MAKES 7 | PER CHEESECAKE: 516 CALORIES | 11.1G PROTEIN | 46.3G CARBS | 36G FAT
Creamy, silky miniature cheesecakes flavoured with toffee and vanilla, all on top of a chewy base. When I first made these at home to test the recipe, my husband polished them off in well under an hour. Always a good sign of a delicious dessert!
FOR THE BASE:
150g dates, pitted and soaked in hot water for 20 minutes to soften
140g raw unsalted almonds or walnuts
1–2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract or powder
FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING:
1 x 400ml tin of full-fat coconut milk, chilled overnight in the fridge
210g raw unsalted cashew nuts, soaked in cold water for 15 minutes and drained
165g pure maple syrup or honey
70g coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract or powder
FOR THE TOFFEE SAUCE:
150g dates, pitted and soaked for 20 minutes in hot water to soften
1 tbsp tahini
1 tsp vanilla extract or powder
pinch of sea salt
1 To make the base, drain the soaked dates well and place them in a food processor with the almonds, cinnamon and vanilla. Blend them together until a sticky dough forms. You should be able to stick the mixture together between your fingers. Use a tablespoon to divide the mixture evenly between the wells of a muffin tin (you should aim to make around 7 cheesecakes), pressing down gently on the mixture to help it stick together and making sure the tops are smooth and even.
2 To make the cheesecake filling, first carefully open the tin of chilled coconut milk without shaking it. The thick coconut cream should have separated from the coconut water. Spoon it out into a blender or food processor. Add the drained cashews, maple syrup, melted coconut oil and vanilla. Blend together until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Divide the filling between the bases in the muffin tray and make sure they’re smooth across the top.
3 To make the toffee sauce, drain the soaked dates and place them in a blender with the tahini, vanilla and salt. Use a splash of warm water to help it blend into a smooth sauce. Stop and scrape down the sides of the blender if necessary. Use a teaspoon to place a dollop of toffee sauce on the centre of each cheesecake, smoothing it across the top.
4 Place the entire tray into the freezer to set for at least 2 hours. Remove from the freezer when ready to serve and use a blunt knife to ease the edges of the cheesecakes out from the tin, then pop them out. The cheesecakes are best eaten on the day they’re made, but they can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
