4-layered no-bake mini cheesecakes with an oaty base, sweet cream cheese filling, a chestnut date caramel and a thick topping of chocolate. These cheesecakes make a deliciously simple dessert that is naturally vegan, gluten-free and wholesome.
I love a good no-bake recipe. From fudge ganache brownies to cookie dough and the amazing world of raw cheesecakes, there is so much you can do without even switching on an oven. For these Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes, I went with a few classic flavours (chocolate and caramel) alongside the more surprising ingredient: chestnuts. While we are quite used to seeing pre-roasted chestnuts in festive and savoury dishes like Roasted Stuffed Squash and Nut Roast Cups, we don’t associate them as much with year-round sweets and desserts. All that is about to change with these no-bake delights.
I first thought to use chestnuts, like you would other nuts like almonds or cashew nuts when Merchant Gourmet (the UK’s arguably most popular whole roasted chestnuts and chestnut puree producer) asked me to come up with an Easter recipe using my trusty Vitamix (which I would naturally use!). I came up with a few ideas, but these Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes really tickled all of our fancies.
There are 4 layers to these cheesecakes, all require no-baking and very little effort – as long as you have a good food processor, that is.
All of the layers are vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar free and only require a few ingredients. If you are avoiding other nuts, you can swap them around, too, just read below for options.
Let’s start with the base layer aka the one that holds it all together! Just add all the ingredients to the blender to create a sticky dough:
Once the ingredients are in a sticky dough, divide into 12-14 pieces, roll into balls and press into the muffins holes to make even bases.
Then it’s time for the second layer: the creamy cheesecake part. Unlike a lot of recipes that use coconut, tofu or cashew nuts, I went for the classic cream cheese.
Stir these ingredients by hand until really smooth – give it a taste test and then move onto the third layer: the chestnut date caramel. This is so luscious, smooth and sticky sweet. It’s a thick caramel which works so well with all of the other layers!
You will need some patience with the caramel to make sure it is really thick and creamy. You can add more liquid as you go if it is not blending, but the less liquid, the thicker the caramel. Swirl this on top of the cream cheese layer and then finish with the final layer of these Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes: the chocolate.
If needed, using a refined sugar free chocolate and spread thickly onto the top of the mini cheesecakes before adding on a few extra chestnuts and I also like to add some raspberries and pomegranate for a pop of colour.
These Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes are easy to make in a few steps and they are naturally vegan, gluten-free and easily refined sugar free. They made a delicious and impressive dessert to present to family and friends that you can make ahead and leave in the fridge or freezer until you are ready for them. They are the perfect balance of sweetness, nuttiness, stickiness and crunch with so many layers to sink your teeth into.
If you are looking for more no-bake dessert and snack options, how about my:
4-layered no-bake mini cheesecakes with an oaty base, sweet cream cheese filling, a chestnut date caramel and a thick topping of chocolate. These cheesecakes make a deliciously simple dessert that is naturally vegan, gluten-free and wholesome.
I hope you will love these Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes so please let me know what you think in the comments below and if you make them, remember to tag me. I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With mini chestnut cheesecake love x
The original recipe was sponsored by Merchant Gourmet and Vitamix although this blog post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.
Hey Amy. Looks delicious 😋 and never tried chestnuts before- having it in a cake 🍰 is so different! Splendid photography as always including you don’t have to cook it so a no bakes is perfect. ☺️👌🏻🌱xxxx So vibrant like a rainbow 🌈 and aww vita mix mixers look super. Can you just a usual food mixer?
thank you, I have not tried another food mixer but as long as it is powerful, it will work!
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