Mini Berry Cheesecakes
By the Gracious Vegan
Who says you need butter, coconut oil, and sugar for a tasty dessert? These delicious vegan cheesecakes melt in your mouth, with berries inside and on top to complement the lemony filling. This is a dessert that taste so good you can’t believe it’s so healthy.
Makes 6 muffin-size cheesecakes
Make the crusts. To make the crusts, process the following ingredients in a food processor until they are well integrated.
3/4 cup of sliced or slivered almonds
4 plump pitted Medjool dates (about 3/8 cup of date chunks)
1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) dried unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Press about 2 Tablespoons of the mixture into each of 6 muffin molds using a glass or your fingers. (Optional to line the muffin molds with cupcake liners.) Store in the freezer.
Make the filling. Blend the following ingredients together in a blender until smooth. (I use a small bullet-type blender for this; my full-size blender has trouble with these small amounts.)
1 cup of soaked raw cashews (soak for at least 2 hours, or pour boiling water over cashews, cover, and let sit 20 minutes)
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
Juice of 1 small-medium lemon (about 3 Tablespoons)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Get your crusts out of the freezer. Add a few fresh or frozen berries on top of each crust, then spoon the cheesecake mixture on top.
1 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries (or other berries)
Top with more blueberries and freeze for 2-3 hours to set. Take out of the freezer and put in the fridge for 90 minutes before serving. Or let sit at room temp for 30-40 minutes—if you can wait!
Timing: At least 2.5 hours, including chilling time
Gluten-free