Description
These Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars combine a rich, no-bake vegan cheesecake filling with a delightful cashew butter oat cookie dough crust. Featuring creamy vegan cream cheese and Greek-style yogurt with chocolate chips swirled throughout, this dessert is perfect for plant-based diets and offers a luscious, indulgent treat without baking. The bars require chilling time to set, resulting in a smooth, creamy texture with chunks of cookie dough and chocolate for extra bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Base – Cookie Dough:
- 250 g rolled oats
- 200 g cashew butter
- 150 ml pure maple syrup
- 30 ml non-dairy milk (more as needed)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 100 g vegan chocolate chips
Cheesecake Filling:
- 200 g cashews (soaked, see notes)
- 300 g vegan cream cheese
- 150 g vegan Greek-style yogurt or Skyr
- 80 g pure maple syrup
- 50 g coconut oil (solid)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 50 g vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Prepare: Line the base and sides of a 9” rectangular pan with parchment paper. Alternatively, you can use a 7” or 8” round pan to shape the bars.
- Make oat flour: Add the rolled oats to a food processor and pulse until they reach a fine flour-like consistency.
- Make the cookie dough: Combine the cashew butter, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, sea salt, and vanilla bean paste with the oat flour in the food processor. Blend until the mixture comes together forming a soft dough. Add more non-dairy milk if the dough is too dry. Transfer the cookie dough to a large mixing bowl and fold in the 100 g of vegan chocolate chips gently.
- Portion cookie dough: Separate one-quarter of the cookie dough and roll into small balls. Cover and refrigerate these for later use. Press the remaining cookie dough evenly into the base of the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with your fingers or a spoon. Refrigerate while preparing the filling.
- Make the cheesecake filling: Add the soaked cashews, vegan cream cheese, vegan Greek-style yogurt or Skyr, maple syrup, solid coconut oil, vanilla bean paste, and lemon juice into a high-speed blender. Blend thoroughly until very smooth and creamy with no lumps. Pour the cheesecake filling over the cookie dough base in the pan. Scatter the remaining 50 g of vegan chocolate chips over the filling. Using a spoon or skewer, swirl the chocolate chips gently through the filling. Press the reserved cookie dough balls into the filling.
- Chill and set: Refrigerate the assembled cheesecake bars for at least 5 to 6 hours or ideally overnight so the filling can set properly.
- Serve and store: Once set, use a hot wet sharp knife to cut the bars into 15 servings. Store them in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months, thawing overnight in the fridge before serving.
Notes
- Soak the cashews in water for at least 4 hours or overnight, then drain well before blending to achieve a creamy texture.
- You can use any non-dairy milk such as almond, oat, or soy milk according to preference.
- Vanilla bean paste gives a richer vanilla flavor compared to extract and adds visual flecks in the dough and filling.
- For best results, chill the cheesecake bars thoroughly to allow them to firm up, making cutting easier and maintaining structure.
- Use a hot wet knife when slicing to get clean cuts without cracking the bars.
