Baking makes me happy. I could spend hours looking for new recipes and inspiration on pinterest or food blogs. And although I'm not vegan, I am always on the lookout for healthier, dairy- and gluten free alternatives. Besides, it is exciting and makes me feel good to create these yummy desserts without using any animal products. One of my favorite vegan blogs is yummy mummy kitchen. I've been following Marina on Instagram for a while now and when I recently saw this cute video of a vegan cheesecake she made, I knew I had to try this!

I made some changes to the recipe, but stayed pretty close to the original. I didn't have pumpkin puree handy, so I had to improvise. And I find apple sauce to be a great replacement for butter or sugar. The crust is delicious and really easy to make. I opted for the healthiest version and used gluten free crackers.

This cake will make a great light dessert after all those heavy foods we eat during the holidays. It tastes sooo good, I even have a slice in the morning instead of my usual breakfast bowl. And the healthy fats, fiber and protein give me enough energy for my morning yoga practice.

Enjoy!

This vegan cheesecake will leave you just as satisfied as the original...but without the guilt!

Ingredients:

- 1 3/4 cups gluten free graham cracker crumbs (12 cracker)
- 1/2 cup melted Organic Earth Balance (or favorite butter alternative)
- 1 ¼ cups raw cashews, soaked in water overnight (or 3 hours with boiling water poured over), drained
- 1 ½ cups apple sauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut, nut, or soy milk
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 3/4 cup raspberries for garnish
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions:

For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs and melted Earth Balance. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.

For the filling: Place drained cashews, applesauce, vanilla, syrup, milk, lemon, salt and coconut oil in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend until completely smooth. I used less syrup, because of the apple sauce. But use more if you would like your pie sweeter. Pour the filling into the prepared crust and smooth with a spatula. Place in the freezer to set for at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove from the freezer an hour before serving. Garnish with raspberries and powdered sugar. Store in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

Yield: Serves 8
Prep Time: 2 hrs. 00 mins.
Cook time: 10 mins.
Total time: 2 hrs. 10 mins.