No bake cheesecake you wouldn’t guess was vegan

You only need seven ingredients for this easy cheesecake recipe and it’s so simple to make with no cooking required. These get the tick of approval from my fussy family, they don’t even realise it’s vegan!

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup packed pitted dates (if your dates are dried and not sticky, soak in warm water for at least 30 minutes)
• 1 cup raw walnuts or sunflower seeds

Filling

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, quick soaked
• 1 large lemon, juiced
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp (150 ml) full fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)

Optional flavour add-ins 

• 2 Tbsp salted peanut butter
• 1/4 cup berries
• Anything – feel free to use your imagination!

Method

Quick soak the cashews for the filling by pouring boiling hot water over the cashews then leave to soak for 1 hour uncovered. Drain and use as instructed.

Crust

Place the dates in a food processor (drain first if you have soaked them) and blend until small bits remain and it forms into a ball. Remove and set aside.

Next, add nuts or seeds and process into a meal. Then add dates back in and blend until a loose dough forms – it should stick together when you squeeze a bit between your fingers. If it’s too dry, add a few more dates and process again. If too wet, add more almond or walnut meal. Optional: add a pinch of salt to taste.

Lightly grease a standard, 12 slot muffin tin. To make removing the cheesecakes easier, cut strips of parchment paper and lay them in the slots. This creates little tabs that make removing them easier to pop out once frozen.

Scoop in a heaped tablespoon of the crust and press with fingers. To pack it down, use a small glass or the back of a spoon to compact it and really press it down. I found the bottom of a glass works well. If it sticks, separate the crust and the glass with a small piece of parchment. Set in freezer to firm up.

Filling

Add all filling ingredients to a blender and mix until very smooth. For a richer texture open the tin of coconut cream the night before and pour in a bowl then place in the fridge and then us the “cream” off the top.

But if yours is already all mixed together, just add it in as is, is fine.

Blend until smooth. If it won’t come together, add a touch more lemon juice, maple syrup or a splash more coconut milk liquid as the liquid should help it blend better.

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. If adding peanut butter, add to the blender and mix until thoroughly combined. If flavouring with berries you can add now or wait and swirl on top of plain cheesecakes. Otherwise, you can leave the cakes as they are and enjoy them ‘plain’ like I did and decorate with fresh fruit or edible flowers when serving.

Divide filling evenly among the muffin tins. Tap a few times to release any air bubbles, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze until hard – about 4-6 hours.

Once set, remove by tugging on the tabs or loosening them with a knife. They should pop right out.

Keep in the freezer for up to 1-2 weeks.

Optional: you can set them out for 10 minutes before serving to soften, but I liked them frozen as well.