Whipped Coffee Coconut Vegan Cheesecake with Cinnamon Crust

That title looks so delicious I could eat it. But instead I’ve been eating the real-life version of it, by the spoonful.

This morning began innocently with a plan to replenish my jar of homemade date & fig jam. As those soaked fruits whizzed round the food processor a perfectly ripe banana caught my eye, so I threw that in. Also, I had some leftover coconut cream, in it went. Before I knew it I was spooning heaped tablespoons of peanut butter into the mix and sprinkling maldon sea salt in spontaneous dessert-induced elation.

Resisting the urge to pour the whole thing into my mouth, I refrigerated and swirled in a half teaspoon of azera coffee. I also had to brush my teeth as a kind of safeguard for the dessert’s existence.

But what would I use as a crust? It was refined-sugar free and vegan thus far, so biscuits and butter were out of the question. Hmm. Of course! The oven pinged. I’d make a baked oatmeal base.

I began by toasting my oat, spelt and rye mix in a saucepan, adding pulsed hazelnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The kitchen smelled like heaven. I added water straight from the tap and the oats instantly softened and turned into a porridge-like consistency (definitely a new way to make my beloved breakfast). I emptied the goods into a lined baking tray and in it went to the oven at 150°.

Then I started writing this, so I had better go back and check it.

Deciding that a third filling layer of dark chocolate would complete the equation, I spooned another dollop of coconut cream into a bowl with some cocoa powder, plain chocolate chips and walnut oil. I warmed for 30 seconds and poured onto my freshly baked oat-nut base, leaving to cool while I went for coffee with a friend (conversation centred mostly around the cheesecake).

An hour or two later, I poured the glorious coconut-coffee mix into the tin and scattered some extra fine-ground coffee on top for good luck. I then made room for my Vegecake in the freezer, where it will now be kept until myself or another human of refined tastebuds delights to have a slice.

Ingredients:

Buttery biscuit base

– 4 heaped tbsps oats or oat mix (spelt, rye, flaked quinoa, buckwheat)

– 1/2 tsp cinnamon

– Handful hazelnuts and walnuts, pulsed or finely chopped

– Water

Toast the oats in a saucepan with the cinnamon until smeling fragrant and warm, add the nuts and cover with water straight from the tap.

Fill saucepan about two inches deep and stir to develop a gooey and sticky mixture, not too thin but thick enough so that the oats are not completely solid and have water to absorb.

Press into a lined round baking tin and bake until crisp in a 180° oven. About 20 minutes, adding water if necessary to make the oats soft with a little crunch.

Chocolate layer

– 2 tbsps coconut cream

– Handful plain chocolate chips

– Tsp cocoa powder

– Tsp walnut/any oil

Mix the ingredients in 20-second bursts in the microwave until melted and thick. Spoon onto the baked base and let cool whilst preparing the filling.

Creamy filling

– Handful dates/figs, soaked in hot water

– 1 can coconut cream

– Mashed banana

– 2 heaped tbsp peanut butter

– A sprinkle of sea salt

– 1/2 tsp finely ground coffee

Pulse the dates in a food processor until blended into a jam-like consistency, then add all other ingredients to make a delicious light-as-air faux-cheesecake topping.

Sprinkle some extra coffee on top and swirl over the previous two layers. Freeze and transfer to the refrigerator when you’re ready to serve. I prefer this just slightly cooler than fridge temperature; cold, but still spoonable and creamy.