Do you know what’s hard to find? Clean dessert options. Unless you make your own, which is exactly what I did last weekend with these very simple, 7-ingredient mini vegan cheesecakes. They are free of gluten, dairy, soy, and egg.
I’m not great at making my own dessert recipes from scratch. There is definitely a science to it. I can never achieve the right consistency or flavors when I try to make desserts on a whim.
So last weekend, I did some searching on the interwebs and found this recipe by Minimalist Baker. It caught my eye because it was only 7 ingredients! And I didn’t have time to start hunting down a laundry list of hard-to-find items. After a quick scan, the 7 ingredients seemed pretty basic:
The Crust:
- dates
- walnuts
The filling:
- soaked raw cashews
- lemon juice
- coconut oil
- full-fat coconut milk
- agave or maple syrup (I used maple syrup)
Quick Soaking Cashews
When I see “raw soaked cashews” in recipes, I often shy away because soaking instructions usually require numerous hours or overnight preparation. I decided to try quick soaking the cashews as noted in the recipe.
I did this by bringing a pot of water to a boil, shutting it off, adding the cashews and covering for 30 minutes. It worked like a charm!
Kitchen Appliances
I used two kitchen appliances to make these. My mini food processor for the crust and my Vitamix for the filling. I greased a cupcake pan with ghee (not vegan) but you can use coconut oil instead. Poured in the batter and put in the freezer for 5 hours.
For the removal, I tried the parchment paper trick listed in the recipe but unfortunately, that didn’t work for me. The paper ripped and the cheesecakes were still stuck in the pan. To get them out, I used a butter knife and they came out easily and intact.
Overall, these mini vegan cheesecakes were easy to make and super delicious. I like to let them thaw for 30-40 minutes before eating. They are tangy, creamy and the crust is delicious. It’s amazing how so few ingredients could make such a tasty and aesthetically pleasing dessert. Perfect for the holidays! Thanks, Minimalist Baker!
