Recipe: Cheesecake with Silken Tofu, a Nut Crust, and Homemade Caramel Sauce

The zest and fresh juice from one lemon gives this cheesecake a delicate, tangy flavor. A drizzle of homemade caramel sauce provides a burst of sweetness, and the nut and coconut crust provides a hearty chew.

This crust recipe comes from: Hungry hungry hippie

The homemade caramel sauce comes for the entertaining VeganZombie (part of Butterbeer recipe)

Lemon Cheesecake

Crust:

1 c. of nuts (I had a mix of almonds and Brazil nuts) 

2 T liquid sweetener (I used agave)

1 c. coconut flakes

1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions: 

Soak the nuts for four hours and then drain and empty into a food processor. Add the rest of the crust ingredients and pulse for 1-2 minutes until mixed thoroughly. Press the crust into a pie dish. (I didn’t grease the pan and my crust came out fine)

The blended nut crust is sweet and chewy.

The tofu in the cheesecake recipe

 Filling:

1 12oz package of silken tofu

1 tsp of almond extract

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

¼ c. of sugar

½ c. of vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti)

Tiny pinch of salt

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350. Wash the food processor after making the crust and place all the filling ingredients inside. Blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Empty filling into crust and bake for 15 minutes. Turn down heat to 250 and bake another 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Cool and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Ready to bake

Caramel sauce from the Vegan Zombie:

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup almond milk

In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar and water up to a boil. Add lemon juice (to prevent crystallization) and swirl pan around without stirring (but you can scrape the sides to keep sugar from sticking to the sides of the pot). Once it turns a dark amber color, remove the sauce from heat. Add the almond milk and stir it all together.

My contribution to this recipe is that I add a pinch of salt and 1 tsp. of vanilla extract at the end. 

The cheesecake filling is tangy and creamy and goes well with the sweet caramel sauce.