The ultimate ‘dairy – free’ cheesecake.
Light, fluffy, melt in your mouth kind of cheesecake … but made without the cheese! That’s the beauty of silken tofu. The combination of tofu and coconut milk gives this ‘cheese – free’ cake a very smooth yet fluffy texture.
Adding in extra lemon and serving with fresh berries makes this dessert P – O – P!
Such a crowd pleaser… even amongst those plant – based foodies.
Have some fun experimenting in the kitchen and try the different flavour combinations to suit your palate.
Recipe adapted from Pick Up Limes
Makes: 1 tart (use a small 18 cm round tin)
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes + refrigeration time (±3 hours or overnight)
Ingredients:
Biscuit Base
- 1 x 200 g digestive, coconut or ginger biscuits
- 2 Tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil
Tofu Custard Filling
- 300 g silken tofu (smooth and soft consistency)
- Juice and zest of 1 large lemon (optional to add more for a more intense lemon flavour)
- 1⁄3 cup (80 mL) coconut milk
- 3 Tbsp (40 g) sugar
- 2 Tbsp (20 g) flour (arrowroot, tapioca or corn starch)
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) vanilla essence
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Biscuit Base: In a food processor, blitz the biscuits and oil into a fine sand. Pour the crushed biscuit into a small size 18cm round springform pan* that is well – greased and lined with baking paper. Tip: Using the flat bottom of a cup, press the crumbs into a crust staring from the middle and working your way towards the sides.
- Tofu Filling: Combine the tofu, lemon juice, lemon zest, coconut milk, sugar, flour and vanilla essence in a blender. Blend until very smooth. Pour the mixture into the prepared biscuit base. Lightly tap on a solid surface to get rid of any bubbles.
- Place into your preheated oven and bake for 25 – 30 minutes i.e. until the edges are lightly golden and the topped is cracked. The middle can still be quite soft, but it will set in the fridge.
- Let the tart cool at room temp for 30 minutes, and then transfer to the fridge for at least 3 hours. Alternatively, make the tart the day before and store it overnight.
- Garnish with fresh berries or try my homemade berry chia jam!
- Store in an air – tight container and in the fridge for up to 3 days.
*You need to use a smaller springform pan (around 18cm in size) otherwise the cheesecake filling will be to thin and will overcook in the oven (and then you can say goodbye to that ideal cheese – cake consistency)!
Variations:
Replace the lemon juice and lemon zest for different flavour variations
- Milk Tart: Add 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon to the filling. Use coconut biscuits for the base. Sprinkle with cinnamon before serving
- Chocolate: Add 80 g melted chocolate of choice with the filling. Use chocolate biscuits for the base. Top with grated chocolate before serving.
- Peanut Butter: Melt 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter. Add 1/4 cup and blend it along with the filling. Swirl in the rest of the peanut butter once you have poured the filling over the biscuit base. You may have to add an extra dash of coconut milk if it becomes too thick.
Dietitians Notes:
- Tofu: Also known as bean curd is made from soy beans. Unlike most plant proteins, soy beans are a complete plant protein as it contains all of the essential amino acids we need to get from food as our bodies cannot produce them. Tofu can provide between ±20g protein per 100g – making it an ideal protein source in a vegetarian, vegan or plant – focused diet.
- When using tofu instead of cream/ cream cheese/ cottage cheese for the filling, it makes the cake light and fluffy. The consistency is exactly the same as the normal cheesecake but it is lighter in texture and not as dense.
- This recipe only calls for tofu and coconut milk, making it 100% plant – based (perfect for those who are vegan).
