Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes
By Joann MacDonald of Woman in Real Life
This recipe for vegan mini raspberry cheesecakes has me feeling nostalgic. Back before the trend was to make vegan cheesecakes with a cashew base, we made them with tofu. Yes, tofu. Some might say tofu and cheesecake just aren’t a fit, but I beg to differ.
Blended up with other ingredients like sugar, oil, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and vanilla, tofu makes a creamy, delectable cheesecake. It’s also the perfect nut-free vegan cheesecake option for those who are allergic to cashews.
These raspberry mini cheesecakes are made up of three layers - a cookie crust, a plain cheesecake layer and a raspberry cheesecake layer. The recipe is fast and easy to make. To start, use a food processor to make crumbs from your chosen cookies. Mix the crumbs in a bowl with coconut or brown sugar, melted vegan margarine and cinnamon, and press into a lined muffin tray.
Blend the filling ingredients together in a blender and pour the first cheesecake layer over the mini crusts. Add raspberries to the remaining filling in the blender and blend again. Pour a raspberry cheesecake layer over the first cheesecake layer and bake. So simple.
The recipe calls for a crust made with gluten-free ginger snap cookies. You can also use graham cracker crumbs (look for a vegan version to avoid honey), vanilla wafers or black and white sandwich cookies. Just be mindful to pick a gluten-free and nut-free cookie if needed.
Top each mini cheesecake with raspberry drizzle, coconut whipped topping (the fun stuff, from a spray can!), and fresh raspberries. A chocolate drizzle couldn’t hurt either.
This recipe makes enough filling for a large cheesecake. If you make 12 mini cheesecakes, you’ll have leftover filling. Feel free to refrigerate or freeze the filling to make a small cheesecake or more dairy-free mini cheesecakes later.
Vegan Raspberry Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 ⅓ cups gluten-free ginger snap cookies
⅓ cup brown or coconut sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅓ cup melted vegan margarine
For the filling:
2x 454g packages medium-firm tofu (drained)
½ cup sugar
¼ cup grapeseed or other light oil
¼ cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup raspberries (more for garnish)
For raspberry drizzle:
1 cup raspberries
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper or reusable silicone cups.
If using cookies (rather than crumbs), add them to a food processor and pulse until a crumb is formed (not too fine).
Add crust ingredients to a medium bowl and stir until combined.
Divide mixture among muffin cups (start with a heaping tablespoon each and then top up with remainder) and flatten with the back of a small spoon. Set aside in the refrigerator.
To a blender, add all filling ingredients EXCEPT raspberries. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down sides as needed.
Pour a layer into each muffin cup, leaving room for a second layer.
Add raspberries to the remaining mixture in the blender and blend again. Pour another layer on each vegan mini cheesecake.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until mini cheesecakes are firm to the touch, edges rise slightly and cracks appear on the surface.
Allow to cool. Best kept frozen. Serve chilled (allow to defrost for a few minutes).
For the raspberry drizzle
Add raspberries, sugar and 4 teaspoons of water to a small pot. Heat over medium heat, mashing raspberries with a fork, until ingredients are mixed and raspberries are mashed.
Pass through a fine strainer to remove seeds. Return raspberry juice to the pot.
In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and 3 teaspoons of water.
Add to raspberry juice and heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
To serve
Serve mini vegan cheesecakes with coconut whipped cream topping, fresh raspberries and raspberry drizzle.
