Indulge in the ultimate chocolate delight with this easy raw chocolate cheesecake! It features a dense, chewy crust and rich, fluffy filling that melts in your mouth! This chocolate cheesecake recipe is a chocolate lover’s dream. The recipe is vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), grain-free (gluten-free), soy-free, nut-free, and refined sugar-free.
Classic baked cheesecake can be a little intimidating to make. Though the ingredients are simple, you have to worry about the ingredients not mixing properly, the water bath leaking into the cake, the surface cracking, over or under-cooking the cheesecake… the list goes on and on.
When I first started making cheesecakes, I messed up many times – from exploding cheesecake (we won’t talk about that) to cracking the top of the cheesecake. There’s just so much that can go wrong when baking cheesecake! I have since learned how to make classic cheesecake, but I always go with no-bake cheesecake if I have the option.
No-bake cheesecake is a bit of a misnomer. It is neither cheese nor cake, but it’s creamy, rich, and decadent, just like the original. There is no mixing, no water baths, and no baking… instead, the recipe is much simpler and forgiving with remarkably few ingredients. So, it’s not surprising that no-bake cheesecakes are taking over, from restaurants and cafes to Pinterest and popular food blogs.
Tips for Making Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Looking at the ingredients, you wouldn’t believe how amazing this chocolate cheesecake is. Even better, the ingredients are easily accessible.
Cheesecake Crust
- Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds: the crust of this chocolate cheesecake is made with seeds rather than nuts. I used sunflower and pumpkin seeds, but sunflower seeds alone work great too. They have a mild, neutral flavor and a firm yet tender texture. If you prefer nuts over seeds, go ahead and use nuts.
- Dates: a cornerstone in many raw desserts – Medjool dates – bind all the seeds together and impart a sweet, complex flavor. Medjool dates are soft and juicy, so I like those, but other dates work too. Just be sure to soak them first so they soften up and blend easily.
Cheesecake Filling
- Coconut cream: since this cheesecake is raw and dairy-free, I used coconut cream instead of traditional cream cheese and sour cream. If you’re worried about the coconut taste, don’t be. Because of the other intense flavors, the chocolate cheesecake does not taste like coconut. If anything, the coconut cream makes the cheesecake filling rich and creamy. Another great thing about coconut cream is that, unlike nut-based creams, it solidifies when refrigerated, mimicking the consistency of cream cheese. To make this chocolate cheesecake truly raw, use raw coconut cream from fresh coconuts.
- Medjool dates: Medjool dates don’t make the cheesecake filling just sweet; they make it extra thick and rich. While it doesn’t matter what type of dates you use for the crust, the filling does benefit from the soft texture of Medjool dates.
- Cocoa powder: Dutch-process or natural? I prefer the Dutch process because it is darker in color, mellow in flavor, and dissolves easily into liquids. Natural cocoa powder is fine if you don’t have Dutch-process, but it is acidic and more bitter.
- Coconut sugar: any granulated or powdered sweetener works here. Avoid liquid sweeteners as they would make the cheesecake filling too runny.
- Cacao butter: raw cheesecakes typically contain coconut oil to help the filling set more firmly. Cacao butter works even better because it has a higher melting point than coconut oil. It also has a wonderful chocolaty aroma, which pairs beautifully with cocoa powder. If you don’t have cacao butter, substitute it with coconut oil.
How to Make Raw Chocolate Cheesecake
The hardest part about making no-bake cheesecake is the wait. Everything else is a piece of cake.
- Process the cheesecake crust ingredients. Add the sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds to a food processor bowl fitted with an S blade and process until the seeds are coarsely ground. Be careful not to over-process the seeds; they should retain some texture. Add the dates to the food processor and process until all the ingredients begin to stick together. The mixture will be tender and slightly crumbly, but it should be sticky enough to hold together when you press it between your fingers. If it’s too dry, pulse it a little bit more.
- Press the mixture into a springform pan. Transfer the crust mixture to a lightly greased 6-inch/15-cm springform pan and press it firmly into an even base layer and edging. I like to have the crust slightly higher up the wall sides to create a rustic effect, but it’s optional. You can simply press the mixture evenly along the base for a classic flat cheesecake crust.
- Blend the filling ingredients. Add all the cheesecake filling ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Assemble the cake. Pour the filling on top of the crust in the springform pan and spread it evenly, smoothing out the top. Tap out any air bubbles.
- Freeze. Cover the springform pan with a piece of paper towel (to trap any condensation), then double-wrap the entire springform pan with plastic wrap to preserve the cake’s taste and texture. Transfer the wrapped cake to the freezer for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. The more frozen the cake, the easier and cleaner the removal from the springform pan.
How to Serve Chocolate Cheesecake
Once the cheesecake is properly chilled, release the clamp and remove the band. You can either lift out the round base or place the springform pan on a wide jar and drop down the band. The cheesecake should have a smooth, clean-sided finish. You can keep it on the base or transfer it to a platter.
If you let the cheesecake freeze fully, it will be very firm straight out of the freezer. So, let it thaw briefly, for 10-15 minutes, before slicing. Top the cheesecake with some shaved chocolate or chocolate ribbons right before serving.
How to Store Chocolate Cheesecake
- Freezing: transfer the chocolate cheesecake to an airtight container and freeze it for up to 1 month.
More Raw Cheesecake Recipes
If you’d like to try more raw cheesecakes, here are a couple of recipes to get you started:
- Raw lime cheesecake: light, mellow, citrusy, and refreshing… It’s one of the most popular recipes on the blog, and for a good reason.
- Raw strawberry cheesecake: this cheesecake is the perfect balance of rich, buttery macadamia nuts and tangy, fruity strawberries. It’s magically decadent yet light.
If you try any of these recipes, please leave a comment and rate the recipe below. It always means a lot when you do.
Chocolate Cheesecake
Ingredients
Cheesecake Crust
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup Medjool dates , pitted
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 (14-oz) cans full-fat coconut milk , chilled*
- 3/4 cup Medjool dates , pitted
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup cacao butter , melted
- pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Process the cheesecake crust ingredients. Add the sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds to a food processor bowl fitted with an S blade and process until the seeds are coarsely ground. Be careful not to over-process the seeds; they should retain some texture. Add the dates to the food processor and process until all the ingredients begin to stick together. The mixture will be tender and slightly crumbly, but it should be sticky enough to hold together when you press it between your fingers. If it's too dry, pulse it a little bit more.
- Press the mixture into a springform pan. Transfer the crust mixture to a lightly greased 6-inch/15-cm springform pan and press it firmly into an even base layer and edging. I like to have the crust higher up the wall sides to create a rustic effect, but it's optional. You can simply press the mixture evenly along the base for a classic flat cheesecake crust.
- Blend the cheesecake filling ingredients. Add all the cheesecake filling ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Assemble the cake. Pour the filling on top of the crust in the springform pan and spread it evenly, smoothing out the top. Tap out any air bubbles.
- Freeze. Cover the springform pan with a piece of paper towel (to trap any condensation), then double-wrap the entire springform pan with plastic wrap to preserve the cake's taste and texture. Transfer the wrapped cake to the freezer for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. The more frozen the cake, the easier and cleaner the removal from the springform pan.
- Serve. Once set, remove the chocolate cheesecake from the springform pan. Let it thaw briefly, for 10-15 minutes, before serving.
- Store. Leftover chocolate cheesecake keeps well in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Dear Petra, could you kindly advise if I can substitute the cacao butter with 85% dark chocolate and if yes, how much will I need?
Thank you in advance!!!
Dear Petra
Could you please let me know how many cups of coconut cream should be used?
Thank you so much for your help.
Hi Alexandra – for sure! I use ~ 2 cups of coconut cream, depending on the can of coconut milk. I prefer coconut cream that is not completely hard (if you watch the video, you will know what I mean). Aroy-D canned full-fat coconut milk is my go-to brand. Let me know if you have any other questions 🙂
Thank you so much dear Petra! I ask because I can not find coconut cream where I live so I have to make my own. It has worked for the other recipes so I will try this one with two cups.
Take care!!!!
Thank you so much Petra!!! I will try with two cups then…since I make my own coconut cream because I can not find it here where I live.
Take care dear Petra!
Worked great!!! Delicious! Thank you Petra!
Yay! That’s awesome! Thank you so much for the feedback and rating, Alexandra!❤️
Hello, Petra!
I made this chocolate cheesecake several times and loved it A LOT!!! So easy to prepare! I took your advice and added coconut oils instead of cacao butter (as I didn’t have it at home) and added 90 gram of dark chocolate. I just had to correct the amount of powdered cacao a little. It turned out amazing!!! I made it also with vanilla layer (the recipe for vanilla layer I took from your raw tiramisu recipe) and it also was delicious – black and white – vanilla and chocolate cheesecake !!!
This is a great and simple recipe! Thank you sooooo much, Petra!!!
Wow! That is such a great idea!! You are so creative, Evgenia! This cheesecake is probably my favorite (out of all the cheesecakes on my blog), so I am glad you liked it 🙂
oh wow! i’m just planning to make it tomorrow for my father’s birthday and just seeing this comment remembering he loved this actual tiramisu cream ! this sounds like absolutely great idea now i’m thinking of doing this as well !
i was actually looking for something more fancy looking with layers as regular birthday cakes usually have and i felt it’s nice to keep this tradition as well here but i couldn’t find anything here ! ekhem.. how about creating some dear Petra ? :)!
i wonder tho would it compliment the chocolate well ~ i think of making the third or even fourth of the amount from tiramisu ~ or take the attention from the main star ~ chocolate ?
what would you suggest i do ?
much love
caro
✨
Hi Caro – I am probably late with my reply (I was traveling and just got back to Canada), but you could definitely use the cream layer from the tiramisu for this cake. If I was making a second layer for this cake, though, I would want more of a contrast of flavors. The “mascarpone” cream is sweet. The chocolate cheesecake filling is also sweet. So, I think it would work better to add a more refreshing, fruity flavor, such as a raspberry filling, and then add some fresh raspberries and chocolate shavings on top of the cake as decoration 😉
hi Dear !
Oh yes haha you were too late here ! ; )
I decided to follow just this recipe for this time , however i know exactly what you mean with parking it with mascarpone just as it is ! this was for a person who looooves everything sweet be it chocolate or cream or caramel so i dont feel this would be too much especially if i were to cut down on the chocolate amount 🙂 adding some fruity twist even there i feel would take it to the next level ~ layered torte kind of thing , mmm im feeling it !
i also must say I didnt want to mess up as i havent been and usually dont taste it while making and since just chocolate one was tested by you i trusted it must be good enough ( great probably hihi ) on its own ! I was also thinking of pairing it with cherries ~ chocolate and cherries could it be something better ? ~ though and i feel it would have been amazing if i made a layer in between but i only added some fruits on top.
Speaking of mascarpone and tiramisu ~ i must say I’ve been thinking quite a lot of using this recipe to make some different versions and flavours , pairing the cream with ~ as you said raspberries or wild polish blueberries that are now in season has been on my mind !~ you probably see also a lot of these different ‚tiramisu’ variations that are so trendy right now eg on instagram ~ raspberry tiramisu elderberry tiramisu pistacio peach tiramisu etc etc.. obviously are not technically ‘tiramisu’s instead of coffee there are different flaviour varieties, and i think it would be actually amazing to use your recipe as a base and play with it !
im looking forward for more of your creations in this area and your divine videography and amazing taster ! hihi
much love x
Thank you so much, Caro! You’re so kind!
Hi Petra
I really wish to make this cake but I am at low carb diet and do not eat dates. Is there anything to substitute them especially in the filling (crust is not the issue)?
Hi Lada – a great question. There is definitely a way to make chocolate cheesecake without dates. Unfortunately, I am not sure if there is a low-carb alternative to dates (that would not only sweeten, but also thicken the filling). So, you would need to modify the recipe quite a bit. You could probably use cashews and full-fat coconut milk/cream as the base – similar to the filling in this lime cheesecake. For 6-inch chocolate cheesecake, I would start with:
1 1/4 cups cashews, soaked for at least 4 hours
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 Tbsp. melted cacao butter
sweetener (the amount will depend on which low-carb sweetener you use)
pinch sea salt
I have to stay that I haven’t tried this version, but this is where I would start if I was developing chocolate cheesecake without dates. Hope it helps 🙂
Thanks, Petra! Makes sense. I will try and let you know. Regarding low-carb sweeteners, there is not much choice here in Croatia or EU for that matter. I normally use a combination of erythritol and stevia
(granulated), but it is hard to make it works when a liquid sweetener is needed. It is also very hard to find low-carb maple sweeteners. So what I do is to use liquid stevia and add more coconut oil or nut milk or any similar liquid that could substitute the maple syrup.
Get it. I have been in Croatia many times, so I know what you mean. Yes, that’s definitely challenging. I wish I could be more helpful.
Hi Petra
I really like your recipes, they look great.
I would like the ingredients in grams if possible.
thank you very much!
Hi Cristina – thank you! All my recipes are in both imperial and metric measurements. There is a green link under “Ingredients” (in the recipe box) that says US Customary – Metric. When you click on metric, the measurements will automatically convert to metric. Let me know if you can’t find it or if have any questions 🙂
Hi Petra
I really like your recipes, they look great.
I would like the ingredients in grams if possible.
thank you very much!
Hey Petra,
Here I am for your great Chocolate Cheesecake!
My mother loves Chocolate and my daughter too..so really want to please them!
As usual just need some added informations please
#CRUST
You say in description we can substitute seeds with nuts but in same quantity?
Is it possible to use Almond flour instead of whole raw Nuts?
The texture wont be like sand and fragile?
#DATES
As we speak about texture, Dates can stick with Almond flour..
So you advise MEDJOOL or Sticky Dates in general for Crusts? Not juicy melted Dates?
At contrary for the filling, softest juicy ones can be more appropriate to give a creamy texture?
#STORAGE
The Cheesecake can be store in the fridge for up to 1 week really? Without become flat?
I always thought Cheesecakes have to set up and stay in freezer..
But the main issue is it is hard to defrost quickly before serving..
30min sometimes not enough..cake too firm to cut with fork side…
You have tips for that?
Can I remove the Cheesecake from Springform pan and let covered in a plastic zip bag in the freezer?
Thanks so much again for everything!
Your french loyal follower
Henri
Hi Henri –
1. Yes, you can use nuts instead, in the same quantity. I like a little bit of texture in the crust, so I don’t necessarily recommend almond flour, but it should work if you decide to use it.
2. The dates should be moist and sticky enough to bind the seeds/nuts. If they’re too dry, they need to be soaked first. Any juicy dates should work for crusts.
3. Storing the cheesecake in the freezer is ideal for sure. Once the cheesecake has set in the freezer, you can certainly remove it from the springform pan. You could let the whole cheesecake thaw slightly on the counter, cut it into slices, and then store the slices in the freezer. Individual slices don’t take much time to thaw.
Hey Petra,
Great to read you as usual!
#CRUST
First, I see you often up the crust on sides?
I like Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds but scared my daughter dont..
You right I also like a bit of texture in the crust with crunchy pieces of nuts…but I already saw Almond flour that why I asked to you…
Is it possible to use base crust of Raw Lime Cheesecake or Strawberry Cheesecake?
(But it was 1/2 cup of each Nuts, whereas here it is 1/2cup and 1/4cup with seeds?)
What nut would be great with Chocolate except the famous Almonds or Walnuts?
Peanuts are amazing with Chocolate..
I also love Pecan and almost Macadamia!
Or toasted Almonds to give this nice taste..
How you would toast the nuts in oven?
#DATES
How you store your Dates?
When they are in fridge they tend to be firmer with the cold but they are well protected and keep longer…
Whereas at room temperature they are more soft and shinny!
When you say “juicy” we need to clarify..
Classic Medjool are not JUICY…they are semi dry Dates with some stickiness but a thick skin..
Whereas Dates like MEDJOOL Juicy has to be kept frozen because socFRAGILE..and melt themselves without chewing!
If you have them in hand yoy would be amazed..it is a very particular MEDJOOL Variety!
This ones are great for a melty texture like Caramel..but could make the crust texture too soft I never tried..
But Sticky Medjool like the ones you use in videos are multifonctions and not fragile..but sticky and chewy so great for crust because they bind to nuts as you said..
You never made Cheesecake Fillings with Dates?
#STORAGE
Good tips for slices but not same presentation for a birthday..
My daughter wait for whole Cake not sliced..except Brownies
Yes once done the cake need to set up a few hours in the freezer before remove from Springform pan..
And we had a Topping (Nuts, Chocolate ..or else) can we let Cheesecake without cover until the Cake set up fully?
To not hurt the Topping until totally frozen…
Many thanks again dear Petra you are wonderful!
Henri