Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake 🍰

I celebrated my birthday by making this cake for myself. While I would usually suggest leaving birthday cakes to the professionals, this was worth all the hard work and time. When you're craving a sweet treat (especially, cheesecake) this is definitely a go-to. I made the mini cakes to share with friends and saved them in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

SERVINGS

• (1) 12 mini-muffin pan or (2) 6" mini cake pans

INGREDIENTS

Vegan | Gluten Free | Dairy Free

Crust

• 1 cup (200 g) packed pitted dates

• 1 cup (120 g) raw almonds (or walnuts)

• 1/2 large lemon (zest)

Blueberry Layer

• 1/2 cup (60 g) raw cashews (soaked overnight)

• 1 cup (148 g) blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Lemon Layer

• 1 1/2 cups (180 g) raw cashews (soaked overnight)

• 2 frozen bananas

• 1/2 large lemon (zest)

• 1 large lemon (juice)

• 1/3 cup (80 g) coconut oil, melted

• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (150 ml) full fat coconut milk

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) agave nectar ( substitutes: maple or brown rice syrup)

*Toppings (Optional)*

• 1/4 cup (37 g) blueberries (fresh or frozen)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add dates to a food processor and blend into small bits. Blend until the bits form into one big ball. Remove and set aside. Rinse and dry the food processor for the next step.

2. Add nuts for crust and process into a meal. Then breakdown the ball of dates back in and blend until a crumbly mixture forms - it should stick together when you squeeze it between your fingers. If it's too wet, add more almond or walnut meal. If it's too dry, add more dates through the spout while processing.

3. Lightly grease the pan with coconut oil. (If using a muffin pan, cut small strips of parchment paper and place them inside the slots. This creates tabs for easy removal once the cheesecakes are frozen.)

4. Form the mixture into the pans for the crust. For muffin tin, use 1 (heaping) Tbsp of crust per slot and press down with your fingers. To pack down the crust, use the bottom of a small glass (shot glass for muffin slots). While pressing down, place parchment paper between the bottom of the glass and the crust to prevent the crust from sticking to the glass. Once the crust is complete, set the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour, or until firm. Rinse and dry food processor.

5. Drain the soaked cashews for the blueberry layer. Add the cashews and blueberries to the food processor and blend until creamy. Add a few splashes of coconut milk or water, if necessary. Add middle layer evenly in pan or muffin slots. Set in freezer for 1-2 hours. Rinse and dry food processor.

6. Blend all of the lemon layer ingredients until creamy. Feel free to use a quality blender, and blend for 1 minute on "liquify" or "puree" until silky smooth. Add more coconut milk and agave nectar for taste and texture, if necessary. Add the lemon layer mixture to fill the cake pans or muffin slots evenly. Add toppings* then cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4-6 hours, until hard.

7. *Optional*: To create a swirl effect on top, use a spoon to mash the blueberries before adding them to the pan to get the juices flowing (if blueberries are frozen, allow them time to thaw out then mash). Once the blueberries are juicy, add them to each slot. Use a toothpick to swirl them on top. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze

8. Once set, loosen them with a butter knife and remove them by tugging on the parchment paper tabs. Enjoy them all or keep them in the freezer for up to 1-2 weeks.

9. For best cheesecake experience, allow them to sit out for 10 minutes before serving to soften. If you're hangry, they're great frozen as well!

Sources: Vegan, What? | Minimalistic Baker

#Vegan #Raw #PlantBased #Dessert #Cheesecake #Blueberry #Cake #GlutenFree #DairyFree