CompletEats Mocha Chip Vegan Cheesecake

Cheesecake…yet another food that my lactose-intolerant self could not enjoy…until I discovered vegan cheesecake! It is actually a life-changer! And it’s all thanks to cashews! I first had vegan cheesecake at The Butcher’s Son in Berkeley. It was quite expensive, and I hadn’t had one since. Not until I made some myself at home!

With a modified recipe from Funnify Recipes I’ve created a vegan, and gluten-free cheesecake for you all! Gluten-free crusts are usually made with dates, but I used Completeats mocha chip superfood cookie! It is moist, chewy, and soft, making it the perfect base for my cheesecake.

CompletEats is an SF-based cookie company specializing in nutritious, vegan cookies! Each cookie has 7 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. They are gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO! Flavors include: banana bread, mocha chip, chocolate, chia, cherry almond.

I am inspired by this woman-owned company–her motto of “doing what feels right for your own body” is something I live by. Everyone is different whether it be their metabolism, body composition, or tastes. I like to practice mindful eating which is when you listen to your body’s hunger and satiety cues. I try to only eat when I am hungry, and stop when I feel satisfied. That being said, everyone also has their own dietary needs/preferences whether it be vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc. but that doesn’t mean vegan food is only for vegans or gluten-free food is only for people with Celiac or gluten-intolerance.

A label or name should not change the way we perceive taste. I strive to make recipes that everyone will enjoy! My family is my taste-tester, and they all approve of this vegan cheesecake. I actually tasted a regular cheesecake I made with my friend right before tasting these, and the difference was slight in taste yet monumental in ingredients and nutrients. You will love this vegan cheesecake even if you are not vegan! It has the same creamy texture without sacrificing the taste. My dad even asked me to make more before I leave for college.

The secret to creaminess is soaking the cashews for at least 4 hours in water.

For the crust, I cut CompletEats mocha chip cookies into fourths to fill four cupcake liners. I pressed down with my fingers to flatten and spread the cookie to fill the bottom of the liner.

After blending the cashews and liquid ingredients in a blender until smooth, spoon 2 tablespoons of the mixture onto the cookie base. Freeze for 20 minutes to set.

For the next layer, add cacao powder and espresso powder to the remaining cashew cream mixture. Blend until combined and spoon 2 tablespoons onto the previous layer.

Freeze for 4 hours. Remove and let thaw for 5 minutes before serving!

CompletEats Mocha Chip Vegan Cheesecake

Megan | August 18, 2019

• prep time: 4 hours
• cook time: 30 minutes + 4 hours to chill
• total time: 8 hours, 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 CompletEats Mocha Chip Cookie

Cheesecake

• 3/4 cup cashews (soak in water for 4 hours)
• 1/6 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (from can)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

Mocha Cheesecake Layer

• 3/4 tsp instant coffee (espresso crystals)
• 1 tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder

Instructions:

Crust

1. Line muffin tin with 4 cupcake liners.
2. Cut CompletEats cookie into fourths and press down with fingers to spread and cover the base of liner.

Cheesecake

1. Drain cashews and place in blender/Vitamix/Nutribullet with all cheesecake ingredients.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Spoon 2 tbsp of mixture onto cookie crust.
4. Freeze for 20 minutes to set layer.

Mocha Cheesecake Layer

1. Add cacao powder and espresso coffee to remaining mixture and blend until combined.
2. Spoon 2 tbsp of mixture onto previous cheesecake layer.
3. Freeze for at least 4 hours. Thaw for 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition:

• Serving: 1 mini cheesecake
• Fat: 23g
• Sat. Fat: 8g
• Calories: 324
• Sodium: 96 mg
• Carbs: 25g
• Fiber: 1.5 g
• Sugar: 15g
• Protein: 8g

Dietary Information: gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, contains nuts

recipe modified from funnify recipes.

This makes four mini cheesecakes because, for me, living in an apartment in college I don’t need large amounts of desserts around since I only need to feed myself. There is less food waste, and I have more self-control! If I double the batch, I can freeze it and share with friends!