Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes (Vegan GF)

4-layered no-bake mini cheesecakes with an oaty base, sweet cream cheese filling, a chestnut date caramel and a thick topping of chocolate. These cheesecakes make a deliciously simple dessert that is naturally vegan, gluten-free and wholesome.

I love a good no-bake recipe. From fudge ganache brownies to cookie dough and the amazing world of raw cheesecakes, there is so much you can do without even switching on an oven. For these Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes, I went with a few classic flavours (chocolate and caramel) alongside the more surprising ingredient: chestnuts. While we are quite used to seeing pre-roasted chestnuts in festive and savoury dishes like Roasted Stuffed Squash and Nut Roast Cups, we don’t associate them as much with year-round sweets and desserts. All that is about to change with these no-bake delights.

Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes
Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes

I first thought to use chestnuts, like you would other nuts like almonds or cashew nuts when Merchant Gourmet (the UK’s arguably most popular whole roasted chestnuts and chestnut puree producer) asked me to come up with an Easter recipe using my trusty Vitamix (which I would naturally use!). I came up with a few ideas, but these Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes really tickled all of our fancies.

There are 4 layers to these cheesecakes, all require no-baking and very little effort – as long as you have a good food processor, that is. 

  • No-bake biscuit base
  • Sweet cream cheese
  • Date chestnut caramel
  • Chocolate and toppings
Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes
Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes

All of the layers are vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar free and only require a few ingredients. If you are avoiding other nuts, you can swap them around, too, just read below for options.

Let’s start with the base layer aka the one that holds it all together! Just add all the ingredients to the blender to create a sticky dough:

  • Oats: use gluten-free oats if needed.
  • Whole pre-roasted chestnuts: these add great texture and binder nature to the base. You could use other nuts like almonds.
  • Almond butter: or use cashew butter or tahini. The runnier and smoother the better for this recipe.
  • Maple syrup: this binds the base together and adds the lovely sticky sweetness.

Once the ingredients are in a sticky dough, divide into 12-14 pieces, roll into balls and press into the muffins holes to make even bases.

Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes
Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes

Then it’s time for the second layer: the creamy cheesecake part. Unlike a lot of recipes that use coconut, tofu or cashew nuts, I went for the classic cream cheese.

  • Vegan cream cheese: there are a few options in the supermarkets now and my favourite is NUSH. The creamier the better.
  • Almond butter: or like before, use cashew butter or tahini.
  • Maple syrup: for the sweetness and texture.

Stir these ingredients by hand until really smooth – give it a taste test and then move onto the third layer: the chestnut date caramel. This is so luscious, smooth and sticky sweet. It’s a thick caramel which works so well with all of the other layers!

  • Dates: medjool dates are the best as they are the sweetest and stickiest but you can use any dried dates, just soak them in boiling water first and save the date water to add to the caramel when you are blending it.
  • Chestnuts: these add a lovely nutty taste to the caramel and they naturally are quite soft so blend really well into this creamy caramel.
  • Almond butter: as above!
Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes
Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes

You will need some patience with the caramel to make sure it is really thick and creamy. You can add more liquid as you go if it is not blending, but the less liquid, the thicker the caramel. Swirl this on top of the cream cheese layer and then finish with the final layer of these Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes: the chocolate.

If needed, using a refined sugar free chocolate and spread thickly onto the top of the mini cheesecakes before adding on a few extra chestnuts and I also like to add some raspberries and pomegranate for a pop of colour.

These Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes are easy to make in a few steps and they are naturally vegan, gluten-free and easily refined sugar free. They made a delicious and impressive dessert to present to family and friends that you can make ahead and leave in the fridge or freezer until you are ready for them. They are the perfect balance of sweetness, nuttiness, stickiness and crunch with so many layers to sink your teeth into.

If you are looking for more no-bake dessert and snack options, how about my:

Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes (Vegan GF)

  • Servings: 12-14
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

4-layered no-bake mini cheesecakes with an oaty base, sweet cream cheese filling, a chestnut date caramel and a thick topping of chocolate. These cheesecakes make a deliciously simple dessert that is naturally vegan, gluten-free and wholesome.

Ingredients

    Base layer:
  • 150g oats
  • 100g pre-roasted chestnuts
  • 100g almond butter
  • 140g maple syrup
  • Chestnut date caramel:
  • 75g dates, pitted weight
  • 50g pre-roasted chestnuts
  • 50g almond butter
  • 2-4 tbsp date water
  • Cheesecake:
  • 250g vegan cream cheese
  • 50g almond butter
  • 25g maple syrup
  • Topping:
  • 200g dark chocolate, refined sugar-free where needed
  • 12-14 pre-roasted chestnuts, chopped
  • Fruit on top (pomegranate/raspberries)

Directions

  1. Soak the dates for the caramel in boiling water for 10 minutes, drain and keep the water. Line 12-14 muffin tin holes with a strip of parchment paper to allow you to lift the cups out.
  2. Make the base: add the oats and chestnuts to the blender and blend on medium-high power until crumbled. Now add in the almond butter and maple syrup and blend again until sticky and combined.
  3. Divide the mix into 12-14 pieces, roll into balls and press down into the holes to make flat bases. Pop in the fridge.
  4. Make the chestnut date caramel: add all of the ingredients (starting with 2 tbsp date water) into a small blender attachment and blend on medium-high until smooth, adding more date water as needed until creamy.
  5. Make the cheesecake filling: stir together all the ingredients until smooth.
  6. Divide the cheesecake mix between the bases and smooth over the tops. Now add on the date caramel and spread over the tops. Pop in the fridge to chill slightly.
  7. Melt the chocolate and then pour and spread over the cheesecakes. Top with the crushed chestnuts and some fruit, if desired, and allow to set in the freezer for 1-2 hours.
  8. Carefully lift the cups out using the parchment strips and enjoy them straight away. Keep in the fridge for up 1 week or 1 month in the freezer.
Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes
Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes

I hope you will love these Mini Chocolate Chestnut Cheesecakes so please let me know what you think in the comments below and if you make them, remember to tag me. I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on TwitterFacebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With mini chestnut cheesecake love x

The original recipe was sponsored by Merchant Gourmet and Vitamix although this blog post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.

  1. Hey Amy. Looks delicious 😋 and never tried chestnuts before- having it in a cake 🍰 is so different! Splendid photography as always including you don’t have to cook it so a no bakes is perfect. ☺️👌🏻🌱xxxx So vibrant like a rainbow 🌈 and aww vita mix mixers look super. Can you just a usual food mixer?

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