Go Dairy Free | Blueberry Bliss Vegan Cheesecake

Blueberry Bliss Vegan Cheesecake from Vegan Pie in the Sky

I have an early Christmas gift for you ... it's dairy-free cheesecake. No joke. And guess what? You don't need to seek out store-bought cream cheese alternative for this decadent delight. In fact, this dairy-less "cheesecake" recipe is made with basic ingredients that you can find in almost any small town.

You might be wondering where such a fantastic recipe came from ... it was created by the dynamic vegan baking duo, Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero for their latest cookbook, Vegan Pie in the Sky. They were kind enough to share it with Go Dairy Free so that you could enter the New Year with a fabulous new "can I get the recipe" dessert.

If you are looking for a unique "pie" to dress up that holiday table, then this is it. Or perhaps you are planning in advance for a show-stopping final course to serve at that big New Year's bash. Either way, pure creamy, cheesy bliss is just an hour (or so) away ...

Recipe: Blueberry Bliss Vegan Cheesecake

Summary: Blueberry cheesecake with a syrupy blueberry topping. Total blueberry bliss! If you’re using frozen blueberries, then a 12-ounce bag oughta do ya.

Ingredients

1/2 cup whole unroasted cashews, soaked in water for 2 to 8 hours or until very soft
1 cup blueberries
1/3 cup mashed banana (about 1 medium-size banana)
1 (12–14 ounce) package silken tofu, drained
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons coconut oil, room temperature
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Prepare the cookie crumb crust and press it very firmly into the pan.
Bake for 10 minutes and move the pan to a cooling rack. Leave the oven on because you’ll be baking the cheesecake in a little bit.
Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Drain the cashews and pour into a food processor or blender. Add the blueberries, banana, tofu, sugar, coconut oil, cornstarch, salt, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Puree until very smooth; this could take up to 5 minutes depending on your blender. Pour the filling into the pan.
Bake the cheesecake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the top is lightly puffed and the edges of cake are pulling away from the pan. Remove it from the oven and let cool on a rack. In the meantime, prepare the topping.
Combine all the topping ingredients in a small saucepan. Stirring often, bring the mixture to a boil, so that the blueberries burst. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove the topping from the heat and pour it over the cheesecake.
Let the cake cool until it’s okay to handle, about 30 minutes, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge to set for about 2 hours.
Once completely set, release the springform and slice the cake with a sharp knife dipped in cold water

Recipe: Vanilla Cookie Crust

Summary: From the book Vegan Pie in the Sky by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group. Copyright © 2011.

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups finely ground vanilla cookie crumbs or graham crackers
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons melted nonhydrogenated margarine, melted coconut oil, or canola oil
1 tablespoons plain soy milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly spray a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray.
In a mixing blow, combine the cookie or graham crumbs and sugar. Drizzle in the oil or melted margarine. Use a spoon to blend the mixture thoroughly to moisten the crumbs, the drizzle in the soy milk and stir again to form a crumbly dough.
Follow directions in cheesecake recipe above.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)

Cooking time: 10 minute(s)

Diet type: Vegan, Dairy free, Egg free, optionally Gluten free, Nut free, Peanut free, optionally Wheat free

Number of servings (yield): 12