
By Chef: Crystal Bonnet
Posted: June 1, 2016
Difficulty/Moderate
Sadly, (for those of us who love it), butterscotch isn’t a flavor that makes an appearance very often in vegan desserts. Well, the tables have turned with these raw, vegan butterscotch caramel cheesecakes with oat crusts, caramel fillings and a chocolate drizzle. Simply divine!
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups gluten free oats
- 3/4 cup raisins
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- dash of salt
Caramel
- 10 dates, soaked and pitted
- 1/4 cup agave
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon mesquite powder
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vegan butterscotch extract (optional)
- dash of salt
Cheesecake
- 3 cups raw cashews, soaked
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup agave
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons mesquite powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- dash of salt
Instructions
Crust
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until a dough ball forms, (this could take a few minutes). You will require a silicone mold or muffin tray with 12 molds. If you use a muffin tin, line with saran wrap or parchment paper.
- Take approximately a tablespoon of dough and roll it in your hands until a ball forms.
- Press the dough in the bottom of the mold firmly until even. Repeat for the rest and place the mold or muffin tin in the freezer to set while making the caramel.
Caramel
- Soak the dates for approximately 1/2 hour and remove the pits.
- Place all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Add more water if needed for blending.
- Remove crusts from freezer, scoop the caramel into a piping bag with a medium tip and pipe caramel in the middle of each crust. Or you can use a spoon and dopple (is this even a word?) it in, but using a piping bag is easier.
- Place back in freezer while making the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake
- Soak, drain and rinse cashews. (soaking time — 4 hours)
- Place all ingredients in a high speed blender except coconut oil.
- Blend until smooth and pour the coconut oil in last while on low speed to emulsify.
- Remove cheesecakes from freezer, pour cheesecake mixture in each mold filling right to the top.
- Place in freezer overnight or for 8 hours.
- Remove cheesecakes carefully from molds and place in the fridge while making chocolate sauce. Get my chocolate sauce recipe in my post for Easy Raw Vegan Chocolate.
- Garnish cheesecakes how you like; I used chocolate sauce, rose petals and cacao nibs. You can be creative and add candied nuts, buckwheat, or more caramel!