Easy-to-make, no-bake, vegan cheesecake, with a tangy lemon and blissful strawberry combo...
Since so many people have been asking me for the recipe for this delicious no-bake (no cheese!) cheesecake, I'm laying out the ingredients and directions here. There's a bit of prep involved, so it's not an ideal last-minute dessert or snack, by any stretch of the imagination. However, once your nuts/seeds are soaked and/or toasted and you've gathered together the rest of the ingredients, then you're ready to go! At this point, it probably only takes about 20minutes, to complete the base and filling, depending on how quickly you like to move around the kitchen!
As there's no baking required, it's a flexible recipe, so a little extra of this, a tad more of that, and substitutions are all acceptable to satisfy your personal taste, and that of your guests, or willing guinea pigs, hovering around you as you conjure up the magic of this vegan lemon and strawberry cheesecake, which I served with a sweet and sour strawberry and lemon coulis! (Don't feed this to actual guinea pigs!) Be sure to taste as you go, like any good cook, as if each of the components taste good, then the end result should be too!
This 'cheesecake' is both vegan and gluten-free, ideal for people with dairy or gluten allergies and intolerances. However, you don't have to have such sensitivities to enjoy it! Go as natural and organic as you can afford, with the purchase of your ingredients, and this will be a healthy alternative to regular sweets. The secret to the creaminess is in the soaked cashews, which due to their fat content, once soaked and blended, make for rich and unctuous alternative to dairy products.
Let's get started!
Vegan Lemon & Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
Base:
200g pitted soaked dates (soak overnight - keep the water)
200g raw almonds or lightly toasted in the oven (some of the nuts can be subbed for flax seeds and sunflower seeds)
Filling:
180g soaked cashews (soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight)
40-50ml lemon juice (and 2tsp lemon zest)
80g coconut oil (fully melted)
150ml coconut milk
100ml agave nectar/maple syrup or (50/50 agave and date water - if not vegan, you can sub in honey)
Garnish:
Fresh or frozen strawberry halves (enough to decorate)
Coulis:
Fresh or frozen strawberries
Fresh lemon juice
Cold water to blend
2 tbsp organic raspberry vinegar (or balsamic but it turns the coulis too dark)
Agave nectar/ Maple syrup to taste
*Optional: 1tsp Lemon Extract (for extra tang)
Directions
Base: Blend almonds separately to a meal, then blend dates. Add nuts to dates and blitz together base ingredients (add more nuts/seeds, if too wet). Use a round cake tin with removable bottom, lightly pre-grease the sides with a little coconut oil and stretch out wax paper on the bottom and lock in place. Put the mixture into the cake tin and flatten to cover the whole surface evenly. Place in freezer while you mix the filling.
Filling: Blend all filling ingredients together on high speed, to make a creamy mixture. Pour over base. Place in freezer, to set.
Garnish: After about 45mins to an hour, decorate with strawberry halves (frozen are best so they don’t bleed into your filling). Keep in freezer for up to two weeks. Serve cold.
Coulis: Blend all ingredients together adding water gradually to make a pouring consistency but not too runny. Keep in the fridge, pour over cheesecake as you serve it.
Bon appetit!
#allnatural #veganfood #veganfoodporn #vegancheesecake #vegan #foodporndaily #foodstagram #foodiesofinstagram #foodie #dessertporn #desserts #dessertsofinstagram #vegandessert #cheesecakenocheese #foodphotography #strawberry #lemon #lemoncheesecake #foodpics #foodaholic #dessertlover #healthyfood #healthyfoodlover #glutenfree #glutenfreedessert