VEGAN CHEESECAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL FUDGE SAUCE

This vegan cheesecake is definitely not my first go at making vegan cheesecakes! From the first time I made a vegan cheesecake (in around 2009) I fell totally in love, because honestly it’s better than the ‘real thing’.

The only caveat? It’s a little pricey. Especially when I made the topping out of coconut butter and maple syrup! So it’s probably not what you’re going to make every other week but it’s rich as heck so that’s another reason you’re probably not going to make it every other week.

INGREDIENTS
For the Crust:

1 cup (150g) Macadamia Nuts
1/2 cup (88g) Pitted Medjool Dates (Packed)*
1 cup (80g) Dried Dessicated Coconut
For the Cheesecake Filling:

3 cups (450g) Raw Cashews (soaked overnight, drained and rinsed)
3/4 cup (180ml) Water
3/4 cup (180ml) Maple Syrup
1/2 cup (120ml) Coconut Oil (Melted)
1/4 cup (60ml) Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
For the Salted Caramel Fudge Sauce:

1/2 cup (120ml) Coconut Butter (Melted)*
1/2 cup (120ml) Maple Syrup
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
For Decorating:

Sea Salt
Macadamia Nuts
INSTRUCTIONS
Spray an 8 inch round springform pan with non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
Add the macadamia nuts, pitted dates and dried dessicated coconut to the food processor and process until it starts to form into a sticky dough. It will start off crumbly, keep going until it starts to clump together in sticky clumps. Transfer to the springform pan and smooth it down into a pie crust. Use the back of a spoon to press it down into a neat flat layer. Place into the freezer to set.
Take your soaked and rinsed cashew nuts and place them into the blender jug. Add the water, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, lemon juice and vanilla extract and then blend everything together until very smooth. Stop and give your blender a break as needed as this is a lot of volume to blend up. Pour this over the macadamia crust and smooth down with the back of a spoon. Return to the freezer to set completely – about 4-6 hours.
When the cheesecake has completely set, remove it from the springform pan and put it onto a cake stand to do your topping.
Add the melted coconut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and sea salt into a bowl and stir it together into a caramel sauce. Spread this out over the top of the cheesecake, working quickly, as the sauce thickens and sets quite fast when in contact with the cold cheesecake.
Decorate the cheesecake with sprinkles of sea salt and some macadamia nuts.
Allow the cheesecake to thaw at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

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