Vegan Apple Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill blanched almond flour
• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice
• 1/3 cup coconut oil (softened)
• 2 tablespoons creamy almond butter or any other nut or seed butter
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 3/4 cup coconut cream (this is the cream from the top of a can of full-fat coconut milk)
• 1 cup vegan coconut yogurt (any that is thick and tangy will work!)
• 1/3 cup (111g) pure maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from the juice of one large lemon)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegan butter
• 2 apples (about 3 cups diced, peeled and chopped into cubes, I used one Honeycrisp and one Granny Smith)
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice

Instructions

1. 1

   --- For the crust ---

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan with coconut oil and place on a baking sheet.

3. 3

   In large bowl, combine all crust ingredients. Mix until fully combined.

4. 4

   Press the crust evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let cool slightly.

5. 5

   --- For the filling ---

6. 6

   Reduce the oven temperature to 325º.

7. 7

   In a high-powered blender or a food processor (I use my Vitamix), blend the soaked cashews, coconut cream, coconut yogurt, maple syrup, fresh lemon juice, arrowroot starch, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Scrape down the sides of the container or use the tamper as necessary to get a super smooth consistency. It will take about 3 to 5 minutes of blending to get it super smooth and creamy.

8. 8

   Taste the mixture and adjust to your tastes (add more maple syrup for sweetness, lemon juice for tanginess, or vanilla extract for more vanilla flavor). Pour the filling into the cooled crust and tap the pan hard on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.

9. 9

   Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until mostly set. The cheesecake should jiggle slightly in the center when it’s ready, but not be too wet and jiggly. Try not to disturb the cheesecake for the first 45 minutes.

10. 10

    When the cheesecake is just shy of set, turn off the oven, leaving the cheesecake inside. Leave the oven door open a few inches and let the cheesecake cool inside the slightly ajar oven. Remove from the oven after about an hour.

11. 11

    Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour to chill all the way through.

12. 12

    --- For the apple pie topping ---

13. 13

    In a saucepan, melt the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the diced apple chunks and coconut sugar. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has melted and formed a caramel-like sauce on the apples.

14. 14

    Whisk together the water, arrowroot starch, and cinnamon. Add to the apple mixture and cook for one to two more minutes or until thickened into a sauce coating the apples. Let cool slightly before topping the cheesecake.