Whipped Coffee Coconut Vegan Cheesecake with Cinnamon Crust
By Elena Gibbs
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.