Creamy Raw Vegan Mini-Cheesecakes

RAW | VEGAN | GLUTEN-FREE | PROTEIN-RICH

These lemony dreams are a guilt-free treat loaded with nutrients, and ample protein!

Craving a cheesecake that's as good for you as it is indulgent?

These mini cheesecakes are a guilt-free dream come true. Packed with protein, healthy fats, and a burst of zesty lemon flavour, they're a testament to the fact that delicious desserts can also be nutritious.

Tired of sacrificing flavour for packing in all the nutrients? Me too. That's why I created this recipe.

The soft tofu is creamy & rich blending so well with the tangy lemon zest, to create this super quick and easy cheesecake that is not only heavenly but also packed with essential nutrients.

This recipe calls for my eco-friendly lemon zest powder, which you don’t have to use. But I find it makes good use of lemon peels that would normally be tossed and I keep it in the fridge so it’s handy for recipes.

Elevated dessert that’s functional. I love creating recipes that pack in the nutrients that we all need with delicious flavour.

Because we all deserve to have our cake (raw vegan cheesecake) and eat it too!

Ingredients & Directions

Estimated time: 15 minutes (1-2 hours chill time)

Effort/skill: Easy

Servings: 10-12

You’ll need a high speed blender for this recipe

Ingredients

Nutty & Chewy Crust

• 1/3 cup each of walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds

• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)

• 6 medjool dates (pitted)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp lemon zest powder (or lemon zest)

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted (or your favourite nut butter, softened)

Creamy Raw Cheesecake Filling

• 300g soft tofu

• 2 tbsp lemon zest

• 2 tbsp lemon zest powder (see recipe here)

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar, or your preferred sweetener (use less for liquid sweeteners)

• 3 tbsp cashew butter

• 1 scoop protein powder (optional)

• 2 tbsp plain vegan yogurt (coconut works well)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/4 tsp salt

Blueberry Coulis topping

• 2 cups frozen (or fresh) organic blueberries

• 1 tbsp cornstarch

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup water (add more if needed)

Directions

Crust

1. Melt the coconut oil and set aside to cool. Melt enough for the filling and set that to the side to cool, as well.

2. In a high speed blender, add the nuts, seeds, coconut, oil, dates, vanilla, lemon zest and salt.

3. Blend until a sticky “dough” forms.

4. In a muffin tin, press a large spoonful into each cup. You’ll want a crust that fills the cup by about 1/3-1/2 full.

5. Set the muffin tin aside in the fridge to set and cool.

Filling

1. In a blender, add the tofu, lemon zest, lemon zest powder, coconut oil, sweetener, cashew butter, yogurt, vanilla extract, lemon juice, salt, and optional protein powder.

2. Blend until smooth.

3. Top off each muffin tin cup with the filling and return the tin to the fridge to cool for an hour or more.

Topping

1. In a small dish, whisk some of the water with the cornstarch. Set aside.

2. In a small saucepan or medium-low heat, add the blueberries, vanilla, lemon juice, maple syrup, remaining water, and the cornstarch slurry. Whisk all ingredients well.

3. Allow the mixture to thicken and turn up the heat to get a boil started. Once the coulis begins to boil, turn the heat to low and stir constantly until a thick mixture forms.

4. Alternatively, you can use any topping here you wish - Saskatoon Berry jam, fresh strawberries, blackberries, raspberries or mint and lemon curd.

NOTES:

Want a nut-free version?

• Instead of using nuts in the crust, substitute 1/2 cup oats and 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds total.

• Not keen on seeds and nuts, add in 2-3 leftover cookies

Not a coconut fan?

• skip the shredded coconut in the crust

• Add in your favourite nut butter or sun butter instead of the coconut oil. Since the nut/sun butters tend to be thicker, add 1 tbsp and some lemon juice to get the right consistency.

Skipping the protein powder?

• Adjust the amount of coconut oil, lemon juice and yogurt if needed.

• As the protein powder may thicken the cheesecake mixture up, so you might need less of the wetter ingredients.