Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts, but as the name says it, it isn’t vegan and traditionally, it isn’t gluten-free as most are usually made with a delicious gram cracker crust. By combine a few vegan recipes with some gluten-free recipes, and making modifications based on what I had in the pantry, I came up with this delicious gluten-free vegan cherry cheesecake

The first thing you need to do is make the crust, because it is usually made with raw almonds, you will need to pre-bake it before you add the filling.

While the crust is baking, you can make the filling. It pretty simple because you just blend everything together in the blender until it is smooth and creamy.

While your cheesecake is baking, you can choose to make a cherry topping or you can use fresh cherries, blueberries, or even chocolate if you prefer. If you choose to make the cherry topping, it is super easy and takes less than 5 minutes once the cherries are pitted.

Crust:

¾ cup oats (gluten-free if needed)
¾ cup almonds (raw or roasted without salt)
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar (or sugar alternative)
5 tbsp melted coconut oil

Filling:

450g homemade vegan cream cheese
150g silken tofu
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp maple syrup (to taste)
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp tapioca starch (Use corn starch or potato start as alternatives)

Cherry Topping:

2 c fresh cherries
1 c white granulated sugar
1 tbsp water
2 tsp agar agar powder

Instructions:

Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350F (175C).
2. Line a loose base or springform cake pan with baking paper and lightly grease the baking paper so cheesecake doesn’t stick.
3. Blend dry ingredients in blender until fine powder forms.
4. Add coconut oil to blend and blend until clumps form. You should be able to pinch off pieces like playdough without it crumbling.
5. Use finger to press crust into the bottom of the baking pan. Make sure it is even all the way around.
6. Place on center rack and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Filling:

1. While the crust is baking, wash your blender. Then combine all of the filling ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.
2. Once crust is lightly browned, remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
3. Once slightly cooled, pour filling in the pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour.
4. When the cheesecake starts to solidify (usually after 45-50 minutes), you can turn on the top oven coils for 10-15 minutes to help the cheesecake to brown on top.
5. After cheesecake is lightly browned on top, remove from the oven and place the pan on a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
6. For best results, after cheesecake is completely cooled, refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Topping:

1. Wash cherries. Remove seeds and stems.
2. In a medium sauce pan, combine cherries, sugar, and water. Let cook until liquid is bubbling and cherries turn a darker red color.
3. Add 2 tsp of agar agar powder to help thicken, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Serve:

Spoon cherries onto the top of the cheesecake, serve chilled, and enjoy!