Individual no-bake mini orange cheesecakes with a buttery base, creamy cheesecake filling with swirls of orange jam, served in a real orange! They’re easy to make, and perfect for Spring / Summer. Vegan, No-Bake, No-Egg, No-Dairy, easily made gluten-free.
This dessert has been made in collaboration with St Dalfour. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. (For more information along with affiliated links, check out my disclosure policy.)
No-Bake Mini Orange Cheesecakes
These mini no-bake orange cheesecakes are bright, tangy, and bursting with citrus flavours! Each silky cheesecake is nestled inside a fresh orange half, creating the perfect edible cup (so cute). Swirls of citrus orange jam ripple through the tangy cheesecake filling, while a glossy spoonful of orange jam on top adds an extra pop of refreshing summer flavour. They’re creamy, light, vibrant, and completely no-bake, as well as being vegan and absolutely delicious! They are perfect for spring & summer! Anyone you make these for will be very impressed (and they wont know that you’re super easy!).
Looking for more orange recipes? Check out my:
- Mini No-Bake Lemon Cheesecakes
- Vegan Orange Sandwich Cookies
- Vegan Orange Tiramisu
- Viral Vegan Orange Cream Brownies
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Bright, zesty orange flavour that tastes like pure sunshine!
- 100% vegan, no animal derived ingredients used!
- No-egg, no-dairy, no-tofu.
- Easy to make, can be ready for chilling in less than 10 minutes.
- Served in real orange shells for a fun, eye-catching presentation, perfect for summer!
- No baking required, so it stays light, refreshing and ultra creamy.
- Super creamy, smooth cheesecake filling that melts in your mouth.
- Perfect balance of sweet and citrusy in every single bite.
- Ideal for warm days when you want something cool and fresh
- Perfectly portioned, have your own little orange half to enjoy!
- A unique twist on classic cheesecake that feels extra special.
- Orange in both cheesecake and topping, which is super refreshing.
- Guaranteed to impress all you make it for!
Layers of mini orange cheesecakes
These cheesecakes have 3 main components – base, filling and topping. I’ve written a quick overview of the layers below. Find the full written recipe and method in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Orange half
The cheesecakes are served in real orange halves. Prepare these before making the cheesecakes. Use a sharp knife to cut the oranges in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the orange inside (don’t waste this, place in a bowl for snacking or you could even incorporate it into a recipe such as my Vegan Orange Curd). Make sure to dry the inside of the orange with some kitchen paper, as you don’t want any moisture to make the biscuit base soggy!
- Base
The base of the cheesecakes is a simple 2 ingredient buttery biscuit base consisting of dairy-free butter and plain biscuits / cookies. The biscuits are blended until fine then combined with melted butter, spooned into the base of the orange half. To add a burst of juicy orange flavour, orange jam is spooned on-top of the base just before the cheesecake filling, absolutely delicious!
- Cheesecake filling
This no-bake cheesecake filling is truly scrumptious! Made using soaked cashew nuts and dairy-free cream cheese as the main ingredient which makes it SUPER creamy! Vanilla bean is mixed through which gives a tasty flavour and gorgeous speckled effect.
- Orange topping
To make the cheesecakes look like real oranges, orange jam is spooned on top of the white cheesecake filling which gives a gorgeous orange colour and glazed effect. Decorate with a mint leaf and voila!
Ingredient notes
- Use digestive-style biscuits for the best flavour and texture. Glute-free versions work just as well.
- If the base mixture feels too dry, add a tiny bit more melted butter, too wet, add more biscuit crumbs.
- Cashews : Soak cashews for at least 2–4 hours (preferably overnight) to get a super creamy texture for the cheesecake filling. Make sure to drain them before using to prevent the cheesecake mixture being to wet.
- Vanilla bean enhances the flavour while adding specks to the cheesecake filling. I use the Nielsen Massey Vanilla Bean Paste.
- Coconut cream: Only use the thick white part from a can of coconut milk, avoid the watery liquid.
- Orange Fruit Spread : Adds both sweetness and flavour, the St Dalfour Orange Fruit Spread is perfect for this dessert as it contains real fresh orange juice and peel and isn’t overly sweet. Works as both filling flavour and glossy topping.
- Add mint leaves just before serving to keep them fresh and vibrant.
Tips and tricks
- Blend the filling until it’s completely smooth for the best texture. Best to use a high speed blender.
- Chill the cheesecake long enough (at least 4 hours or overnight) to set properly!
- Place the orange shells on a muffin tin ready to fill, this makes them stable so the oranges won’t roll around as they have a round base.
If you make, and love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. Thank you & happy baking! Make sure to tag me in your photos on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook! And if you want to pin this recipe for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, above or below this post, or on any of the photos. Happy baking all!
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No-Bake Mini Orange Cheesecakes
- Total Time: Overnight
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
How to make refreshing and fresh mini no-bake orange cheesecakes, served in real oranges! They’re light, citrusy, and perfect for summer!
Ingredients
Ingredients for the base
- 80g of plain biscuits (you can use gluten-free)
- 35g of dairy-free butter / margarine
Ingredients for the cheesecake filling
- 80g of cashew nuts (soaked and drained, see step 1)
- 160g of vegan cream cheese
- 40g of icing / powdered sugar
- 25g of coconut cream (thick white cream from a can of coconut milk)
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste / extract
- St Dalfour Orange Fruit Spread (see step 3)
Ingredients for the topping
- St Dalfour Orange Fruit Spread (see step 5)
- Mint leaves (optional, decoration)
Instructions
Prepare the oranges
- This recipe fills around 6 medium sized oranges, but easily double up the recipe for more cheesecakes! Be sure to wash the orange shells in advance. Use a sharp knife to cut them in half. Use a spoon to scrape / carve out the middle of the orange (don’t waste this, save the orange juice and orange as you can use it in another easy recipe such as my Vegan Orange Curd). Use some kitchen paper to dry the inside of the oranges so you have a perfect orange bowl for the filling to sit in.
Method (base)
- Add the dairy-free butter into a small saucepan, place on the hob and heat over low until fully melted. Remove from the heat and add into a medium sized, heat-proof mixing bowl.
- Add the cookies / biscuits into a blender / food processor and blend until fine. Pour the biscuit crumbs into the melted butter and stir together using a wooden spoon or spatula. It should resemble wet sand, and when you press it between your fingers, should hold its shape. If it’s too wet, add in some more biscuit crumbs, if too dry, add in some more melted butter.
- Press approximately 1 – 2 tablespoons into each orange cup, press down to compact (refer to video for example).
- Place aside whilst you make the cheesecake filling.
Method (cheesecake filling)
- The cashew nuts will need to be soaked overnight in water. See notes (at the bottom of the recipe card) for more details.
- Drain the cashew nuts from the water and place them into a food processor/blender along with the dairy-free cream cheese, icing sugar, coconut cream and vanilla. Whizz up on high speed for around 5 minutes until smooth. Add some more coconut cream if needed. I use a ‘Kitchenaid Powerplus blender’. It’s best to use a high-speed blender if possible as the mixture is quite thick, and you want it as smooth as possible. You might need to stop the mixture a few times and scrape down the sides to make sure everything is incorporated and smooth.
- Equally spoon / pour the mixture into each orange. TIP: Swirl some of the orange jam into the cheesecake filling. You want to fill the oranges all the way to the top, without spilling it over the edge.
- Place on a plate or board and chill in the fridge until set. You want the cheesecake to be set before adding on the orange jam topping.
- Once the cheesecakes feel set, spoon some orange jam to the top of each cheesecake and use the back of a spoon or off-set spatula to spread it even.
- Decorate with some mint leaves for garnish.
- Serve with some spoons, and enjoy!
Notes
How should they be stored? As they contain cream cheese, store the cheesecakes in an airtight / sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: cheesecakes
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
