This No Bake White Chocolate and Peach Cheesecake is gluten free, egg free and nut free. It can be completely vegan, dairy free and sugar free, depending on the kind of chocolate you use for the topping (of simply leave off the topping altogether!). This cake would be sublime without it. Cheap to make and full of health, you could have this treat every night of the week and not hurt your waistline or your budget!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe:
- It’s cheap – made from inexpensive, easy-to-find ingredients, this vegan dessert is surprisingly budget friendly. This is because the components that hold it together are coconut based, and this is a cheaper option than nut-based or tofu-based vegan ingredients.
- It’s dairy and egg free – which makes it suitable for vegans and those with dairy intolerances. It also makes it more shelf stable, lasting longer in the fridge.
- It’s an impressive dessert – three layers, with an impressive yellow-coloured filling, you’ll get wows as you bring this out to the table. It’s definitely a crowd pleaser!
- It’s a delicious dessert – the white chocolate and tangy peach are a classic dessert combination, and are heavenly in this dessert form. The smooth white chocolate ganache with the creamy peach cheesecake filling and the crunch of the biscuit base create a taste sensation on your tongue.
Essential Ingredients in a No-Bake Cheesecake
A no bake cheesecake is essentially raw, so it usually doesn’t contain any eggs.
If you are not vegan, then your no-bake cheesecake will most likely contain cream cheese, sour cream, or cream. These ingredients have enough fat content to set the cake without baking.
A vegan cheesecake will mostly be un-baked, because it doesn’t contain any eggs. I have seen vegan cheesecakes made from tofu, cashew cream, aquafaba and coconut cream. Because they use nuts and specialty ingredients like tofu, vegan cheesecakes can be quite expensive to make.
This vegan cheesecake is really cheap to make, and uses no expensive or specialty ingredients. It is simply made from desiccated coconut (turned into butter) and coconut cream. Other than that, it’s just flavourings.
Setting a no-bake cheesecake
A no-bake cheesecake does require time in the fridge to set and firm up. It needs a minimum of 3 hours to set in the fridge.
I prefer not to freeze my vegan cheesecake (I have seen other recipes that require freezing). I have found this method to affect the creaminess of the cake.
Coconut cream sets beautifully in the fridge and does not require freezing. It can be sliced with perfect precision, without oozing! I find that with the right ratios, it sets pretty much straight away. However, not all coconut creams come equal, and if you find that your cake has not set after 3 hours, leave it overnight and see what that does.
Thickening a no-bake cheesecake
A traditional no-bake cheesecake has a lot of fatty ingredients which allow the cake to set firm while remaining creamy.
Cream, sour cream, and cream cheese are high in fat and give traditional cheesecake that luscious texture. Sometimes gelatin is used to help cheesecake get to setting point.
However, these ingredients are all full of lactose so not allergy-friendly.
This Caramelised Peach Cheesecake is virtually dairy free. It is thick without needing to add any setting agents such as gelatin or agar agar. This is due to the desiccated coconut.
When blended to a butter, desiccated coconut sets firm in the fridge. Coconut cream provides that classic cheesecakey creaminess!
Why has my no-bake cheesecake not set?
A no-bake cheesecake that is still soupy in the middle will probably have the ratios out of whack.
This No Bake Peach Cheesecake Filling is pretty forgiving. Both coconut cream and desiccated coconut set firmly when chilled. So, if you use a bit more coconut cream and a bit less desiccated coconut, the cake will still set.
It’s when you add other ingredients such as stewed fruit where you enter into murky territory. To avoid upsetting the balance, I usually stew my fruit until it becomes thick and caramelised. Then, it is not likely to turn the cheesecake filling watery and it will still firm up in the fridge.
If your no-bake cheesecake has not set, then it’s probably because that you added too much liquid. Adding too much liquid dilutes the setting agents.
If this happens, you can always pour the filling mixture back into a mixing bowl. Add bloomed gelatin (about 2 tablespoons in boiling water or lemon juice). Pop it back in the fridge, and that should do the trick!
fancy no bake cheesecakes? take a look at my other recipes
Gluten-Free Cheesecakes
While most cheesecake fillings are naturally gluten free, they will normally have a biscuit crumb or graham cracker base. These ingredients are high in gluten, making a traditional base cheesecake not suitable for those who have an intolerance.
You can easily sidestep this issue by processing a gluten free biscuit or cracker into the base. This No Bake Peach Cheesecake is gluten free, because the base is comprised of coconut and oats as the crumb.
If you are worried about traces of gluten, skip the oats. Just use coconut. It will set rock hard, which I don’t mind – it is just more difficult to cut.
Essential Ingredients in a Vegan Cheesecake
What is a cheesecake? Creamy tart-like dessert that has the height of a cake and the texture of a thickened, set custard. It is slightly tart from the cream cheese, and is rich and luscious.
Traditional cheesecake is usually has eggs, cream, cream cheese, and sour cream. All of which are not suitable for vegans.
To make a vegan cheesecake tall, thick, and creamy, I have found the most fool-proof ingredient to be coconut.
Coconut is the best way to make cheesecake set without being grainy and chalky. Desiccated coconut, coconut cream, sweetener is all you need to have a classic vanilla cheesecake that is vegan.
Is this Peach Cheesecake Vegan Friendly?
Yes, this recipe for No Bake Peach Cheesecake is definitely suitable for vegans, because it uses only plant-based products in the base and filling.
For the whipped ganache topping, I have used white chocolate and cream. Using dairy cream allows the ganache to whip up and become airier than typical ganache. If you sub the dairy cream for coconut cream, it will still be delicious (and keep the cake 100% dairy free and vegan), it just won’t whip as much.
How to make Caramelised Peaches:
This delicious Dairy-free Cheesecake filling is flavoured with vibrant Caramelised peaches.
Using tinned peaches is a great way to keep this a frugal dessert. They are cheap to buy and provide natural sweetness and flavour.
Plus, if you get the peaches in juice, then you can keep this cake free from unrefined sugar.
To caramelise the peaches, all you need to do is pour the contents of the 825g can of peaches into a saucepan. Simmer over a medium heat, until the juice has reduced and thickened.
Reducing the peaches will eliminate the water content, ensuring that the cheesecake will set when placed in the fridge.
Once cool, add to the coconut cream/desiccated coconut mixture, and sweeten to taste with Truvia.
No Bake Caramelised Peach and White Chocolate Cheesecake
This Low Lactose Cheesecake is creamy and subtly flavoured with Caramelised Peaches. Topped with a optional whipped White Chocolate Ganache, this cake is sure to impress everyone!
Ingredients
- For the Base:
- 200g Desiccated Coconut (or 1/2 cup coconut butter).
- 220g Oats, ground
- 3 tablespoons Truvia
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- A Slosh of Vanilla essence
- For the Filling:
- 1x 825g can Peaches in juice, reduced to half (see instructions)
- 500 g coconut, ground in a high-speed blender or electric coffee grinder
- 3x tins coconut cream
- 3 tablespoons sweetener
- Slosh of Vanilla Essence
- For the (optional, non vegan) Whipped Chocolate Ganache Topping:
- 230g White chocolate (sugar-free if possible)
- 1 cup cream
Instructions
First, prepare the peaches:
- Empty the tin of peaches, juice and all, into a pot.
- Simmer over a medium heat until the juice has reduced and thickened. It should turn a lovely golden colour.
- Allow to cool to room temperature (should take a few hours)
Next, prepare the base:
- Grind the Desiccated coconut in a high-speed blender until the coconut is starting to release it's natural oils and looks like the consistency of a paste. This should take 2 minutes or so. It may start to look a bit dry as you transfer it, but as long as it is paste-like initially, then it should be fine.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl
- Mix or Blend all the ingredients for the base, until processed evenly. You can use your hands to rub it into a cohesive mix.
- Press firmly into a lined loose-bottomed 22cm cake tin.
- Place into the fridge to set while you make the filling.
Prepare the Filling:
- First, blend the desiccated coconut until it releases it's natural oils. This should take 2 minutes or so in a high-speed blender.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the coconut cream. After each tin, whisk until smooth before adding the next tin of coconut cream, just to ensure the ground coconut butter is fully incorporated.
- Finally, add the reduced peaches, sweetener and vanilla, and whisk again.
- Pour over the prepared base, and return the cake tin to the fridge to set, minimum 3 hours. Overnight is best.
For the (non vegan) Whipped White Chocolate Ganache topping:
- In a small saucepan, heat the cream until just boiling (do not scald)
- Remove from the heat and add the chopped white chocolate.
- Whisk until the chocolate is fully melted through and there are no lumps.
- Place in the fridge to cool for half an hour.
- Using an electric whisk, beat the chocolate ganache until expanded and fluffy.
- Pile onto the chilled cake and return to the fridge to set.
Notes
- This cake is gluten free, egg-free, nut free and refined sugar free (if you use sugar-free chocolate).
- Because of the whipped White Chocolate ganache, this cake is not 100% vegan.
- To make it fully vegan and dairy free, sub out the cream for coconut cream. If you do this, it will not "whip", but it will still be delicious and top the cake off with a lovely hit of sweetness.
- It is crucial to blend the coconut into a butter, as this is what sets the base into that classic biscuit hardness. If not enough oil is released from the coconut, then the base will be too crumbly and not set.
- The desiccated coconut in the filling is also what allows the cake to set with that Cheesecake Cream Cheese Texture. Do not skimp on the desiccated coconut here, as otherwise your cake will be more like soup!
- The cake does take at least 3 hours to set, or overnight. Have faith - it does look pretty runny at first, but it will harden when completely chilled.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 559Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 27mgSodium: 294mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 9gSugar: 44gProtein: 6g
