Vegan Gluten-Free Cheesecake

I had a guest over this weekend who had a few dietary restrictions, including gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian. I wanted to make a decent dessert for them and came across this recipe.

It turned out to be the best vegan cheesecake recipe I’ve pulled off.  Don’t expect the same taste as an actual cheesecake, but the taste was pleasant on its own merits and the texture spot on.

Vegan Gluten-Free Cheesecake (Original)

Crust

• ¾ Cup Rolled Oats
• ¾ Cup Slivered Almonds
• ¼ Tsp Salt
• 2 Tbsp Sugar
• ¼ Cup Coconut Oil, Melted

Filling

• 1 Cup Raw Cashews
• 2 Cans Full-Fat Coconut Milk
• 8 oz Vegan Cream Cheese
• 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• ⅔ Cup Maple Syrup
• 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1-2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• ⅛ Tsp Salt

Instructions

1. Refrigerate the cans of coconut milk. I put mine in the freezer for a bit and then put them in the fridge to speed up the process.
2. Add raw cashews to a bowl and cover with boiling water for at least 1 hour uncovered. Then drain.
3. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
4. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper.
5. Add all the crust ingredients to a ziplock bag except for the coconut oil, and roll over with a rolling pin until granular.
6. Add the coconut oil into the ziplock bag and mix it in by massaging the bag until a loose dough is formed. You should be able to squeeze the mixture between your fingers and for a dough to form, instead for it to crumble. You may need to add more coconut oil.
7. Place the mixture on the bottom of the pan and spread evenly and pack it down.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, then bake for another 5-10 minutes at 375° F. The edges should be golden brown, the surface browned just a bit.
9. Pull from the oven and turn the oven down to 325° F. Let the pan cool slightly.
10. If the cans of coconut milk are sufficiently cool, a thick cream will form at the top of the can. Extract a cup’s worth of that cream.
11. Add all the cream (not the coconut milk left in the cans) and the rest filling ingredients to a large mixing bowl.
12. Mix with an immersion blender until completely smooth.
13. Pour filling over the crust. Tap the pan to remove air bubbles.
14. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. It’s ready when the center doesn’t appear liquidy when you jiggle it. The center should only jiggle slightly.
15. Let rest for 10 minutes, then let cool completely uncovered in a refrigerator to prevent condensation.
16. Cover and leave in the refrigerator for 5+ hours or overnight.
17. When ready to serve, lift the cheesecake out of the pan and cut into triangles.