I love tarts, quiches and pastry of all varieties but I was curious about alternative options that are healthier and can be tailored to a range of diets incuding vegan and gluten free.
This is a naturally sweetened crust using coconut and dates. It‘s really important to soak the cashews- they almost double in size overnight! To get a really smooth cheesecake filling, use a high powered blender like a nutribullet if you have one. My regular blender did a pretty decent job but I did finish it off in a nutribullet and it came out really thick and smooth!
It definitely needs to be frozen well before serving and try to only take it out of the freezer an hour or so before serving. This way, the base retains its form and texture and makes for a truly beautiful sweet tart. I particularly love the tropical fruits and mint topping but you could swap these out for any combination you fancy!
Tropical Vegan Cheesecake with Quinoa Crust
Makes 1 whole tart
Ingredients
100g Macadamia Nuts
100g cooked and drained quinoa
100g Pitted Medjool Dates
1 cup (80g) Dried Dessicated Coconut
For the Cheesecake Filling:
330g Raw Cashews (soaked overnight, drained and rinsed)
135ml Water
135ml Maple Syrup
90ml Coconut Oil (Melted)
20ml Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
20ml freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Toppings: pineapple, mango, mint leaves, lime zest
Method
1- Preheat oven to 170°C.
2- Spread quinoa evenly on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned, rotating pan after 5 minutes. Cool completely on pan.
3- Add roasted quinoa, macadamia nuts, dates and coconut to a blender and blitz until combined. It will come together as a sticky dough.
4- Coat a removable-bottom tart pan with baking spray and lightly press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan.
5- Place in the freezer to set.
6- Take your soaked and rinsed cashew nuts and place them into the blender jug.
7- Add the water, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, lemon juice and vanilla extract and then blend everything together until very smooth.
8- Pour the cheesecake mixture over the macadamia and quinoa crust and smooth down with the back of a spoon. Return to the freezer to set completely – about 4-6 hours.
9- 1 hour before serving, remove from the freezer and top with slices of fresh fruit, top with mint. Allow to thaw at room temperature.
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