Chocolate Pecan Caramel Cheesecake (Vegan No-Bake)
This no-bake, gluten-free and vegan Chocolate Pecan Caramel Cheesecake is luscious, rich and chocolatey. It has a delicious cookie base, a nut butter gooey caramel and indulgent chocolate cheesecake mousse filling.
This is the ultimate no-bake Thanksgiving dessert (that’s also great all year long with Christmas and other special occasions in mind). It’s easy to make and is really a wow-factor show-stopper recipe that everyone will love. Plus, while it tastes indulgent, rich and chocolatey, this dessert is made with wholesome, plant-based and gluten-free ingredients, perfect for when you want something delicious but also with health benefits.
Why will I love this dessert?
This cheesecake is amazing:
- Rich, indulgent, chocolatey and luscious
- With four different layers
- A cookies and cream biscuit base
- Filled with gooey nut butter caramel
- Packed with nutty sweet pecans
- Filled with silky smooth dark chocolate cheesecake mix (no cashews!)
- Easy to make in a few steps
- Great to make ahead of time
- Ideal for parties, celebrations and gatherings
- Perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas
- Naturally vegan, egg-free and dairy-free
- Made with wholesome and healthier ingredients
- Easily gluten-free and nut-free
- Requires no-baking or cooking
- A real show-stopper centrepiece
If you already love the sound of this cheesecake then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
The ingredient list is fairly simple and you will have most of them at home. You can see the weights in the recipe card and see my favourites in the “shop the recipe” section.
For the base:
- Chocolate sandwich cookies: like Oreo cookies or bourbons.
- Vegan butter: to make a buttery biscuit base. You can also use vegan spread or try out coconut oil, too.
For a more wholesome base, you can use my date, oat and nut butter base here which is equally as delicious!
As for the caramel:
- Smooth runny almond butter: this is the best nut butter in my opinion for caramel as it has a lovely sweet flavour but I also love cashew or peanut butter. To make this nut-free, use sunflower seed butter or tahini.
- Coconut oil: to make the caramel have the perfect texture, the coconut oil will set as it cools down so that it melts in your mouth but holds together.
- Agave or maple syrup: this makes the caramel gooey and sticky.
- Cinnamon and salt: for flavour.
For the cheesecake:
- Dark chocolate: I love a dark chocolate here like 85% but you can also use 70% or lower, but this is best served rich and chocolatey. Chop the chocolate small and melt down. I used the Divine Chocolate, which is my go-to for desserts.
- Vegan cream cheese: to add the classic tang to this cheesecake, I love the Cocos Creamy Spread or the NUSH almond milk cream cheese.
- Silken tofu: this is so perfect for cheesecakes as it’s silky smooth and blends together beautifully. Do not swap this for extra or firm tofu.
- Cocoa powder: to make this really chocolatey. You can use cacao or cocoa powder here as long as it’s 100% cocoa/cacao without added sugars.
- Agave or maple syrup: to make the texture silky smooth and to sweeten the mix.
- Vanilla essence: for flavour.
- Pecans: a layer of pecans along the base of this cheesecake makes it so delicious! You can also use walnuts, hazelnuts or pistachios, or leave these out to keep the dessert nut-free.
To decorate, I like to add some chocolate shapes (melt dark chocolate and pour into small moulds), some extra pecans and sprinkles.
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
This is easily gluten-free, as long as your cookies for the base are gluten-free. To make this nut-free, check all of your ingredients like vegan butter, cream cheese and chocolate and leave out the pecans. You can also swap the almond butter in the caramel for sunflower seed butter or tahini.
How do I make this?
This cheesecake is easy to make in a few steps:
- Pulse the biscuits and melt the butter: and stir together to form a crumbly mix.
- Press the mix into a lined dish: and make a compact tart base. Chill while you make the filling.
- Stir together all the ingredients for the caramel: until sticky and gooey.
- Pour the caramel into to the tin and arrange the pecans on top: and chill again.
- Melt the chocolate and blend together all the cheesecake ingredients: until creamy.
- Spoon the cheesecake into the tart: and swirl through.
- Chill for 4-6 hours or overnight: until firm to touch.
- Decorate with melted chocolate and extra pecans: and slice into this cheesecake to enjoy.
How long will this last?
This will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week in the fridge, in a sealed container, or for 1 month in the freezer, wrapped well. Allow to defrost before enjoying this dessert.
What else can I make?
If you are looking for more desserts to try, how about:
- No Bake Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake
- Black Forest Chocolate Ganache Tart
- Chocolate Caramel Mini Egg Slices
- Vegan Banoffee Pie
- Chocolate Pecan Mousse Pie
Chocolate Pecan Caramel Cheesecake (Vegan No-Bake)
This no-bake, gluten-free and vegan Chocolate Pecan Caramel Cheesecake is luscious, rich and chocolatey. It has a delicious cookie base, a nut butter gooey caramel and indulgent chocolate cheesecake mousse filling.
Ingredients
For the Base:
- 320g vegan and gluten-free chocolate sandwich cookies
- 80g vegan butter
For the Caramel and Pecans:
- 100g smooth, runny almond butter
- 1 ½ tbsp melted coconut oil
- 3 tbsp agave or maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- A pinch of salt
For the Cheesecake:
- 150g dark chocolate, chopped small
- 200g vegan cream cheese
- 150g silken tofu, drained weight
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
- 60ml agave or maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 28-30 pecan halves
To Decorate:
- 60g dark chocolate, melted and set into stars
- 10g pecans, crushed
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Grease an 8-inch round loose-bottomed cake tin and line with base with parchment paper. Remove the cream cheese from the fridge, to allow it to come to room temperature.
- For the base: crush the cookies into a fine crumb and melt the butter. Stir together to reach a wet sand consistency. Pour into the tin and press down firmly to make a compact base and sides – be patient to make an even layer. Chill in the fridge while you continue.
- Make the caramel: whisk together the ingredients until smooth. Now remove the tin from the fridge and pour over the caramel, saving 2 tbsp (30g) for the top. Spread out evenly and arrange the pecan halves in concentric rings to cover the base. Chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes, until the caramel has hardened. Save the remaining caramel in a sealed container in the fridge.
- For the cheesecake: melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a bain-marie and allow to cool down for a few minutes (this ensures the mixture doesn’t seize up). Into a food processor or high-speed blender, add in the cream cheese, silken tofu, cocoa powder, agave or maple syrup, vanilla, a pinch of salt and the melted chocolate. Blend until really thick and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary.
- Assemble the cheesecake: remove the tin from the fridge and spoon over the cheesecake filling, pressing down lightly. Make swirls on top and then place back in the fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight, until firm.
- To serve: carefully remove the cheesecake from the tin and discard the parchment. Swirl on the remaining caramel and decorate with more chocolate, some pecans and sprinkles.
- Slice and serve straight away. Keep leftovers in the fridge, covered well, for up to 1 week and you can also freeze the cheesecake for 1 month, wrapped well, and allow to defrost before eating.
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Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of this Chocolate Pecan Caramel Cheesecake so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make this, I’d love to see so please 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 chocolate pecan cheesecake love x
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