Note: Long prep time. Requires cooling 5 hours or overnight mid-recipe.
Filling
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup coconut cream*
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese* (Trader Joe’s brand or Toffuti)
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup maple syrup, plus more to taste
- 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil (for extra creaminess)
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
Crust
- 3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 3/4 cup raw almonds
- 1/ 4 tsp sea salt
- 2 Tbsp coconut sugar, plus more to taste
- 4 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
Directions
- Add raw cashews to a mixing bowl and cover with boiling water. Let rest for 1 hour uncovered. Drain thoroughly.
- In the meantime, preheat oven to 350° F and line a standard loaf pan (or 8×8 inch baking dish) with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Add oats, almonds, sea salt, and coconut sugar to a high speed blender and mix on high until a fine meal is achieved.
- Remove lid and add melted coconut oil, starting with 4 Tbsp and adding more if it’s too dry. Pulse/mix on low until a loose dough is formed, scraping down sides as needed. You should be able to squeeze the mixture between two fingers and form a dough instead of it crumbling. If too dry, add a bit more melted coconut oil.
- Transfer mixture to parchment-lined loaf pan and spread evenly to distribute. Then place parchment paper on top and use a flat-bottomed object, like a drinking glass, to press down firmly until it’s evenly packed. Let it run up the sides a little, otherwise it can be too thick on the bottom.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then increase heat to 375° F and bake for 5-10 minutes more, or until the edges are golden brown and there is some browning on the surface. Remove from oven to cool slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 325° F.
- Once the cashews are soaked and drained, add to a high speed blender with coconut cream, vegan cream cheese, maple syrup, coconut oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sea salt. Blend on high until very creamy and smooth, scraping down sides as needed.
- Taste and adjust flavor if needed. Add more lemon juice for acidity, lemon zest for tartness, salt for flavor balance and maple syrup for sweetness .
- Pour over the pre-baked crust and spread into an even layer. Tap on counter to remove air bubbles.
- Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the eddes look slightly dry and the center appears only slightly jiggly but not liquid. When you shake it, it will have some give to it, but it shouldn’t all look liquid – only the enter should jiggle.
- Let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to refrigerator to let cool completely (uncovered). Once cooled, cover with plastic wrap (waiting until cool will prevent condensation) and continue refrigerating
for a total of 5 hours, preferably overnight. - To serve lift out of pan with parchment paper and cut into bars or triangles. (I carefully cut off the very edge pieces because they aren’t as creamy as the center pieces.)
- Enjoy as is or with coconut whipped cream and fresh berries. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, covered, up to 3-4 days. It’s at its best in the first 2 days.
Notes
*A good coconut cream is Trader Joe’s brand. Use coconut cream preferably over full-fat coconut milk. But if you can’t find coconut cream, buy a couple of cans of full-fat coconut milk and scoop off the top cream and use it.
*Don’t try to substitute anything else for the vegan cream cheese for anything else. It’s essential to get that creamy, cheesy texture in this recipe.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 slice (of 8) Calories: 472 Fat: 36.9 g Saturated fat: 19.8 g Carbohydrates: 32.2 g
Sugar. 17.3 g Sodium; 213 mg Fiber: 3.2 g Protein: 7.2 g