If you thought you loved my famous Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake Bars, then just wait until you try these. A riff off of my creamy chocolate cheesecake bars, these strawberry cheesecake bars are its delicious, fruity counterpart, and are the perfect dessert for the Summer. You’ll want to bookmark this recipe for all of your Fourth of July cooking, because I promise these will be a HIT!
This recipe is very similar to my creamy chocolate cheesecake bars, only with one key difference: we’re swapping out the chocolate filling for strawberries. I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love strawberries in the summer time. They’re crisp, sweet, and their vibrant red color always reminds me of the summer time.
As a kid, there was nothing better than eating a strawberry dessert while I sat by the pool – whether it was ice cream, a popsicle, or strawberry shortcake (hmmmm, maybe I should create an angel food cake next, what to you guys think?). But these strawberry chocolate cheesecake bars are truly the best, and I am excited for you to see why!
What you need to make these strawberry cheesecake bars
This may look like a long list of ingredients, but don’t fret! Many of these ingredients are pantry staples that can be used in a variety of different recipes. Between two types of cheesecake bars – my Salted Caramel Cheesecake Bars, Creamy Chocolate Cheesecake Bars, and almost all of my paleo recipes (like my Paleo Lemon Loaf, for example), you should be set!
- Almonds: These will become the base of your chocolate crust! You can also use cashews here instead.
- Shredded Coconut: Make sure that you choose unsweetened coconut to keep this refined-sugar free.
- Medjool Dates: This will be the natural sweetener in the crust! Medjool dates are a Middle Eastern superfood and add a rich, natural sweetness to any recipe.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: This will give our crust that chocolatey flavor! Definitely make sure you choose unsweetened cocoa powder over sweetened, so your crust doesn’t turn out too sweet.
- Vanilla Extract: Pure vanilla extract is essential to any good dessert, and is the perfect balance to the chocolate.
- Coconut Oil: For the filling, I recommend using refined coconut oil so that you don’t taste a coconut flavor.
- Cashews: Did you know that when blended, cashews can become creamy and dare I say, a great dairy-free replacement for cheese? Yep! Don’t knock it until you try it. The cashews will become the base for our cheesecake filling.
- Almond Milk: You can also substitute this with your favorite plant-based milk!
- Maple Syrup: If you’ve followed my recipes for a while, then you’ll know that I love using maple syrup in my desserts. It’s so sweet and the perfect way to replace refined sugar without sacrificing flavor!
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice will cut through the sweetness of the strawberries and provide the perfect balance of acid!
- Strawberries: Of course, what would this recipe be without strawberries?! Fresh strawberries work best here.
How to make these healthy strawberry cheesecake bars
The first step is to soak your cashews! When I have time, I recommend soaking them overnight, but in a pinch (when you want to make this recipe NOW), just pour boiling water on top of them and let them soak for 20 minutes.
Next, prepare the chocolate crust, and it couldn’t be easier. First, pulse the almonds in a food processor, making sure to leave some texture. Then, add the remaining ingredients and pulse until a paste forms. Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish, and refrigerate.
After you’ve finished the crust, it’s time to move on to the filling! Get out your blender and add the soaked cashews, along with the almond milk, maple syrup, coconut oil, lemon juice, salt, vanilla extract, and a portion of the strawberries to a high-speed blender (saving the rest of the strawberries to press on top of the filling later). Blend until smooth.
Take the crust out of the refrigerator, then pour the filling mixture on top. Add the remaining sliced strawberries on top. Freeze for 2 hours, then slice once hardened!
See how easy that was?!
How to store these vegan strawberry cheesecake bars
Just like regular cheesecake, these chocolate cheesecake bars should be kept in the fridge. Or, you can freeze them in a sealed container for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat them, just let thaw until the desired temperature is reached.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a rating and a comment below – this really helps others decide whether to make this recipe as well. And since I practically live on Instagram, be sure to tag me in your creations so I can see them and repost! Enjoy! xx
Ingredients
For the chocolate crust
- 1 cup raw almonds, can also substitute for cashews
- ¾ cup finely shredded coconut, unsweetened
- 1 cup medjool dates, pitted
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
For the strawberry cheesecake filling
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight or in boiling hot water for 20 minutes
- ⅔ cup almond milk, or any non-dairy milk
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¾ cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 + ¼ cups fresh strawberries, halved or quartered
Instructions
- Soak your cashews. You can do this overnight if preparing this recipe in advance, or just pour boiling hot water on top of them, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes.
- Grease an 8×8 square baking dish well, then add parchment paper, so that the bars are easy to pull out.
- First, prepare the crust.
- In a food processor, add the almonds. Process on high until the almonds are finely chopped, about one minute.
- Add remaining crust ingredients, and process for another minute or so, until a sticky paste forms. If it is super dry, add a tablespoon of water. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish and use your hands to press it down evenly.
- Place the dish into the fridge.
- Next, make the strawberry cheesecake filling.
- In a high speed blender, add the soaked cashews, almond milk, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, lemon juice, salt, and only 1/4 cup of the sliced strawberries – you will save the remaining cup of strawberries for the topping.
- Blend until the mixture is nice and creamy. You might have to scrape down the sides a few times, to fully incorporate.
- Remove the dish from the fridge, and pour strawberry mixture on top of the crust, using a spatula or knife to make sure there are no air bubbles.
- Line up the remaining strawberries on top of the cheesecake mixture and gently press them down flat.
- Freeze for 2 hours until the cheesecake bars are completely hardened – this will make them easier to slice and retain their shape.
- Slice into 12 squares and enjoy!
Rate & review
SELECT A RATING and tell me what you think!
What others are saying
I don’t know what happened when I made these but my filling kind of separated – I blended for a while and blended again but it wasn’t a smooth consistency at all. It was like the coconut oil wouldn’t blend with the other ingredients. It tasted delish! So I threw them in the fridge to see what would happen. They don’t have a soft cheesecake-y texture but it’s more hardened. Again – they taste great! But I’m not sure why mine didn’t blend smoothly like yours :/ Will have to try again…
Hi Deanna! I’m sorry these didn’t turn out as planned. Did you make sure your coconut oil was melted?
Wow these turned out great! I was so skeptical of the oil but it somehow incorporated beautifully! It was nice to just blend/process all the ingredients (except a few strawberries) rather than doing anything manually and it came together quickly. It was a big hit with a crowd of non GF/DF people.
I’m so happy to hear this, Olivia! Thank you for the kind review!