Unbelievable Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
Perfect vegan and gluten-free dessert, year-round! Enjoy this slightly tart dessert with friends and family, or even for yourself!
Equipment
- Food Processor
- High Speed Blender
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 3/4 cup shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup dates
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained.
- 1 cup blueberries, divided (or any other berry you love!)
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- Juice of 1 1/2 lemons (about 5 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To make the crust, place all ingredients in a food processor, bullet, or high-speed blender until dates are finely chopped and mixture is well incorporated. It should stick together when you press with your fingers.
- Put a heaping tablespoon of crust onto each parchment strip and use the bottom of a 1/4cup measure to gently press in.
- Next, pour all filling ingredients into a high-speed blender and whip filling really well...for a couple of minutes. You have a decision to make here: I like using 1/2 cup of blueberries in the mix, and decorating with the other half. It lets the cheesecake flavour really come through. If you want, you can use the whole cup of blueberries and they will become the predominant flavour.
- Using a blender or a bullet is really important here. It will make it light and silky. In a food processor, it's still delicious but has a very heavy, dense texture which just isn't as good.
- Pour the filling over the crust, decorate with blueberries if using, cover with plastic wrap and freeze to set, at least 30 minutes. If not eating right away, transfer to a resealable freezer container and eat within a few days for best flavour.
Notes
Amazing tip I found from Dana at Minimalist Baker: to make frozen treats easier to remove, line a non-stick muffin tin with 1cm (1/2in) wide x 8cm (4in) long strips of parchment.