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These cranberry mini vegan cheesecakes are an easy, delicious, and festive dairy-free treat perfect for the holidays!
These are totally cute and very satisfying for the sweet tooth!
I based this recipe off of Minimalist Baker’s easy vegan cheesecakes. I had a general idea how to make vegan cheesecake, but I was particularly interested in the ingredient quantities they used to make them fit so perfectly in a 12-slot muffin tin.
I adapted the recipe to suit my tastes (including omitting an ingredient or two – what can I say… I always change stuff around), and I added delicious fresh cranberries into my mini vegan cheesecake recipe.
My husband was skeptical when I told him I made vegan cheesecakes. He’s like “where are they, then?” I said “in the freezer”. I then explained what all went into them, and since he’s not a fan of cheesecake to begin with, it took a little effort to convince him to try one.
Turns out he loved them and actually raved about them all week. He especially loved the date-walnut crust. I’ve been getting more into vegan desserts lately, and I love the creativity involved in making them.
I like to let the cheesecakes sit for about 5 minutes before eating them. They do get very soft the longer you leave them out, so I suggest taking them out of the freezer shortly before serving them.
I use a blunt knife to help pop them out of the muffin tins after letting them sit for a few minutes to thaw a little.
I hope you love this dairy free cheesecake recipe!
Questions? Ask me in the comments below.
Cranberry Mini Vegan Cheesecakes
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups raw cashews soaked
- 1 cup pitted Medjool dates
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cranberry mixture:
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Soak your cashews for at least 2-3 hours, if not overnight. You could also try a quick soaking method if you're in a rush - soak them in very hot water for 15-20 minutes (let the water boil then cool it for a couple of minutes prior to pouring it over the nuts).
- Make the cranberry mixture by adding the cranberries, water, and maple syrup to a small pan on medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool once the cranberries have softened.
- Grease a 12-slot muffin tin (I used cooking spray). Make the crust by adding the dates to a food processor. Process until they form a ball. Take the ball out of the food processor. Add the walnuts to the food processor and process until fine. Add the dates back in and process until mixed. Divide the crust evenly between the 12 slots in the muffin tin. Press the crusts down firmly (I like to use the bottom of a glass to do this). Put the muffin tin in the freezer.
- I like to rinse the bowl of the food processor off at this point (up to you). Add the soaked cashews, coconut milk (if it's separated then aim to get a lot of the coconut cream), cranberry mixture, maple syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla to the food processor. Blend until smooth (this may take a few minutes), stopping to scrape down the sides occasionally.
- Take the muffin tin out of the freezer and add the filling to each of the 12 slots as evenly as possible. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours.
Notes
- Adapted from Minimalist Baker.
- I like to let the cheesecakes sit for about 5 minutes before eating them. They do get very soft, so I suggest taking them out of the freezer shortly before serving them. I use a blunt knife to help pop them out of the muffin tins after letting them sit for a few minutes to thaw a little.
- If you're planning on keeping these in the freezer for a few days or longer, make sure the plastic wrap is on really well - they will start to taste like freezer and get freezer burned, or transfer them to a sealed container.
- This is the food processor I used to make this recipe.
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LOVE vegan desserts!
Thank you!!
Love this so much! I’m going to make them for my holiday party this weekend!
Aw thanks! Enjoy!
These look so festive for the holidays! I’m sure they’ll be a big hit!
Thanks, Lindsay!! 🙂
I just LOVE the color of these. Plus they look delicious!
Thanks, Sarah!!
These are so pretty! Love the fun color!
Thanks so much!!
These cute little bites look so addicting! Can’t wait to try them!
Thanks, Gina! Hope you like ’em!
It’s the perfect sized dessert so I can eat at least three right? And the color is so beautiful!
Definitely. 😀 Thanks so much!
Such a great holiday treat. I’m a sucker for anything Cranberry
Thanks, Naomi!!
I could stare at these all day, they look so good!!
Aw thanks so much, Matt!
OMG Natasha! These are the cutest! They’re the perfect dessert treat for the holidays! The color!!
Thanks so much, Mary Ann! I was happy with how the color turned out, too! 🙂