Vegan Red Velvet Cheses Cake Bites

Vegan Red Velvet Cheses Cake Bites

Descripttions

Swirls of lemon and red velvet cheesecake with a chocolate crumb crust. Easy to make, and no weird ingredients! Perfect for Valentine's day or a special occasion. 

Ingredients

For the chocolate crust:

• 1 1/2 cup crushed chocolate wafer cookies, (check to make sure they are vegan)
• 1/4 cup vegan butter, melted

For the vegan cheesecake base:

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, softened (see below)
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the lemon swirl:

• 1 lemon zested
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the red velvet swirl:

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon vegan red food colouring

Instructions

For the chocolate crust:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line a muffin baking pan with 12 cupcake liners, or lightly grease it.
2. Crumble the chocolate wafer cookies in a food processor, blender, or by placing them in a sealable bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. In a medium bowl mix together the cookie crumbs with the melted vegan butter. Divide evenly among the cupcake liners then use your spoon or the bottom glass to firmly pack the crumbs down. Bake for 5 minutes then remove from the oven.

For the vegan cheesecake:

1. To soften the cashews: you can either boil or soak the cashews. To boil the cashews (the fast method): add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. To soak the cashews: add the cashews to a bowl, and cover with water. Let soak for 4 hours or overnight until tender. Drain and rinse cashews before using.
2. Add the cashews, coconut milk, sugar, cornstarch, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract, and salt to a blender. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed. Divide the cheesecake base evenly amoung two bowls.

For the lemon swirl:

1. in one bowl add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir to combine. For the red velvet swirl: add the cocoa powder and red food colouring to the remaining bowl and mix well. You may need more or less food colouring depending on the intensity of your food colouring, and the desired colour. 
2. To assemble the cheesecake bites: spoon some of the lemon swirl onto the chocolate crusts. Follow with a spoonful of the red velvet swirl. Alternate between the two colours until the cupcake liner is almost full, dividing all the cheesecake among all the liners evenly. For the final touch, use a toothpick to swirl the top layers of colours together in any design you like.
3. To bake the cheesecakes: bake for 23 - 26 minutes until the cheesecakes are puffy and may have cracked a little. Let cool at room temperature- they will fall a bit as they cool. Finish by letting them cool completely in the fridge uncovered to set, minimum 30 minutes. 

Recipe Notes

*When storing in the fridge keep them uncovered or covered with a breathable material such as a clean cloth. They can get a bit wet on top from trapped condensation if in an air-tight container. If they do get a bit wet, you can simply blot the tops with a bit of paper towel.

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