No-Bake Vegan Tropical Cheesecake

Simone Martin
Feb 12
2 min read

Updated: Feb 13

A Creative Café Collaboration at Kovalam, Kerala.

My stay in Kovalam, Kerala was not only about my 2-weeks ayurvedic treatment but also gave space for some creativity in the kitchen. While wandering around the narrow pathways and market streets near the beach, I discovered the newly opened Secret Garden Café. What started as a casual visit quickly turned into a beautiful collaboration, giving me the opportunity to contribute some of my own cake creations to their menu.

That’s how this No-Bake Vegan Tropical Cheesecake was born. Minimal ingredients, no baking required, naturally sweetened, and topped with local fruits jelly like mango, strawberry, or papaya.

Simple. Creamy. Tropical.

For the crust:

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts
1 cup dates

Instructions

Blend walnuts and smash the dates to a chrunchy crust.
Press the mixture firmly into a cake tray to form the base.
Place in the freezer while preparing the filling.

This crust is naturally sweet, rich in healthy fats, and full of fiber. No refined flour, no butter — just whole-food goodness.

For the Cashew Filling:

Ingredients

2 cups cashews (soaked for at least 3–4 hours)
½ cup coconut oil (melted)
1 cup coconut milk
Juice of 1 lemon
A bit of sugar
A pinch of salt

Instructions

Drain soaked cashews.
Blend cashews, coconut milk, melted coconut oil, lemon juice, sugar, and salt until completely smooth and creamy.
Pour the mixture over the prepared crust.
Smooth the top and place in the freezer.

The magic lies in the chemistry:

Cashews create the creamy texture.
Coconut oil helps it firm up when chilled.
Lemon juice adds freshness and a subtle cheesecake tang.

For the jelly topping:

Top with:

Mango jelly
Strawberry jelly
Papaya jelly

While the cheesecake layer is in the freezer, you can prepare the fruit jelly. Let it cool for some time after cooking and then top it into the cashew filling.