Vegan cranberry cheesecake bars

Photo: Lazy Cat Kitchen

A crisp ginger biscuit base, a creamy lemon-cashew cheesecake and a swirl of jammy cranberry on top. Clean squares that travel well to any party.

From Ania at Lazy Cat Kitchen · @lazycatkitchen

Soaked cashews blended with lemon give the tang and body of cream cheese without any dairy.

You need

• Topping: 200 g (2 scant cups) fresh cranberries, 75 g (6 tbsp) sugar, 4 tbsp orange juice, 4 tbsp water, zest of 1/2 orange
• Base: 220 g (7.7 oz) ginger nut biscuits (gingersnaps), 85 g (6 to 7 tbsp) vegan butter, melted
• Filling: 200 g (1 1/2 cups) raw cashews, soaked in boiling water 20 minutes
• About 80 ml (1/3 cup) lemon juice plus zest of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1/2 orange
• 125 g (1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp) caster or powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla paste (optional)
• 40 g (3 tbsp) vegan butter, softened

How to make it

1. Zest the orange and keep half for the filling. Simmer the cranberries with 5 tablespoons of the sugar, the orange juice, water and the other half of the zest over low heat, stirring often, until they burst and the sauce barely falls off a spoon. Cool.
2. Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F), no fan. Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square tin with baking paper overhanging the sides.
3. Grind the biscuits finely in a food processor, add the melted vegan butter and pulse until it looks like wet sand. Press it firmly into the tin and bake 10 minutes. Cool, then chill.
4. Drain the cashews and blend with the lemon juice and zest, orange zest, sugar, vanilla and softened vegan butter until completely smooth.
5. Spread the filling over the base, dot with the cranberry sauce and swirl with a skewer.
6. Bake until just set with a slight wobble in the middle, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool, then chill at least 4 hours before cutting into 16 bars.

Written in our own words from Ania's recipe, with their quantities. The original: Vegan cranberry cheesecake bars, Lazy Cat Kitchen.

Follow Chef on Pinterest for every list as it lands.

More from the list