Vegan cheesecake with a fruity, fresh twist; just in time for Memorial Day weekend! Yum.  This cheesecake is easy to make, with no added refined sugar, and you won’t even notice it’s animal product free.

When vegan cheesecakes first became popular, I was suspicious. A cheesecake with no cheese, and cashews are supposed to be the creamy part?  And this is coming from someone who loves nuts. But, I have to say, cashews in this dessert are delicious. Not only do they complement the other ingredients really well, but they create such a hearty texture, and add tons of protein. The absence of dairy and refined sugar takes away the bloat and guilt that comes with regular cheesecake too, at least for me.

Organic coconut oil and crushed vegan graham crackers were mixed together to create the crust. We didn’t want our vegan cheesecake to lose out on that classic buttery, flakey flavor just because it’s vegan, and the coconut oil did the trick. Plus, it added a subtle coconutty flavor that perfectly accompanied the coconut milk. Not to mention you can’t get much easier than a two-ingredient crust.

Since it’s Memorial Day weekend,  we went with raspberries, blueberries, and shredded unsweetened coconut for the toppings. Not only does this look absolutely gorgeous, but it adds a fresh, juicy element to the dish. We experimented with adding the fruit inside the cheesecake, and we really liked the how it helped spread the blueberry and raspberry flavor throughout. You can really get creative here: Our favorite design with the fruit was a mini American flag. Of course, you can always do different toppings based on your palate.

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 package vegan graham crackers (No honey or butter added, such as Nabisco or Kroger brand)
• 6 tablespoons melted Roots and All unrefined organic coconut oil

Filling

• 1 1/2 cup soaked cashews
• 2 tablespoons Roots and All organic unrefined coconut oil
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons flour

Toppings

• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Shredded unsweetened coconut
• Optional: caramel, chocolate, peanut butter, or oreos.

How to Make it: 

1. Submerge the cashews in boiling water and cover with tinfoil for about 45 minutes. If you have a high quality blender, you may not need to soak them for as long.
2. Preheat the oven to 325° fahrenheit and use a small amount of coconut oil to grease the cupcake pan.
3. Prepare the crust by crushing the graham crackers, mixing them with melted coconut oil, and then pressing the mixture into the individual cupcake molds.
4. Once the cashews have been softened, blend the cashews, coconut milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, and flour until the mixture is very fine.
5. Pour the cashew mixture into the cupcake molds, and add desired toppings. If you would like the fruit to be within the cupcake, fold in the fruit to the cashew mixture before pouring.
6. Cook for 30-45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Enjoy knowing every yummy bite of Roots and All organic coconut oil contributes to our social mission of building homes for our single working mother farmers and bottlers! Tag us in your Memorial Day masterpiece with the tag #tryrootsandall!