Aldi and Sainsbury’s here in the UK (own brands). They have 75% coconut extract in them, making them fatty enough to thicken, and achieve that tell-tale condensed milk consistency.

Dairy Free and Vegan Condensed Milk Recipe

Empty a 400ml tin of coconut milk into a medium saucepan, add 150g caster sugar and stir to combine. Place on a high heat and stir until bubbling. Turn heat down to a gentle rolling boil and leave for 15 minutes. Don’t leave unattended and stir occasionally, the condensed milk will halve in volume and go a wallpaper paste colour! Remove from the heat, pour into a glass heatproof jug and cool to room temperature, this will take about an hour.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

No Bake Dairy Free Raspberry Cheesecake

Amount per Serving

Calories

499

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

29

g

45

%

Saturated Fat

 

14

g

70

%

Trans Fat

 

1

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

3

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

9

g

Cholesterol

 

96

mg

32

%

Sodium

 

226

mg

9

%

Potassium

 

194

mg

6

%

Carbohydrates

 

54

g

18

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

39

g

43

%

Protein

 

6

g

12

%

Vitamin A

 

611

IU

12

%

Vitamin C

 

5

mg

6

%

Calcium

 

124

mg

12

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword Cheesecake, Dairy Free, Easy, Egg Free, Gluten Free, No Bake, Raspberry, Simple, Vegan

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*disclaimer: I use affiliate codes on my website, the vast majority are to Amazon. If you click on any of the links or images in the post and make a purchase my family will benefit from a small % of that purchase at no extra cost to you, in fact, for full transparency, in 2020 I made my first £25, and recently in 2022 I reached my next £25 (Amazon don’t transfer the money until you reach £25). As you can see, it won’t make me a millionaire but it will treat me to a few coffees, Lord knows I need the caffeine!