Nourishment Connection

Lemon Raspberry Vegan Cheesecake Bites

An Easy Vegan Cheesecake Recipe without the Guilt!

I love transforming high fat dessert favorites into guilt-free indulgences that we all can enjoy. The most interesting part about this, is that 95% of the people who eat them, can’t tell the difference between the high fat version from the healthier one. That’s when I know I’ve struck gold!

Another bonus? No baking these mini  vegan cheesecakes. What a time saver! And we all can benefit from that, right? Plus, you can make them with a gluten-free crust. Just use a gluten-free cookie of your choice. I give my suggestions, just be sure to keep up with changing ingredients on packaging…one day vegan and gluten-free, the next day, not so much. 🙁

My Vegan Cheesecake Inspiration

Thanks to this month’s Recipe Redux challenge – to create a healthier small bites dessert – I finally got this recipe out of my head.

I’ve been playing with healthier dairy-free mousses, pastry creams, and puddings. But it’s time to invent healthier cheesecakes that stand up to high fat dairy and wheat filled ones. I have yet to taste one that I love…until now!

How to Make Gluten-Free and Vegan Lemon Raspberry Cheesecakes Bites

Print Recipe

Lemon Raspberry Vegan Cheesecake Bites

Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time5 mins
Total Time35 mins
Author: Angela Marinelli, M.S., M.Ed.

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1/2 cup Gluten-free vegan cookie crumbs, finely ground OR use:
  • 6 TBS fine almond flour I like Honeyville plus 2 TBS rice flour
  • 1 TBS palm sugar
  • 4 tsp Earth Balance melted

Filling

  • 6 ounces silken tofu
  • 8 ounces dairy-free white chocolate melted
  • 1 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese I like Galaxy Nutritional Foods Classic Plain
  • Zest of 2 large lemons
  • 1-2 tsp raspberry oil/natural flavor
  • 18-20 fresh raspberries about 2-3 ounces

Instructions

Crust with Cookies

  • Put mini muffin liners in a mini muffin tin. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Melt non dairy butter substitute. Set aside.
  • Place about 3/4 cup of cookies in a food processor. Blend until only fine crumbs remain. Pour out to make sure you have 1/2 cup of crumbs. If you have less than 1/2 cup, process more cookies. If you have too much, pour out excess crumbs.
  • Put your 1/2 cup of cookies crumbs and palm sugar in food processor together. Blend to fine crumbs.
  • Pour crumbs and sugar into a mixing bowl. Add melted butter substitute. Mix with a fork until all crumbs are coated.
  • Put 1/2-1 tsp of cookie crumb mixture into each muffin tin. Push crumbs down with your finger.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 4-5 minutes or until light brown. Let cool.

Crust with Nuts and Flour (if not using cookies)

  • In a food processor combine almond flour, rice flour, and palm sugar.
  • Blend to fine crumbs.
  • Pour into a mixing bowl. Add melted butter substitute. Mix with a fork until all crumbs are coated.
  • Put 1/2-1 tsp of cookie crumb mixture into each muffin tin. Push crumbs down with your finger.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 4-5 minutes or until light brown. Let cool.

Filling

  • Melt white chocolate on low in a microwave or on the stove top until completely melted and smooth. Make sure it's warm so that when you add it to cold ingredients, it stays smooth and creamy.
  • In a food processor, place the tofu, white chocolate, cream cheese, lemon zest, and raspberry oil. Blend for a few minutes until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides and blend again. Adjust lemon zest and raspberry oil to your taste.
  • Once filling is completely smooth, spoon or pipe filling into cooled crust cups about 3/4 full. Once all are filled, put your muffin pans in the refrigerator and let set for 2 hours.
  • Once filling is set, slice raspberries in half. Gently remove papers and top with half of a raspberry. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Makes about 3 dozen cheesecake bites. Copyright Nourishment Connection 2012

What should your crust look like?

Before you bake your mini cheesecake crusts:

After you bake your mini cheesecake crusts:

What should your cheesecake filling look like?

In the food processor the filling should have body, but it won’t be set. This is why they need some time in the fridge.

I fill mine about 3/4 full – not quite to the top. No baking, no cracking!

Some of my favorite brands:

Gluten-free cookies: I hesitate to suggest the brands I’ve used because over time products can change. Thanks to a comment posted, I was reminded of the importance of keeping up with food labels. It’s so wonderful to have you all out there to help with this! Even if you’ve used products in the past, they can change!

If you can’t find a gluten-free and vegan cookie to use for the crust, 1/2 cup of a gluten-free flour blend, or the nut based one I posted above will work great, too. As of this writing, the Kinni Kritters Animal Crackers and Graham Crackers are still gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut free. Let’s hope it stays that way!

Vegan cream cheese: I’m in love with Nutritional Galaxy Foods brand. It kicks Tofutti’s butt! It tastes like real cream cheese. I found it at Whole Foods.

Raspberry flavor/oil: You can find good, gluten-free brands at King Arthur Flour. Sometimes Amazon carries the same brands for less.

Questions?

Leave them in the Comments section below. Give this recipe a try and let me know how it turns out. I love feedback!

 



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Reader Interactions

Comments

    • Vegans and those who are gluten free should not be left out of the homemade dessert deliciousness! I hope you give it a try. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply

  5. Hi! My name is Ashley and I’m interning with the Meal Makeover Moms this week. Thanks for sharing this recipe! Cheesecake definitely seems to be a favorite of the summer, and it’s nice to have a vegan recipe available!

    Reply

    • Hi Ashley,
      Thanks so much for taking a look at my recipe! I know Moms are always looking for easier, healthier, yummy food. I hope this dessert helps out. 🙂 I have a bunch more!

      Angela

      Reply

    • Deanna,
      I’m so excited to be part of ReDux! This is one of my all time favorite things to do. Thanks so much for stopping by!

      Angela

      Reply

  7. These look sooo good and I LOVE the fact that no baking is required. Thanks for sharing, I can’t wait to try out the recipe!

    Molly Jones
    Intern for ReganMillerJones, Inc.

    Reply

    • I know, right? I love to bake, but I don’t always have the time. Sometimes I just need a quick and tasty dessert. Thanks for checking them out! Let me know how it goes! 🙂

      Reply

    • Kelly,
      Thank you so much for pointing that out. I thought I had a GF, V easy-to-use cookie, but apparently not! You bring another excellent point to light – the importance of reading labels. Even when you think you know a food, or a brand, products can change at any time. Or sometimes aren’t what you thought!

      I have another GF, V cookie I use, but I hesitate to share the brand for fear that that product could change at any time, too. A nut based crust is a wonderful suggestion (as long as no one has a nut allergy!). I use almond flour all the time in my GF baking.

      I amended my post, thanks to you. I appreciate you taking the time to comment – it’s great to have friends in the trenches with me! Happy baking!

      Angela

      Reply

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