Author: So pretty, so swirly, so creamy, so decadent, so surprisingly easy to make. These vegan red velvet cheesecake bites look fancy pantsy, and while they do have a few steps to make them, I assure you that each and every step is easy to do. These make the perfect Valentine's day gift or special occasion treat.
The buttery chocolate cookie crumb crust is topped with swirls of lemon vegan cheesecake and rich red velvet vegan cheesecake. It's so cool how these bites have the same texture as classic cheesecake but the base is made simply from raw cashews and coconut milk. No weird ingredients!
Make these ahead of time, let them set in the fridge and then serve when ready. Be prepared for applause and to take a bow!
To make vegan red velvet cheesecake bites: crumble the chocolate wafer cookies in a food processor, blender, or by placing them in a sealable bag and crushing them with a rolling pin.
In a medium bowl mix together the cookie crumbs with the melted vegan butter. Divide evenly among the cupcake liners then use your spoon or the bottom glass to firmly pack the crumbs down. Bake for 5 minutes then remove from the oven.
Add the softened cashews, coconut milk, sugar, cornstarch, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and salt to a blender. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. Divide the cheesecake base evenly among two bowls.
For the lemon swirl: in one bowl add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
For the red velvet swirl: add the cocoa powder and red food colouring to the remaining bowl and mix well. You may need more or less food colouring depending on the intensity of your food colouring, and the desired colour.
To assemble the cheesecake bites: spoon some of the lemon swirl onto the chocolate crusts. Follow with a spoonful of the red velvet swirl. Alternate between the two colours until the cupcake liner is almost full, dividing the cheesecake among all the liners evenly.
For the final touch, use a toothpick to swirl the top layers of colours together in any design you like.
To bake the cheesecakes: bake for 23 - 26 minutes until the cheesecakes are puffy and may have cracked a little. Let cool at room temperature- they will fall a bit as they cool. Finish by letting them cool completely in the fridge to set, minimum 30 minutes.
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Vegan Red Velvet Cheesecake Bites
Servings: cheesecake bites
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Ingredients
For the chocolate crust:
- 1 ½ cup crushed chocolate wafer cookies, (check to make sure they are vegan)
- ¼ cup vegan butter, melted
For the vegan cheesecake base:
- 1 ½ cups raw cashews, softened (see below)
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the lemon swirl:
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
For the red velvet swirl:
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon vegan red food colouring, (adjust as needed)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a muffin baking pan with 12 cupcake liners or lightly grease it.
- Prepare the Chocolate Crust: Crush the chocolate wafer cookies in a food processor, blender, or by placing them in a sealable bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. In a medium bowl, mix the cookie crumbs with the melted vegan butter. Divide evenly among the cupcake liners and use a spoon or the bottom of a glass to firmly pack the crumbs down. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- Soften the Cashews: Soften the cashews by either boiling or soaking them. (I recommend softening them even if you have a high-powered blender, to ensure that the cheesecake is extra smooth and creamy.)Boil Method: Add cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until tender.Soak Method: Soak cashews in water for 4 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the cashews before using.
- Prepare the Vegan Cheesecake Base: Blend the softened cashews, coconut milk, sugar, cornstarch, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and salt in a blender until smooth. Divide the cheesecake base evenly between two bowls.
- Make the Lemon and Red Velvet Swirls:For the lemon swirl: Mix lemon zest and lemon juice into one bowl of the cheesecake base.For the red velvet swirl: Mix cocoa powder and red food coloring into the other bowl until combined. Adjust the food coloring as needed for the desired color.
- Assemble the Cheesecake Bites: Spoon a layer of the lemon mixture onto the crust in each cupcake liner. Follow with a spoonful of the red velvet mixture. Alternate between the two colors until each liner is nearly full.
- Swirl: Use a toothpick to swirl the top layers into a design of your choice.
- Bake and Cool: Bake for 23–26 minutes, until the cheesecakes are puffy and may have slight cracks. Let them cool at room temperature—they will deflate a bit. Once at room temperature, refrigerate uncovered for at least 30 minutes to set completely.
Notes
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕Bon appetegan!
Sam.
Leanne Williams says
I tried this recipe and they are SO DELICIOUS!!! For the next time, I thought I would try making them in some mini muffin pans. Do you know how long I would have to bake them in the oven?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Leanna, I'm not sure as it would depend on the size, but I would start checking on them at about 1/2 the time and when they look puffed up and may have even cracked a little, they should be good to go. Enjoy!
A. Moretti says
Hi Sam! Is this stable in room temperature?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes the are 🙂 I would store them in the fridge, but they are totally fine to sit out and will hold together. Enjoy!
Alice says
Hi Sam!
Thanks for another recipe, it looks delicious. I don't have a blender, do you know how I can replace the cashews? Do you think I can use cashew butter instead? If so, do you know how much I would need?
Thank you!!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Alice, I haven't tested the recipe with cashew butter, so I am not sure how that would work, unfortunately.
Alice says
Thank you for your reply!!
Natalie says
Made these! They didn't swirl as nicely as in the picture (I think my mistake was spooning in too much of each colour at a time), but they were delicious and just the right size for a little treat.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed, Natalie! 🙂
Christina says
I finally made these, and they are so easy! And delicious! Before going began i was the master of cheesecakes lol but i believe these will be my new specialty. They have the same texture as cheesecake, but way more delicious and i think you could customize the flavors to just about anything you may want a cheesecake to be. My non vegan grandpa hates cheesecake but absolutely loved these!
Sam Turnbull says
Oh that's wonderful, Christina! Thrilled you enjoyed them so very much 🙂
Christina says
I am celebrating my 30th birthday as a one year old vegan march 4th im making these tonight for my birthday party tomorrow, so excited to try them!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! Congrats! And I hope you enjoy them 🙂
Joan says
Congratulations on your one year anniversary!
Jordan says
These were so good! I didn't have red food dye on hand so I skipped that, but I loved them! And so did my omnivorous mother, so that was a win! Thanks for the recipe! Will definitely be making these again!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! Thrilled you enjoyed, Jordan 🙂
Roman Slajchert says
Hi my mom made these for Valentine’s Day! They were delish...also I was your most recent comment on your ultimate vegan breakfast sandwiches. #Chook CHOOK!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! I recognize you 🙂 So happy you loved these too 🙂
Emma says
Could I make this as one large cheesecake? Also, do you think it would freeze well?
Sam Turnbull says
I think you could make it as one large cheesecake, yes, but the baking times would increase. I would base the baking times on my Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe. I haven't tested freezing them myself, but I think it should work ok. I would be a little concerned of the cookie crumble getting soggy. If you give either a try, let us know how it turns out! 🙂
Laurel B says
How long can these be refrigerated before serving?
Sam Turnbull says
I would say 3 - 4 days. The only concern is that the cookie crumble may get soft. Enjoy!
Eriyah says
I think I would choose to add raspberry juice for the food coloring, perhaps I could boil it down to make it concentrated enough for the desired color.
Sam Turnbull says
I'm not sure it would be potent enough but you could try. Be careful about adding too much extra liquid as it will change the consistency of the cheesecake. You could try making your own homemade food colouring from beets using a recipe such as this one. Hope that helps!
Eve-Marie says
I made these yesterday but used graham crackers instead of chocolate wafers - we loved them, thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!! So happy you loved them, Eve-Marie 🙂
Tasha says
What can be used instead of cashews? My son has a nut allergy.
Nikki says
I’ve used raw sunflower seeds in place of cashews in several cases, theyd probably work here too !
LaTasha says
Great, thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
I know blanched almonds or macadamia nuts will work well, but other than that I'm not sure I have a good substitute for you, unfortunately. Sorry, I can't be more help!
kimbelina says
Can you recommend a chocolate wafer cookie brand and food colouring? Thanks for any suggestions!
Sam Turnbull says
Mr.Christie's chocolate wafer cookies are accidentally vegan, woot! I believe Nabisco might be the same thing in the US. As for food colouring, I just used what my grocery store had which was also accidentally vegan, I just checked the ingredients to make sure, or you can purchase vegan food colouring online. Hope that helps!
Jenn says
Use the whole can of coconut milk?
Sam Turnbull says
Nope, just 1 cup.
Kathy Vesely says
Hi Sam. You are so fun to follow! I'm trying to cut way back on sugar (especially the nasty white stuff!). Is here a better substitute you could recommend? Thanks so much!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thanks so much, Kathy! I'm not an expert in sugar-free substitutes so I recommend checking out a few articles on how to substitute sugar, such as this one. Enjoy!
Barb says
Do you include nutritional information with your recipes ie fat content, calories. ?
Sam Turnbull says
Usually just the calories which you can see noted in the recipe. 🙂
Kipp says
Just a heads up, you have the coconut milk in the ingredients list, but not in the instructions.
Sam Turnbull says
Fixed! Thank you 🙂
Bajan Mum says
Sam, this is a recipe I'm so looking forward to making.
Excuse my English ignorance of American terms, but when you say chocolate wafer biscuits what do you mean? Can you give a brand name example? I'll Google it and find a UK version if I can. I do wanna make these soon. Thanks
Sam Turnbull says
A common brand here in Canada is Mr. Christie's chocolate wafer cookies, and they happen to be accidently vegan. Woot! They are just a very thin crispy simple chocolate cookie. I'm sure anything similar would work just fine. Enjoy!
Bajan Mum says
Great, thanks
Lydia says
Wow, these sound good. I like the fact that they're soy-free, too. (I have a soy intolerance).
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome!! I hope you love them, Lydia 🙂