Suncake – Sunflower Seed “Cheesecake”

March 15, 2026

This is a fun dessert for those wanting a delicious dairy free cheesecake-like treat. The crust is also a delicious combination of crunchy seeds and dried fruit and can be made in a variety of ways. You can add flavors to the cheesecake itself by blending in frozen fruit or even cocoa powder. I used frozen serviceberries for a rich purple color and kept an unflavored layer for the top. I also topped the cake with a dried cornflower and hibiscus flowers. All you need is a blender and ideally, a springform pan. If you don’t have a springform pan, line a cake pan with parchment paper to make the release super easy. To make release super easy, used a torch briefly on the sides of the metal pan to thaw the sides of the cake and the cake pops right out. Have fun experimenting with this recipe!

Suncake

A dairy-free cheesecake made from sunflower seeds
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Servings: 6
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Crust
  • 1 cup pepitas can also use sunflower seeds or a mix of both
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
Filling
  • 2 cups raw sunflower seeds soaked in warm water 1+ hour
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1 cup frozen berries optional
  • dried edible flowers optional decoration for topping

Equipment

  • 1 Springform pan optional but will make your cake plating look much prettier

Method
 

  1. Blend the crust ingredients in a food processor until it sticks together. Press into a 6-8 inch springform pan and freeze.
  2. Blend soaked seeds, lemon juice, remaining maple syrup, vanilla, and coconut oil until silky smooth.
  3. At this point, you can add frozen berries for color and flavor. I recommend setting aside half the filling mixture for a nuetral color layer in the cake. With the remaining filling, blend with frozen berries.
  4. Pour filling over crust. If adding a second layer, allow the first layer to freeze for 30 minutes-1 hour before adding second layer. (The second layer can rest in the refrigerator during this time.) Add optional edible flowers on the top layer while it is soft. Freeze for 5-6 hours or overnight.
  5. Thaw for 10–20 minutes before slicing.

Notes

You can make the crust using a mixture of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds or even using walnuts or pecans instead. The dried cranberries are used as a binder but could be substituted for dried dates or even dried blueberries or dried cherries. The goal is to get a sticky fruit and seed mixture that will hold when pressed into the bottom of the pan. 
This recipe uses non-dairy yogurt but can be made the same way using greek yogurt. If the yogurt is already vanilla flavored, there's no need to add the vanilla extract in this step. I like a coconut yogurt but there are also cashew and almond yogurt options, though.