Vegan caramel cheesecake (v, gf, df, rsf)

Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan cheesecake recipe drizzled with the most amazing salted caramel sauce!

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 cup raw almonds
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, liquefied
• 10 medjool dates

Cheesecake

• 1 1/2 cup cashews, soaked overnight then drained (you can do a “quicky” soak by placing your cashews in boiling water for 1-2 hours)
• 1/2 jar of Vanilla Bean 700ml
• 1/2 cup of coconut oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup

Salted Caramel Sauce

• 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Place all crust ingredients into a food processor and process until it’s the texture of coarse sand
2. Pour the crust mixture into the springform pan and use your fingers to flatten it
3. To make the cheesecake filling, add all ingredients to a high-powered blender. Blend on high for two to three minutes or until creamy
4. Pour the cheesecake onto the crust and gently tap to flatten and remove any air bubbles. Freeze the cheesecake for at least 5 hours before serving
5. Start making the caramel sauce: combine the coconut milk, coconut sugar and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil (keeping a close eye on it, as it can quickly boil over), then immediately lower the temperature, keeping the sauce at a light simmer
6. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the sauce reaches the last 5-8 minutes of cooking time, stir more frequently to incorporate the darker caramel bits from the bottom into the sauce
7. Once the sauce has turned a dark amber and has thickened to coat the back of a spoon, remove from the heat and stir in the coconut oil and vanilla extract
8. Refrigerate the sauce in a sealed glass jar (it will stay good for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator)
9. When you’re ready to eat the cheesecake, take it out of the freezer at least 30 minutes before serving to thaw. Drizzle the salted caramel sauce on top – yum!