Thank you to the following for reviewing Vegan Under Pressure and featuring the Straightforward Cashew Lemon Cheezecake recipe on your blogs. This recipe can be found below and on page 290 of Vegan Under Pressure.
Jenna from Good Good Things
Kathy from Healthy Slow Cooking (thank you for the great photo!)
Sarah from Heal Grow Blossom
Kittee from Cake Maker to the Stars
Straightforward Cashew Lemon Cheezecake – Vegan Under Pressure
I am not a dairy cheesecake fan, but I love vegan cheezecake as it’s usually not cloyingly sweet or overly fatty. This comes together rather easily but seems like a very special dessert. It can be served with a variety of fruit toppings, depending upon what’s in season. The star is the filling, although the crust is mighty tasty, too. You do, however, need to remember to soak the cashews for at least 2 hours in advance.
To get the best results, you need to use a high-speed blender. You can also make this in a regular blender or food processor, but know that you won’t get the creamy result that is intended (it will still taste darned good). You will need a 6-, 7-, or 8-inch springform pan that fits inside your pressure cooker.
If you don’t want to make an oat crust, use your favorite raw crust.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup quick oats
- ½ cup walnuts
- ½ cup chopped dates soaked in ¼ cup water for 15 to 30 minutes, drained, but reserve soaking liquid
Filling
- 1 cup cashews soaked in 1 cup water for 2 to 4 hours
- ½ cup coconut flour
- ¼ cup coconut palm sugar
- ½ cup vanilla nondairy milk
- 1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
- ½ cup fresh raspberries blueberries, or strawberries; or 6 figs, sliced; or other fruit to top the cheezecake
Instructions
- Add 1½ cups water to your pressure cooker and add a rack elevated above the water. Create a set of helper handles to enable you to remove the pan.
- To make the crust: Combine the crust ingredients in a mini food processor and process briefly until the mixture comes together. If it seems too dry, add a tablespoon at a time of the date soaking liquid until you have a cohesive “dough.” It should be firm but not gooey. Press into the bottom and a little way up the sides of a springform pan that will fit in your pressure cooker.
- To make the filling: Drain the cashews, reserving the soaking water. Add the cashews and half the soaking water to a high-speed blender or food processor and process until smooth. Add more water, if necessary. Add the coconut flour, palm sugar, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla to the blender or processor. Blend well. Add the arrowroot and blend again.
- Pour the filling into the crust, smoothing out the top. Cover the pan with foil or a cover. Lower the pan into the pressure cooker, using the helper handle, if necessary.
- Lock on the lid. Bring to high pressure; cook for 20 minutes. Let the pressure come down naturally. Carefully open the cooker, tilting the lid away from you.
- Using the helper handle, carefully take the pan out of the cooker. Remove the cover carefully so any accumulated moisture does not drip onto the cake. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Place the fruit on top of the cheezecake. Let cool for at least 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour before removing the outer part of the pan and serving.
Notes
Text excerpted from Vegan Under Pressure, © 2015 by Jill Nussinow. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved
I kniw this is an old post but I have a question. Is there a substitute for the coconut flour? It is not something I can get my hands on easily in my part of the world.
This is still a great recipe and I am happy to help you. I have heard that you can substitute regular flour for the coconut flour. The coconut flour absorbs liquid and gives the cheezecake body. I believe that people have tried it with regular all purpose or pastry flour with success. I cannot eat either one so I don’t know but try it and let me know. Thanks for asking.
Kathy,
Some people have substituted regular whole wheat, all purpose or pastry flour and said that it worked. I understand that sometimes one cannot get ingredients. Try it and see. Of course, if you use any of those, it will no longer be gluten-free. Also know that coconut flour tends to absorb more liquid so you might need to add more flour to get the batter “just right” which is thick.
Would this recipe work using erythritol or xylitol instead of palm sugar?
The recipe ought to work fine with one of the sugar alcohols that you mention. You will have to try it and see. The good part is that you can taste the batter to determine if it has the “right” level of sweetness for you. Let me know how it works out Augusta.
I am brand new to the pressure cooking…. can you tell me what a “helper handle” is, or how to make one? Also, I have the 6qt. Instant Pot, do you know what the size of the spring form pan would be? Thank you!
I am enjoying “Vegan Under Pressure” very much, both the recipes and the charts. I am planning to make this cheezecake, but I normally don’t buy quick oats. Can I use regular rolled oats? Looking forward to trying this!
The quick oats are smaller and thinner so they work best but if you don’t have them, process your regular oats a bit and use those. It won’t likely make a huge difference. I only buy quick (or baby) oats to use for baking.
Hi Jill, Do you have a recipe for plain cheezecake? Or is it advisable to modify it (e.g., key lime cheezecake?) I will try the straightforward cashew lemon recipe, but I thought it might be fun to try a different flavor. How about plain?
You can probably make it plain but will need to add 2 tablespoons more liquid to make up for lack of lemon juice. I am pretty sure that it would work just fine with lime of any kind. Key lime sounds great, if you can get key lime juice or use regular lime juice.
I hope that whatever you do, you enjoy it Cathy.