the best way to welcome the cozy season approaching FAST
Happy Friday and soon to be Labor Day! How are YOU celebrating? Hitting the beach? BBQ maybe? Wellllll, if you are in the NY area, you are probably feeling a bit concerned for this weekend, as we woke up to a Fall-like morning. Ergh. As much as I love Fall, I am NOT ready for this transition. Summer was gone in a blink of an eye. Just a littttttle bit long, please!
My weekend WILL be filled with these cheese-less cheesecake tarts though. Not even exaggerating- these have to be the BEST vegan cheesecakes I've ever tasted. SERIOUSLY you wouldn't believe its completely dairy free, and made up mostly of nuts. NOW, I know what you're thinking. Cashew cheesecake.. how "original". Been there, done that. But, Hot For Food kiiiiiiilled it here, guys! She is the mastermind behind this 10/10 recipe. AND extra points for the fact it makes SIX 4-inch tarts, that pop right in the freezer for long lasting yums. OHHH and did I mention there is NO baking required!? I think this might be my first Raw recipe, and I aint mad with the results. When you live in a tiny apartment, and your entire kitchen is stored away in your mini oven, any opportunity you get to not use your oven is greatly appreciated.
Also, I have to say I am OBSESSED with my new Vitamix. I finally took the plunge and made the purchase, and I KNEW the first thing I was making in my Vitamix had to be a cashew based cheesecake. AND OH MY GOODNESS. This machine is even better than they say! It can do everything- and you don't have to keep the blender running for a good 10 minutes to break food down. If you are a vegan, or the majority of your meals consist of some sort of nut based sauce, you NEEEED a Vitamix. Life Changing!
With that being said, I hope you give this recipe a try, and have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend :) xx Sam
I N G R E D I E N T S:
- 1 1/2 cup of raw cashews, soaked for 2-3 hours (drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup of lemon juice
- 1/3 cup of coconut oil
- The inside of 1 vanilla bean scraped
RAW PIE CRUST - 1 cup of raw almonds, soaked for 2-3 hours (drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 cup of walnuts
- 1/3 cup of unsweetened coconut flakes
- 8 dates, pited
- 1/4 cup of coconut sugar
- 2 Tbs of cocoa/cacao powder
- 1/4 tsp of sea salt
CHOCOLATE ALMOND CRUST: Add the almonds and walnuts into a food processor and process until a gritty meal is made. Add the remaining ingredients and process until it comes together and is a sticky dough like texture. It will stick together when you take a bit out and pinch it! Press into six 4-inch mini pie tarts and set aside.
"CHEESECAKE": In your high speed blender, add all above cheesecake ingredients. Blend until super smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. You may need to run for a few minutes depending on how powerful your blender is, but its should be soooo smooth like an actual cheesecake filling consistency.
Pour your cheesecake filling into each pie crust. You will have enough for all six tarts, so ya made need to scrape each very last bit. Pop in the freezer until they firm up. Also, you can leave them in the freezer and thaw when you feel like a treat :)
For a topping, I just thawed some frozen mixed berries. Let those juices soak in. YUM