Raspberry No-Bake Paleo Cheesecake Bites

dairy-free raspberry cheesecake bites stacked on top of each other and the top one has a bite taken out of it

5 from 3 votes

Raspberry No-Bake Paleo Cheesecake Bites

With a nutty, chewy crust and sweet, creamy filling, these Paleo cheesecake bites might become your new favorite treat! Plus they're so easy to make. And they're naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free and vegan.

Prep Time20

chilling time4

Total Time4 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: bites

Calories: 198kcal

Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

1 cup cashews
¾ cup unsalted almonds
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus ¼ teaspoon, divided
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder (optional, for chocolate crust)
¾ cup pitted dates
½ cup raspberries
¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
¼ cup 100% pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

Soak the cashews: add them to a bowl and cover with about an inch of water. Let them soak for at least 2 hours but up to 4 hours is fine. Then drain and rinse well.
Make the crust: Add the almonds and salt to the bowl of a food processor and blitz until you have fine crumbs. Then start adding the pitted dates, 3-4 at a time, down the feed tube and blitz until each batch is blended in before adding more. The mixture should end up somewhat sticky.
If you want a chocolate crust, you can also add 2 tablespoons of cacao powder to the almonds (do not use cocoa powder, it's too bitter).
Scoop 1 tablespoon* of the crust into each muffin cup of a 12-cup silicone muffin pan (see notes) and use your fingers to spread into an even layer. Set the pan aside.
(If you have any crust left over, you can use it like granola and sprinkle it over yogurt, ice cream, pancakes, waffles, etc.)
Wash the blade and wipe out the bowl.
Make the filling: Add the soaked and drained cashews, melted and cooled coconut oil, raspberries, maple syrup, warm water, lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt to the food processor. Blitz until you have a smooth, creamy mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl every once in a while. It may take a few minutes to get the mixture totally smooth but have faith!
Scoop about 3 tablespoons* of the filling into each muffin cup and spread into an even layer if necessary.
Place the muffin pan in the fridge (if it's a silicone pan, place it on a baking sheet first to stabilize it) and let chill for at least 4 hours. Then just pop them out and enjoy! These are best eaten directly from the fridge but they can sit out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before they start to soften and get sticky.

Notes

* This amount of crust and filling per muffin cup is what works for my muffin pan. You may need more or less depending on the dimensions of your muffin cups.

Note: The recipe time does not include the time for soaking the cashews.

Muffin pan: A 12-cup silicone muffin pan is best because it makes it easier to remove the cheesecakes. You can use a regular metal pan but it might be harder to remove them.

Storage/make ahead

These Paleo cheesecake bites can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

To freeze them, remove the bites from the muffin pan. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the bites on the paper and place the whole sheet in the freezer. Once the bites are frozen (takes about 3-4 hours), wrap each one in plastic wrap and then place them all in a freezer-safe baggie or container.

You can eat the cheesecakes directly from the fridge (they won't be hard, just a little firmer) but it's best if you let them thaw in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Once you take the cheesecake bites out of the fridge, they're fine for about 30 minutes or so before they start to soften. If you want to serve them at a party, you can freeze them first and then set them out in their frozen state so they last longer at room temperature.

Substitutions

I haven't made these cheesecake bites with very many ingredients other than what's listed in the recipe, but you have some options:

You can use honey instead of maple syrup.
You can use lime juice instead of lemon juice.
You can try other nuts in the crust like cashews or walnuts but I haven't tried alternatives myself so I can't guarantee the results.
Do not use cocoa powder instead of cacao powder in the crust - it'll be too bitter

Nutrition