Mini Mocha Cheesecakes (Vegan GF)

Mini no-bake cheesecakes with a cacao biscuit-y base, a creamy coffee cashew cheesecake filling and a gooey chocolate sauce centre topped with whipped coconut cream. These delicious desserts are easy to make and are naturally vegan and gluten-free.

In the summertime, nothing beats a cooling dessert. Right now I cannot get enough of homemade ice creams, breakfast parfaits and no-bake cheesecakes. In particular, I seem to have an affliction with mini cheesecakes. They are just so sweet. They are perfect when you want a creamy, rich and amazing dessert but do not want to have to store a large cheesecake and worry about cutting it up neatly and evenly. These Mini Mocha Cheesecakes take all of that hassle out of dessert.

These cheesecakes are a true delight to eat. They are:

• Chocolatey and packed with coffee flavour
• Naturally vegan and gluten-free
• Have a crunchy chocolatey base
• Packed with the creamiest cashew filling
• They take only a few minutes to whip up
• These will last well in the fridge or freezer
• Make an impressive dessert
• Are pure enjoyment!
• Require no baking at all

Have I persuaded you yet to make these Mini Mocha Cheesecakes? If you needed more a nudge towards these chocolate and coffee dessert, let’s see what goes into them. They have three main components to them: the base; the filling; the topping. First, this is what goes into the base for the Mini Mocha Cheesecakes:

• Oat flour: or just oats blended into a flour at home. This creates the classic shortbread style biscuit base without baking.
• Ground almonds or almond flour: this adds a lovely nutty texture and taste to the base of the cheesecakes. If you are nut-free, you can use ground up seeds like sunflower or pumpkin seeds. You could probably swap this for more oat flour, but I have not tried this.
• Cacao powder: this adds the lovely chocolatey element to the biscuit base. You can use cocoa and cacao powder interchangeably but be aware that some have added sugars.
• Coconut oil: this helps the base to bind and have a lovely crunchy texture.
• Maple syrup: this also helps the dry ingredients to form a solid base with just enough sweetness.

Simply stir all the ingredients together by hand in a bowl and press into cupcake or muffin moulds. Pop them in the fridge while you make the creamiest cheesecake filling:

• Cashews: these are essential for the creamiest texture, and you can either quick soak or soak them overnight. See the method below for more information.
• Coconut cream: I use the tastiest coconut whipping cream for this recipe as the texture is amazing, but you can use a tin of coconut milk, too. Chill it in the fridge overnight and scoop off the hard part which is the cream – or you can find coconut cream in the supermarkets.
• Coconut condensed milk: this is a new love for me, I just love how sticky and gooey this condensed milk is! As it’s made from coconuts it is 100% vegan and dairy-free or you could use another vegan condensed milk or extra coconut cream. I use the Natures Charm brand as linked here.
• Maple syrup: just for a little sweetness and for the texture.
• Instant coffee: the important part to give these Mini Mocha Cheesecakes the coffee edge.
• Coconut oil: this helps to solidify the cheesecakes to give them a solid but silky-smooth texture.
• Chocolate sauce: this is our second chocolate element to create the mocha flavour. I use a delicious coconut-based chocolate fudge sauce (from Natures Charm) but you can also use chocolate spreads, chocolate nut butter or simple some chopped chocolate. Swirl this into the coffee cheesecake filling.

Pour the middle layer on top of the bases and allow to set and chill for several hours – or best, overnight. These Mini Mocha Cheesecakes are a great make-ahead dessert as you can get them out the freezer before friends/family arrive, decorate them and they are good to go.

The final part of these Mini Mocha Cheesecakes is the topping. I’ve kept it simple, but it really adds that wow factor:

• Whipped coconut cream: I use the same coconut cream for the filling as for the whipped cream and it is so light and fluffy. Pipe this on to make these cheesecakes look amazing.
• Coffee beans and cacao nibs: they add a great crunch on top and really add to the mocha flavours.
• Chocolate sauce: because you always need more chocolate! As above, you can also use chocolate spread, chocolate nut butter or chopped chocolate.

That’s all there is to these Mini Mocha Cheesecakes; my neighbours, friends and family truly loved these ones, which makes me so happy. They are such a delight to make as not only are they so easy and quick, but they are so impressive. Whip up these cheesecakes for your next picnic, BBQ or family get-together and people will fall in love with them!

If you are looking for more summer dessert ideas, how about my:

• Raspberry Vanilla Chocolate Magnum Ice Creams
• Strawberry and Rhubarb Custard Tart
• Lemon and Blueberry Loaf
• Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
• Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes

I look forward to hearing what you think of these Mini Mocha Cheesecakes so please let me know in the comments below and if you if make them, I would love to see them! Please tag me in your creations – I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With mini mocha love x

This recipe was original made with Natures Charm but this blog post is not sponsored and all opinions are my own. Their products are a true delight to use and eat, I cannot get enough!