PATRIOTIC CHEESECAKE – Vegan and Gluten Free

This recipe is my entry for the Spunky Holiday roundup.  I recently came across the blog, The Spunky Coconut, and am so glad I did.  I have already made several of the recipes from the site and my family has loved them.  I really like the idea of a recipe round-up and the sense of community participating in one creates.  I had a lot of fun creating this cheesecake for the round-up and my family and I have had even more fun eating it!

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INGREDIENTS

CRUST

1 ½ cup Gluten Free graham style crumbs (I used kinnikinnick foods)

1-2 packets stevia

6 Tbs. Earth Balance Soy-Free Spread

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BASIC FILLING

2 cups raw cashews (soaked 6-8 hours)

1 cup unsalted macadamia nuts (soaked 6-8 hours)

2 tsp probiotic powder (I used New Chapter All Flora)

½ cup filtered water

1 Tbs. meyer lemon juice

1/3 cup So Delicious Vanilla coconut creamer

1 Tbs. vanilla flavor (mine is by Frontier)*

4 Tbs. agave or maple syrup

4 stevia packets

Pinch of salt

*Do not use vanilla extract.  Since this is raw the alcohol will not cook out and will taste bad.

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Blue

½ cup frozen organic blueberries

1 cup Basic Filling

All natural blue food coloring (optional)

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White – Basic Filling (as is) OR

1/2 cup sliced bananas

1 cup Basic Filling

 

Red

½ cup sliced organic strawberries

1 cup Basic Filling

All natural red food coloring (optional)

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Upon first glance this cheesecake recipe seems much more time consuming than it really is.  This is how I easily tackle this recipe…

In the morning put 2 cups of raw cashews and 1 cup of macadamias in a container and cover the nuts with filtered water.  Place the container in the fridge to soak (click here to see how I did just this for raw vegan goat cheese).

In the afternoon or evening take the container of cashews and macadamias out of the fridge and drain and rinse the nuts.  Place the drained and rinsed nuts in your Vitamix along with ½ cup filtered water and blend VERY well.  This process will take quite a few minutes and your Vitamix will be working very hard!  Make sure you use the center agitator to help it along.  You want to mixture to be very, very, very smooth…it will be warm from all of the blending.

Once the mixture is smooth, place it in a bowl and combine with the probiotic powder.  Mix well.

Place the mixture in a cheesecloth lined colander and cover it.  Place the colander in a bowl (in case any liquid leaks out) and leave it out at room temperature for 12 hours to cure (overnight).  You can also place a plate and pie weights on top of the cheesecloth to encourage the release of moisture.

Meanwhile make the crust by combining the graham style crumbs with the melted Earth Balance and Somersweet.  Once combined, press the graham crust into the bottom of a springform pan or create individual cheesecakes by using a mini crumb cake pan and filling each with 1 Tbs. of the graham crust mixture and pushing it down (in a crumb cake pan the bottom of each cake lifts-up to help unmold the cakes).  Place in the fridge to set-up.

In the morning place the cured cheese mixture in a bowl and use a hand mixer to blend in 1 Tbs. lemon, 1/3 cup So delicious, 1 Tbs. vanilla, ¼ cup agave, 4 stevia packets, and a pinch of salt.  The Basic Filling recipe is now complete.

Create the blue layer by blending 1 cup of the Basic Filling with ½ cup of frozen blueberries (optional blue food coloring).

For the white layer, either use the Basic Filling as is or blend 1 cup of the Basic Filling with ½ cup of sliced bananas.

Create the red layer by blending 1 cup of the Basic Filling with ½ cup of sliced strawberries (optional red food coloring).

Pipe a small layer of the blueberry mixture onto each crust.  Smooth the layer to make it level and follow with a layer of white, and then a layer of red.  Place in the freezer to set-up for 1-2 hours or overnight.

Remove from the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving to allow the cheesecake to thaw slightly.

Top with your favorite non-dairy whipped cream and fresh berries.

For a printable version of this recipe click here.

Note – I am a Vitamix affiliate and whole-heartedly endorse the use of this wonderful machine!