This may have been one of the hardest recipes I have had to make. And being an over-achiever by nature, I couldn’t help but make it even harder for myself and thinking: “Ah-ha! I won’t use cashews!”. Well done Lilia. I’d really done it then. *Slow clap*.

Let me just get this straight: I don’t think things through. And I payed for that. Deciding I didn’t want any excess crumbs on the base, I proceeded to tip them into the bin. You can probably guess what happened. The whole base fell, into the bin. *Another slow clap*. Yay. And to make it worse: I decided it was a great idea to do this BEFORE SCHOOL.

I still have more stories. But I won’t bore you. Let’s talk about the cheesecake: probably the reason you are actually here. It’s really creamy even without cashews; I used silken tofu. It is the softest tofu you can get, and is often used in desserts like mousses or in a vegan carbonara. It is very smooth, meaning you don’t need a high quality (ridiculously expensive) blender to make this!

Vegan Nut-free Gingerbread Cheesecake Description: This creamy cheesecake is a showstopper that will have everyone asking for more! Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Fridge time: 5 hours Serves: 10 Suitable for vegans |
Ingredients:
- 200g ginger nuts, crushed
- 40g vegan butter, melted
- 350g silken tofu
- 205ml (1/2 cup + 1/3 cup) plant milk
- 50g (1/4 cup + 1 tbsp) icing sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 100g (1/2 cup) coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Method:
- Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F/ Gas Mark 3). Line an 8″ cake tin with baking paper.
- Combine the crushed ginger nuts and the melted butter, and press them firmly into the bottom of the tin. Bake for 10 minutes.
- In a blender, put the tofu, plant milk, icing sugar, lemon juice, coconut oil, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Blend until fully smooth.
- Once the base is cool, pour the cheesecake mixture on top and put in the fridge for at least 5 hours. Enjoy!
Storage instructions: Best eaten fresh. Will store for one day in the fridge.