Since this whole crazy health crisis started, I’ve been doing a lot of stress baking—and, no, the irony of eating sweets during a health crisis does not escape me. The way I see it, I’m better off making the snacks myself, so I can at least control the amount and type of sugar, and avoid weird tongue-twisting ingredients that the human body is not meant to ingest.
Enter this dairy-free 7-Ingredient Vegan Cheesecake recipe. The base, with cashews, is surprisingly satisfying, so even though the cakes are teeny, I don’t feel the urge to eat them all in one sitting. (Well, I do, but it’s easy to keep it in check because they’re pretty filling.) The original recipe suggests several different toppings, but I’ve chosen blueberries, partly because I still have a bunch of pick-your-own local berries in my freezer, and partly because it’s fruit, so that makes it a health food. Or something.
Tips:
- I found the walnut/date crust in the original recipe to be too sticky and heavy. Instead, I mix about 1 cup of crumbled graham crackers with 2 to 3 tablespoons margarine/vegan butter until it begins to stick together.
- Light coconut milk can be used in place of full-fat, though the cakes will be slightly less firm.
- If you don’t have fresh berries, you can swirl a teaspoon of jam into each cake.
Beverage suggestion: Pomegranate juice if you’re keeping it G-rated; Pinot Blanc if it’s wine o’clock
