Vegan Apple Caramel Cheesecake
 
 
Author:
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • Ingredients for the crust:
  • 1 cup raw organic almonds
  • 1 cup pitted dates (around 10)
  • ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • Pinch sea salt
  • Ingredients for the cashew layer:
  • 2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight (8-12 hours)
  • ½ cup organic full fat coconut milk
  • ¼ cup organic, cold expressed virgin coconut oil
  • ½ cup maple syrup (or raw honey or agave nectar)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Ingredients for the apples:
  • 3 apples, diced
  • 1 teaspoon grounded cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon organic, cold expressed virgin coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • Ingredients for the caramel:
  • ½ cup full-fat organic coconut milk
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon organic, cold expressed virgin coconut oil
  • 2 pinch sea salt
Instructions
  1. The night before (or at least 8-12 hours), cover the raw cashews with water and let soak. Rinse and drain the cashews. Set aside.
  2. For the crust: combine all the ingredients into a food processor and process until it starts to clump (if the dough crumbles too much, you may have to add a little more coconut oil). Don't process the ingredients too much, you still want to see pieces in the mixture and you sure don’t want a smooth paste. Line a round 8 or 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and pour the crust into it. Press the mixture evenly with your fingers or a glass. Set aside.
  3. For the cashew layer: combine all the ingredients into a high-speed blender (or quality blender) and mix until completely smooth. Add a touch of lemon juice or maple syrup if the mixture won’t come together well. Pour into the pan on top of the crust. Tap a few times to release air bubbles, than cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until hard (at least 4-6 hours).
  4. For the caramel sauce: Place all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to combine (continuously to prevent burning) for 10 minutes. Set aside in the fridge to cool. It will thicken as it chills.
  5. For the cooked apples: Combine all ingredients in a small pan over a medium heat. Cook for 8 -10 minutes, until apples are soft. Set aside.
  6. Once the cake is set and ready to serve, thaw the cheesecake 30 minutes before serving. Remove the cheesecake from the pan by running a sharp knife around the edges or the pan.
  7. Place the apples over the top of the cheesecake and drizzle with the caramel sauce. Keep the rest of the caramel for extra drizzles!
Notes
I use an 8 or 9-inch springform pan, but you can also make them as 6-8 mini cheesecakes in a muffin pan. I find they are also very cute to serve this way and you can try adding different toppings to satisfy all your guests!
Recipe by Nutrition in the Kitch at https://nutritioninthekitch.com/vegan-apple-caramel-cheesecake-from-under-a-lemon-tree/