Decadent Dairy Free Chocolate Cheesecake

Creamy, rich vanilla cheesecake on a pecan crust with dark chocolate swirled into each decadent bite!  Believe me when I say that no one will ever guess this “cheesecake” isn’t the real thing!

This vegan cheesecake is entirely dairy-free and its richness is instead derived from heart healthy cashews and coconut milk.  Vanilla and maple syrup are combined with lemon juice to create an amazing dairy-free version of a classic vanilla cheesecake!  Top this with dark chocolate and we have an absolutely perfect dessert.

This delicious dairy-free cheesecake is ridiculously easy to make as long as you have a blender and food processor.  The pecan crust is gluten-free and naturally sweetened with dates and coconut.  To make it, all that you need to do is add all of the ingredients to a food processor and turn it on! 

Press the mixture into greased muffin tins using parchment paper to prevent your fingers from sticking.  There is no need for muffin cups, as the mini chocolate cheesecakes will pop right out from the tins with a butter knife once frozen.

To make the vegan vanilla cheesecake batter, simply throw all of the ingredients into a blender and process on high until smooth.  Pour the batter over the crust, swirl in a spoonful of dark chocolate and freeze until solidified.  Optionally you may instead freeze the vanilla cheesecakes without first adding the chocolate.  Top with a pecan and drizzle the warm chocolate over the frozen cheesecake before serving for a prize worthy presentation!

Although this recipe is for mini cheesecakes, simply use a pie plate instead of the muffin tins if you would like a full size cheesecake.

Are you a cheesecake lover but not a chocolate fan (if that exists)?  Well, either way you will also absolutely have to try my Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake!  Sooo delicious!  The base recipe is the same and you can choose to split the toppings half and half if you can’t decide between the two!

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Enjoy!

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Dairy-Free Decadent Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes

2015-12-11 23:23:52

This vegan cheesecake is entirely dairy-free and its richness is instead derived from heart healthy cashews and coconut milk. Vanilla and maple syrup are combined with lemon juice to create an amazing dairy-free version of a classic vanilla cheesecake! Top this with dark chocolate and we have an absolutely perfect dessert.

Servings: 20

Note: An additional hour is required to soak the cashews and the cheesecakes must set in the freezer for at least 4 hours before serving.

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Prep Time

25 min

Prep Time

25 min

Ingredients

1. Gluten-Free Pecan Crust
2. 1 cup Medjool dates (pits removed)
3. 1 cup raw pecans
4. ½ cup coconut flakes
5. 1 tbsp coconut oil
6. Pinch of sea salt
7. 
   
   
8. Dairy-Free Vanilla Cheesecake
9. 2 cups raw unsalted cashews, soaked
10. ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (approx 1 large lemon)
11. 1 tsp vanilla extract
12. ½ cup maple syrup
13. ½ cup full-fat coconut milk (canned)
14. ¼ cup coconut oil
15. Optional - Additional pecans as a garnish
16. 
    
    
17. Decadent Dark Chocolate Topping
18. 1 cup dark chocolate chips (dairy-free)
19. 3 tbsp full fat coconut milk

Instructions

1. Place the cashews in a large bowl and pour hot water over them, letting them soak for 1 hour before making the cheesecake.
2. Add all of the crust ingredients to a food processor and process until evenly ground (see photo above).
3. To make the cheesecake filling: Drain the water from the cashews and place them in a blender along with all other cheesecake ingredients. Blend on high until smooth.
4. Grease 2 muffin tins with coconut oil by using your hands to rub the oil into each well.
5. Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the crust mixture into each well and compress firmly using your hands and a piece of parchment paper (the parchment paper will prevent sticking).
6. Top each of the crusts with approximately 1 ½ tbsp of the vanilla cheesecake filling. I suggest that you fill each with 1 tbsp and then evenly distribute the remaining batter between each mini cheesecake.
7. To melt the chocolate: Add the chocolate chips and the coconut milk to a small saucepan and melt slowly over low heat while stirring frequently. See instruction #8 to determine when you should melt the chocolate.
8. If you would like the chocolate mixed directly into the vanilla cheesecake then swirl a spoonful into each cheesecake before freezing them. If you would like vanilla cheesecake topped with chocolate “drizzle” then you should freeze the cheesecake first and drizzle the chocolate over once they have set. This can be right before serving since the frozen cheesecake will harden the chocolate. If you’re a chocolate lover you may also mix the chocolate directly into the cheesecakes in addition to drizzling it on top once frozen! Yum!
9. Keep the cheesecakes frozen until 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

Allergen Info

1. Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Egg-Free, Soy-Free, Corn-Free, Vegan

By Dr. Kimberley O'Brien, N.D. | Healthy Life Redesign | All content is Copyright Protected - ©2013 - 2016

Healthy Life Redesign https://www.healthyliferedesign.com/

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