Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Bars (Gluten-Free)
Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Bars with a nutty oat crust, creamy dairy-free cheesecake filling, jammy strawberries, and a buttery oat crumble.
These vegan strawberry cheesecake bars are the perfect way to use up your bounty of fresh (or frozen) strawberries! These bars are creamy and refreshing without being too rich or sweet. They are the perfect treat on a hot day and everyone will love them. They’re plant-based, gluten-free, and secretly healthy but you’d never think so! I love keeping a batch of these in the freezer so my dessert cravings can always be satisfied.
Key Ingredients
- Silken Tofu + Cashews ⟶ These form the base of the cheesecake, making it thick, rich, and creamy. Silken tofu makes the cheesecake a bit lighter and fluffier so it’s not excessively rich.
- Lemon Juice + Vinegar ⟶ These add that tangy flavor that cream cheese has.
- Oats ⟶ For the base and topping. This recipe also uses oat flour, but you can make your own by just blending some oats in a blender.
- Potato Starch ⟶ To make the cheesecake filling set and thicken properly.
- Vegan Butter or Coconut Oil ⟶ Vegan butter is more flavorful, but you can’t taste it that much so either works.
- Since vegan butter contains some water while coconut oil is all fat, they aren’t a complete one-to-one swap. When replacing coconut oil for vegan butter, use about 3/4 the amount called for and replace the remaining volume with water.
- Strawberry Jam or Fresh Strawberries ⟶ In the photos I used my homemade chia jam, but I’ve also tested these cheesecake bars with fresh strawberries. They are delicious either way!
How to Make (Overview)
This is an abbreviated method; see recipe card for full details.
- Make the crust by mixing oat flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Add melted vegan butter and mix until the mixture clumps together.
- Press crust into a lined baking dish and bake for 10-15 minutes until dry.
- Blend filling ingredients and pour on top of crust.
- Spread strawberry jam or scatter strawberries on the cheesecake filling.
- Sprinkle crumb topping all over.
- Bake for about 50 minutes until the topping is golden and the edges are just set.
- Cool completely and serve chilled.
Tips for Success
Par-bake crust ⟶ Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes just until it dries out. This prevents a soggy crust.
Remove air bubbles in filling ⟶ Blending can introduce a lot of air bubbles into the mixture which will make the cheesecake filling less creamy. I like to tap the blender on the counter a few times fairly hard to remove air bubbles. You can also pour the filling through a sieve – this will be more effective but also more time consuming and creates an extra dish to wash, so I don’t usually bother.
Chill in the fridge before serving ⟶ The cheesecake will still be a little soft when you remove it from the oven, but it will firm up as it cools. This cheesecake tastes best cold, so let it cool at room temperature for about an hour, then transfer to the fridge (uncovered) until chilled.
Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Bars FAQ
How do I store vegan strawberry cheesecake bars?
Store these bars in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze individual slices for up to 1 month.
Can I replace the strawberries?
I don’t see why not! Feel free to try other berries like blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries; or stone fruit like peaches, apricots, cherries, or plums.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Frozen strawberries contain a lot of water that will seep out as it thaws in the oven which can result in a very soft, not-quite-set cheesecake. So if you want to use frozen strawberries, I recommend turning them into chia jam first, or you can try heating the strawberries in the microwave or on the stove to remove excess liquid.
Can I make them nut-free?
I’ve only tested this cheesecake with cashews, so I can’t say for sure, but you can try raw sunflower seeds (they are less creamy and more “earthy” flavored than cashews, though) or coconut cream.
Can I omit the miso?
Miso adds umami and salty flavor, but you can omit if necessary. Add a pinch of salt if omitting the miso.
Can I use a different starch than potato starch?
I’ve only made it with potato starch, but I think cornstarch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot starch should work.
More Refreshing Summer Treats
- Mini Vegan Cheesecakes
- Frozen Snickers Mousse Cups
- Protein Mango Chia Pudding
- Pretzel Date Bark
- Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream Cups
- Vegan Tofu Purin
- 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cups
If you try out this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment/rating down below and tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking. I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup (120g) oat flour**1
- 3 tbsp (36g) brown sugar
- pinch of cinnamon
- 3 tbsp (39g)
salted vegan butter**2 melted
Filling
- ¾ cup (90g) raw cashews soaked in hot water for at least 10 minutes
- 300 grams
silken tofu* - 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp (36g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp white miso
- 2 tsp (8g) potato starch
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Topping
- ½ cup (40g) rolled oats**1
- 6 tbsp (45g) oat flour**1
- 2½ tbsp (30g) brown sugar
- pinch of cinnamon
- 3 tbsp (39g)
salted vegan butter**2 melted - 2 cups diced fresh strawberries OR ½ cup strawberry jam**3
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking dish with parchment paper.
- Make the crust by mixing oat flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Drizzle the melted vegan butter over and mix with a fork until it starts to clump together. Add a teaspoon of water if needed to help hold the dough together.
- Press the crust into the lined baking dish. Bake 10-15 minutes until the top is dry.
- Meanwhile, make the filling by blending all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Tap the blender a few times to remove some of the air bubbles.
- Make the crumb topping by mixing oats, oat flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Drizzle melted butter over and stir to form clumps.
- Assemble the cheesecake by pouring the filling into the crust. Scatter strawberries or spread jam on top, then sprinkle the crumb topping all over.
- Bake for about 50 minutes, until the topping is golden and the edges are just set but the filling still jiggles slightly.
- Cool the baking dish on a wire rack for at least 1 hour, then transfer to the fridge to chill (uncovered) for at least 2 hours.
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
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