Vegan Cheesecake

Vegan Dessert

“This luscious vegan cheesecake nixes the dairy in favor of a filling made with coconut cream, tofu and cashews or macadamia nuts instead of the traditional eggs and cream. Coconut oil and nuts make for a rich-tasting and crunchy crust, so nobody will miss the butter.”

Ingredients

  • Filling
  • 1½ cups raw cashews or macadamia nuts
  • 8 ounces silken tofu
  • 1 cup coconut cream
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • Crust
  • 1 cup pecans, toasted
  • 1 cup gluten-free oat flour (see Note)
  • ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Directions

  • 1To prepare nuts for filling: Place cashews (or macadamias) in a heatproof medium bowl. Cover with boiling water by 1 inch and let soak for 1 hour.
  • 2Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
  • 3To prepare crust: Process pecans in a food processor until finely ground. Add oat flour, coconut oil, maple syrup and ½ teaspoon salt; pulse until just combined. Firmly press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  • 4Bake the crust until set but not browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
  • 5Drain the cashews (or macadamias) and transfer to a blender or food processor. Add tofu, coconut cream, cornstarch, vanilla, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Blend until very smooth. Scrape into the crust. Place the cheesecake on a rimmed baking sheet.
  • 6Bake the cheesecake until the edges look very slightly dry and the center appears only slightly jiggly but not liquidy, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack until room temperature, about 1 hour. Refrigerate, uncovered, until very cold, at least 3 hours.
  • 7To serve, run a sharp knife along the edge to loosen the pan sides and remove.