Luscious no-bake Matcha Cheesecake – your favorite latte transformed into an easy vegan treat with a brownie crust and vanilla swirls on top!
Taking the afternoon pick-me-up to a whole new, extra delicious level.
When a latte won’t do and you don’t have time for a nap, a cheesecake worth of matcha should do the trick, yes? Although I suggest starting with just a slice, this baby is RICH.
Did I mention the chocolate crust? Yes, there is a chocolate crust. And it is made of healthy things. And it tastes like squishy brownie.
Did I mention the vanilla swirls? An ode to the matcha latte – my muse for this cake and the center of my everlasting matcha love.
Did I mention it’s no-bake? And date-sweetened? And, don’t let the swirls fool you, really easy to make?
So you’re going to be wanting to grab your springform and get right on this.
I try to be smart about food budgeting. I try to shop at Trader Joe’s as much as possible. I try to not drive within 5 miles of Whole Foods for fear that it’s fun healthy brands and yummy hot bar will suck me in and steal all my money.
But there are some things that are worth spending on. And for me one of those things is MATCHA.
Whether it’s the best $5 latte at one of my favorite coffee shops made with homemade almond milk, the very legit whisky thing, and a bit of honey. Or my own matcha powder for homemade lattes and using in recipes. Matcha is one of those things where quality definitely counts.
I’ve tried quite a few brands, but Encha is my favorite. It is the brightest in color and flavor, and I promise that little pouch will last longer than you think. When you can make a matcha latte without any added sweetener and it’s still yummy, you know you’ve got the good stuff.
I usually buy their latte grade matcha – not as pricey as the ceremonial grade, and better flavor than the culinary grade. And if you want to try it, hope on over to Instagram and enter my GIVEAWAY by Sunday!
P.S. This post isn’t sponsored, just authentically sharing a product I love.
The crust. I’ve done oat crusts and almond crusts and cereal crusts, so this time I chose hemp seeds for the crust. It’s nut-free, only 4 ingredients, and pairs really well with the other flavors happening here. But feel free to substitute any of the other crusts linked above. Also, if you’ve never tried chocolate + matcha…OH MAN ♡
The filling. I promise I will calm down with the non-dairy yogurt in everything soon, but for no-bake vegan cheesecake-ing there is nothing better. Sorry, not sorry. It’s tangy and creamy and not some sort of freaky, gum-filled soy cheese product.
But yogurt can’t pull this off alone.
The creamy, oil-free matcha filling is made of:
- non-dairy yogurt and…
- raw cashews
- medjool dates
- non-dairy milk
- lemon juice
- vanilla extract
- matcha!
Nothing crazy, amiright?
For the swirls on top, scoop out a half cup of the filling before adding the matcha powder and BOOM – two-tone cheesecake but you only have to blend once.
This cake does need to freeze overnight and be kept in the freezer. It doesn’t taste like ice cream, the texture is very creamy after thawing for just a few minutes, but without coconut oil it won’t set properly in the fridge.
Happy latte-in-cake-form making to you!
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:
Cuisine:
Print
PinDescription
Luscious no-bake Matcha Cheesecake – your favorite latte transformed into an easy vegan treat with a brownie crust and vanilla swirls on top!
Ingredients
Crust*
- 1 cup (120g) hemp seeds**
- 6–8 (120g) pitted medjool dates (soaked for 10 minutes)
- 1/4 cup (20g) cacao powder
- Pinch of salt
Matcha Filling
- 1 cup (240g) non-dairy yogurt (I used almond milk yogurt)
- 1 1/2 cup (180) raw cashews (soak first for easier blending)
- 6–8 (120g) pitted medjool dates***
- 1/2 cup (120g) non-dairy milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp matcha powder
Instructions
- Combine all the crust ingredients in a blender of food processor.
- Blend on low speed until you have sticky chunks that hold together when pressed.
- Press into the bottom of a 6-inch springform pan. Set aside.
- Blend all the filing ingredients except the matcha on high until very smooth and creamy. This will take some time, especially if you don’t soak the cashews first.
- Remove 1/2 cup and set aside.
- Add the matcha powder to the blender, and blend again.
- Pour the matcha filling on top of the crust.
- Dollop on the white filling and swirl with a chopstick or straw.
- Freeze overnight (or at least 8 hours).
- Remove from the freezer for 5-10 minutes before slicing and eating.
- Keep leftovers in the freezer for up to a week.
Notes
*For alternate crust options, you can use this almond crust OR this oat crust OR this cereal crust instead.
**Can substitute with other seeds or nuts or oats.
***I do not recommend substituting other sweeteners as the dates add to the creaminess and thickness of the filling as well as sweetening it. This cake is not super sweet, so add more dates if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 398
- Sugar: 22g
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 14g
Keywords: vegan, dairy free, easy, dessert, gluten free, matcha, cake
CLICK BELOW TO PIN
Oh you don’t need to calm down with the yogurt, you know I’m a fan! It is precisely why I use it to make cream cheese too because the tang is SO much more amazing than just lemon juice. I’m totally in love with this beautiful green color too and seriously envious that you have a specialty coffee shop that makes you matcha lattes with homemade almond milk. Omg, there is nothing like that around here (that I know of). There is only Starbucks and of course all their stuff is loaded with the most crappy ingredients. I love the hemp seeds too, omg, I’m so obsessed with those it’s insane and the fact that you described the crust as a squishy brownie, well, I’m SOLD. Lol. It looks so creamy, rich and decadent and I can’t believe there are dates in there, totally can’t tell that from the photo! Love, love Natalie!
Ha so Feasting on Yogurt it is then! It’s like the yogurt tang permeates the entire cake whereas the lemon juice tang is more surface level…if that makes any weird metaphorical taste sense🤓😂 Between the blueberry latte and the homemade almond milk matcha I am soooooo lucky with my coffee shops around here. I wish I knew exactly how they made their almond milk tbh, because mine NEVER tastes as good😬 I’m pretty damn good at disgusting dates by now, I think I could maybe even sneak them past you😏 Ha! Thanks Brandi❤️
Damn! With all that protein in a single slice, this will totally satisfy as a meal, right? And it includes greens, so why not? For as much as I enjoy matcha I really don’t use it enough in desserts, and a rich yet refreshing summery dessert like this is the perfect canvas for the lovely flavor and awesome nutrients in green tea! I think it will be extra tasty with some saucy berries or homemade chocolate sauce, or BOTH??!!
★★★★★
Hahahaha YES!! If matcha counts as a green now than I am definitely getting my 3 servings a day or whatever💚💚💚 Oh I just love the way you think and get me😂 I use most of my matcha in lattes and smoothies too, but sometimes I save a little for sweet treat making. Mmmm that chocolate sauce on top…I am ALL about that idea🍫
Chocolate + anything has my attention, but brownie-like crust + VANILLA swirls and matcha?? YES, please! I will have to investigate the matcha brand you recommend because we seem to have very similar taste preferences and I’ve never actually purchased matcha…I’ve only ever had it at local coffee shops. Now I want a matcha latte! Ha! This cheesecake is beautiful, my friend! The color is stunning and who doesn’t love vanilla swirls?? And yay to more yogurt usage! It provides the perfect tanginess and just amplifies the creaminess factor. I also love that you used hemp seeds in the crust! Such a great way to change up the usual nut filled ones. Now more than ever do I wish we were neighbors 🙂 Send me a slice!!! xo
Definitely don’t go cheap with matcha, it tastes like dirt if you do lol. I still have a hard time getting the taste as perfect as a coffee shop, but this brand is awesome! Especially if you don’t want to have to add a bunch of sweetener. And yes, we do seem to have similar tastes on most things😊 Ha before I even finished reading your comment I was thinking–dang I really wish I could’ve brought a few slices of this too you what with our mutual yogurt and hemp seed love haha. We’re kind of the opposite of neighbors at this point😆 But life would be SO much yummier that way❤️
Can coconut cream be used in place of the yogurt?
Yep, that will work! Maybe add more lemon juice if you want it to have that “cheesecake” tang though. Hope you enjoy!
Hi! I wanna try this but I want to know if I can use Greek yogurt since it’s very difficult for me to find non dairy yogurt, and I can use Almond Milk? Thank you!
Yep, greek yogurt will work just fine too! And yes almond milk is good too, that’s what I used😊
Im a big fan of your on Instagram!! Absolutely live your creations. I dis want an opinion though, im
GOing to a vegan brunch party. And im dying to make a raw cheesecake. But was wondering how to make it, so that it could hold up without having to stay in the freezer. A way i could place it on the table for all
Our friends to serve themselves when they want to. If i baked it, would that be a bad idea? Wanted a few tips… thanks so much
This one won’t work baked, the ingredients aren’t meant for that. It’s really gotta stay cold to keep it’s shape unfortunately. You could try freezing it before going to buy some time but not the best idea. I’d recommend finding a baked cheesecake recipe instead, sorry!
Can you add coconut oil to it so that it can be stored in the fridge instead of the freezer?
I
You can try it, but I haven’t tested it personally. I’d try replacing half or more of the non-dairy milk with coconut oil. Good luck!
Hi – this looks divine and I just ordered the ingredients I am missing to try this next week! One question – if one didn’t need to stick to vegan ingredients and wanted to change up the cashews in the filling, what would you recommend?
Yay!! Can’t wait for you to try it. Hmm you could try subbing in cream cheese for the cashews like a classic cheesecake, but I can’t guarantee it will set properly without testing it. You will have to experiment!
Hi there, can you use a 7-inch or 8-inch pan for this?
That will work! The cake will just be a bit thinner the larger the pan 🙂