Vegan New York Cheesecake with a Blueberry & Peach compote

Ya know, growing up I had always associated being vegan (or vegetarian, eating keto, paleo, etc) as being very restrictive when it came to what things you could eat. I thought that it was just surviving off of fruits, vegetables, grains, etc, in a very plain-jane way. I am personally not a full-time vegan myself, but I do love challenging myself to make "unhealthy" - the greasy, cheesy, yummy - recipes that I love, just a tad bit healthier and animal-friendly. I have experienced trying new ways of eating, whether it be a keto recipe, vegan recipe, you name it, since 2017. I have found a new love and passion for cooking and baking ever since.

Cashews and chickpeas are the main staples in this dish. I wanted to try and make a light, but rich and decadent, silky summer-y dessert. Nothing screams summer quite like blueberry, orange, lemon, and peaches - fresh and sweet, yet tart and packs a punch. The vibrancy of this dessert really embraces summer in a nutshell (ha, get it?)

Alright, time to break this down for ya. The crust is quite simple. Shortbread cookies (I used Lorna Doones - graham crackers will also work nicely) mixed with your favorite dairy-free butter. (I used Earth Balance's Sunflower oil spread) Add a dash of cinnamon and whatever sugar you have in your pantry (I use sugar alternatives like monk fruit) and there ya go!

Next, it is topped with a cheesecake filling with a protein kick - cashews, chickpeas, and coconut milk. I know, know, sounds crazy right? That you can make a nearly identical version of a new york cheesecake with mainly these three ingredients? (Others are added, of course, but I'll fill you in on that later)

And if that isn't doing it for you, my roommate is a cheesecake connoisseur and she ate it plain without any of the blueberry sauce. She said that if she didn't know that it was vegan, she wouldn't have really been able to tell a difference.

So here is my recipe for a Vegan New York Cheesecake With Blueberry & Peach Sauce. (You can also make a strawberry compote, raspberry compote... any fresh fruit that you'd like to top it with or eat it plain. It is delicious regardless!)

Substitutions will be in parentheses.

Oh, you're still here? Great! Let's start baking :)

COOK TIME: 50 minutes to 1 hour

YIELDS: 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:

For the crust:

• 2 cups finely crushed shortbread cookies (You can use whichever cookie you'd like)
• 4 Tablespoons melted vegan-friendly butter (or coconut oil or margarine if you'd like)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (you may omit)

• 1 teaspoon sugar alternative such as monk fruit, erythritol, stevia (you can replace with brown sugar, white sugar, etc if not omitting)

For the filling:

• 2 cups cashews [Make sure they are unsalted and measured before soaking them in boiling hot water for 15 - 20 minutes]
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 3 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (can use arrowroot powder)
• 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons non-dairy greek yogurt (or 2 tablespoons tahini)
• 1 can / 398-400ml can full-fat coconut milk [Must be full-fat]
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (this is essential because it adds the "tang" from a normal New York cheesecake)

For the topping (optional, but so worth it!):

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 320F
2. You'll need a 9-inch springform pan for this. If you don't have one, I'm sure you could make it in a 13x9 glass baking dish. They'd just be in a bar form rather than a slice.
3. Springform pan - Spray your pan with a light coating of cooking spray and cut out parchment paper to fit the base of the pan and around the edges. Adhere the paper to the pan and set it aside. (I've also just sprayed the pan and added the ingredients and it came out fine.)
4. Put your cookies into a food processor with the butter/oil and pulse until well combined and finely ground. (You may need to add more butter or oil depending on what type of cookie you use)
5. Transfer the base mixture into your prepared pan and make sure it is evenly distributed. Place the pan in the refrigerator to set and chill while preparing the filling.
6. Take the soaked cashews and drain the water along with the drained and rinsed chickpeas and put into a blender. Add the rest of the filling's ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth. There should not be any lumps or grittiness. It should be as smooth and velvety as you can get it. It may take a few minutes and a couple of shakes to the blender (unless you have one of those fancy-dancy Vitamix blenders) to get there, but you'll get it.
7. Once the filling is silky smooth, pour it on top of the crust and bake for 40 to 60 minutes. (Ovens vary and pan depths vary in size, so make sure the outer edge is set and the center is barely wobbly. That is how you'll know it's done. Do not overbake, for that will make it dry)
8. Once the cheesecake is done, leave it out to cool and, once cooled, store it in the fridge for 4-5 hours at least. If you cannot wait for it to be cooled, store it overnight to enjoy the next day :)
9. To make the topping, put the blueberries, water, lemon juice and zest, orange juice and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir. Add in the cornstarch and make sure it is well incorporated.
10. Once simmering, allow to simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly. Before taking it off of the heat, add in the peach slices and stir to incorporate. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Thank you so much for baking with me. <3

-Veronica (Vee) :)