Mint Chip Vegan Cheesecake

For special occasions, holidays and birthdays, my go-to dessert is always a vegan cheesecake! Not only do they look special and fancy, but they are absolutely delicious. Bonus– they’re actually super simple to make! It’s one of my all time FAVs! I brought this dessert to a Christmas party and everyone loved it. Vegan or not, I think you will enjoy this Mint Chip Vegan Cheesecake.

This is Emily from PrettyPies.com here to share another whole-foods dessert with you… one that quickly became an obsession after I first tried it– vegan cheesecake! About two years ago, I cut out dairy as part of the quest to help my digestion. That’s when my love affair with dairy-free desserts began. In fact, I LOVE vegan cheesecakes so much, I’m never going back to making “regular” cheesecakes (even though it turns out my gut didn’t have any issues with dairy after all! Haha! Oh well) 🙂

Even without the dairy, vegan cheesecakes have a texture and flavor similar to their cream-cheese counterparts, and JUST as yummy. This one is made from some of my favorite things on the planet: cashews and coconut! Cashew cream and coconut cream make the RICH and creamy base for this decadent mint flavored cheesecake. And finely chopped mint chocolate mixed in creates an amazing layer of texture and flavor. Mint and chocolate are a match made in heaven. So. GOOD.

TIP: Use chocolate shavings or finely chopped chocolate in cold desserts (like cheesecake and ice cream) and chocolate chips in warm desserts (like cookies and cakes) since the chips will harden when you chill the dessert. Personally, this makes a *world* of difference in the taste! Otherwise, I feel like I’m eating little rocks, haha!

Trust me when I say this is an EASY dessert to make. If you can press a button on a food processor, you can make this. Dump the ingredients in and blend it! If you want to add some garnishes like chocolate drizzle or whipped cream, those are super simple, too! Promise.

I almost forgot to mention– this is a NO-BAKE cheesecake! (Does it get any better than that?!) Blend it up and put in the freezer to set. That’s it! See?? Easy!

And possibly my favorite part of vegan cheesecakes– they’re made from PLANTS, haha! Naturally free from gluten, dairy and grains, but FULL of nutrients! Vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and healthy fats that make them pretty from the inside out!

Emily Spain is a mom of two littles, a wife and the creator of PrettyPies.com— delicious desserts that are not only good to look at, but actually good FOR you! She’s a whole-food fanatic, coconut lover, and veggie-hiding ninja. You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Mint Chip Vegan Cheesecake

Mint Chip Vegan Cheesecake

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Prep Time 30 min Cook Time 4 hr Serves 12 slices     adjust servings

Decadent dairy-free mint cream flecked with bits of chocolate on a chewy chocolate crust!

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/4 cups almonds
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 2 Tbs raw cacao
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of pink salt
• Splash of water to help blend

Filling

• 2 1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked overnight)
• 1/4 cup canned coconut milk (refrigerated overnight, solid cream only)
• 2/3 cup maple syrup
• 2/3 cup coconut oil (melted & warm)
• 2 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• 1/2 - 3/4 tsp mint extract, to taste (not peppermint)
• Dash of pink salt
• 1/2 bar of mint chocolate, or dark chocolate (about 1/3 cup shaved/finely chopped)

Garnish (see notes)

• Coconut whipped cream
• Melted chocolate or chocolate shavings

Instructions

To make the crust:

1. Pulse all ingredients together in a food processor. Add a splash of water if it's too dry.
2. Press into a parchment-lined 7" springform pan.

To make the filling:

1. Drain and rinse cashews. Blend cashews in a food processor or blender until finely ground.
2. Add in remaining ingredients except chocolate. Blend smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
3. Gently pulse or stir in the chocolate.
4. Pour over crust and freeze until solid (at least 3 hours).
5. Remove from springform and transfer to refrigerator for 2 hours.
6. Garnish with melted chocolate and whipped cream, if desired (see notes). Enjoy!

by Melissa King