Lime No Bake Cheesecake Bars (Vegan)
These lime no bake cheesecake bars are tart, creamy, super easy and the perfect summertime dessert. The shortbread base is soft and buttery with a hint of lime zest. The dreamy cream cheese layer is light, sweet and filled with homemade lime curd, giving it the perfect amount of tart lime flavor. These bars are simple to prepare, dairy and egg free and an ideal choice for summer celebrating.
What you will need:
These no bake cheesecake bars are simple and easy to make and require only pantry friendly ingredients. I used homemade lime cured to flavor the cheesecake bars, store bought will work as well. Please see my recipe for lime curd if you are interested in making your own – Lime Curd (Vegan). I needed 5 limes to get all of the juice and zest I needed for the curd and the shortbread base. One lime will be enough if you are buying the lime curd and only need zest for the base.
Ingredients:
Shortbread Base
- all purpose flour
- plant based butter with salt
- cane sugar
- powdered sugar
- lime zest
- plant based milk
No Bake Cheesecake
- plant based cream cheese (I used Violife Dairy Free Cream Cheese Alternative)
- powdered sugar
- dairy free heavy whipping cream (I used Country Crock Dairy Free Heavy Whipping Cream)
- lime curd (homemade or store bought)
How to:
Lime Curd-
This recipe uses lime curd to add that wonderful lime flavor to the cheesecake bars. Whether making your own, or buying it from the store, both will work. If you choose to make your own, it should be prepared first. It can be prepared a day or two in advance and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. If you prepare it same day, make sure it has cooled to room temperature before adding it to the cream cheese batter.
Shortbread Base-
First, let’s take care of the prep work. Preheat the oven to 325°F, line an 8×8-inch square pan with parchment paper, and zest the lime, setting the zest aside for later.
To prepare the shortbread base, start by adding the all-purpose flour and powdered sugar to a small bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until well combined and set the bowl aside. To a medium bowl, add the cane sugar and lime zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until all of the sugar is coated in lime zest.
Next, add the butter to the zest/sugar mixture. Make sure the butter is not too soft, I suggest a “cool” room temperature. The butter should be slightly cool and slightly firm, not soft and mushy. With a handheld mixer, blend the sugar mixture and butter at medium-high speed until well combined and creamy. This should take about 2 minutes.
Lastly, add the milk and the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Blend the ingredients together at medium speed until all of the flour has been absorbed and the dough starts coming together. The dough should have a pebble like consistency. If you blend too long, the batter will take on a creamier consistency, and we do not want that.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly over the bottom. Press it down gently and smooth out the surface. With a fork, poke holes across the top of the shortbread, being careful not to pierce all the way through the dough.
Bake the shortbread for 20 minutes or until the shortbread is set and the edges have just started to brown. Allow the shortbread to cool to room temperature before adding the cheesecake mixture.
Lime No Bake Cream Cheese–
While the shortbread is cooling the cream cheese mixture can be prepared. To a medium bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese. Using a handheld mixer, whip the cream cheese at high speed until light and creamy and smooth. This should take about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix on medium speed until fully incorporated. This should take about one minute. Add the cold heavy cream to the bowl and continue blending at medium to medium-high speed for another 2 minutes or until soft peaks are achieved and the mixture looks light, smooth and creamy. Add the lime curd to the bowl, folding it in gently until well incorporated.
Pour the cheesecake mixture over the room temperature shortbread base. Spread it out evenly and smooth out the top. This next step is optional – Spoon a bit of curd onto the top of the cheesecake, then use a toothpick to swirl it into a decorative pattern.
Set – Serve – Store–
Place the cheesecake bars in the freezer to set. This will take 6 to 8 hours. I leave mine in the freezer overnight. The cheesecake bars can be served straight from the freezer, or you can allow them to sit on the countertop for 10 to 15 minutes to soften before serving. Store the bars in the freezer if you like them firmer, store them in the refrigerator if you like them softer.
Alright, let’s get started. Please make, bake and enjoy!
Lime No Bake Cheesecake Bars (Vegan)
Ingredients
Shortbread Base
- 1½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
- 8 tbsp (113 grams) plant based butter with salt – cool room temperature
- 4 tbsp (50 grams) cane sugar
- 2 tbsp (15 grams) powdered sugar
- ½ tbsp lime zest
- 1 tbsp milk
Lime No Bake Cream Cheese
- 300 grams plant based cream cheese – room temperature (This is 1½ tubs of Violife Dairy Free Cream Cheese)
- ¾ cup (90 grams) powdered sugar
- ½ cup dairy free heavy whipping cream – cold
- ½ cup lime curd + extra for the tops of the bars
Instructions
Lime Curd
- If you’re making homemade lime curd, prepare it first so it has plenty of time to cool to room temperature before you need it. The lime curd can be prepared a day or two in advance and stored in the refrigerator.Please see my recipe for lime curd – Lime Curd (Vegan)
Shortbread Base
- Preheat the oven to 325F and line an 8×8 square pan with parchment paper.
- To a small bowl, add the flour and powdered sugar, whisk to combine and set aside.
- To a medium bowl, add the sugar and lime zest. Rub the zest into the sugar using your fingers until all of the sugar is coated.
- Add the butter to the sugar mixture. Using a handheld mixer, blend the butter and sugar mixture on medium-high speed until creamy and well blended – about 2 minutes.
- Pour the milk and dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet mixture. Mix on medium speed until the flour is fully incorporated and the dough just begins to form. It should seem clumpy and pebble like.
- Pour the shortbread dough into the prepared pan. Evenly spread it out across the bottom of the pan, press it down and smooth out the top. Poke holes across the top of the dough with a fork.
- Bake for 20 minutes – it will be set with just browning edges. Once out of the oven, allow to cool to room temperature.
Lime No Bake Cheesecake
- To a medium bowl, add the softened dairy free cream cheese. Using a handheld mixer, whip at high speed until light and creamy and smooth – about 2 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar and blend until well combined – about 1 minute.
- Add the dairy free heavy cream, blending at medium to medium-high speed until soft peaks are achieved – about 2 minutes.
- Add the lime curd, folding it in until well incorporated. (If you have prepared your own lime curd, make sure it has cooled to room temperature before adding it to the cream cheese mixture).
- Pour the cheesecake mixture over the shortbread base, making sure to spread it out evenly, smoothing out the top. Optional – Dollop some of the lime curd over the top of the cheesecake batter and using a toothpick, make a swirl pattern.
- Place the cheesecake bars in the freezer for 6 to 8 hours to set – I leave mine overnight.
- Once set, the bars are ready to slice and serve. Store the bars in the refrigerator or the freezer.
