Mama Marneen's Chocolate Cheesecake

Dairy Free Cream Cheese:

5 cups raw cashews

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 cups coconut milk

Dairy Free Sour Cream:

1 cups raw cashews

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 -1 tbsp water (if needed)

Gluten Free Graham Crackers for the Crust:

1 tbsp coconut sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 cup maple syrup

1/2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp melted coconut oil

3/4 cup gluten free oat flour

1/8 cup arrowroot starch

3/4 tsp ground flax seeds

tortilla press

Crust:

1 1/4 cup of Gluten Free Graham Crackers

2 tbsp cacao powder

1/4 cup three ingredient chocolate

1 tsp coconut sugar

2 1/2 tbsp Miyokos Oat Milk Butter, melted

Filling:

24 ounces homemade vegan cream cheese, or 3-8 ounce containers Miyokos dairy free cream cheese

1 - 1 1/4 cups coconut sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

2 egg yolks

3 tbsp cacao powder

3/4 cup coconut milk

12 ounces melted three ingredient chocolate

1 cup dairy free sour cream

Ganache:

6 tbsp + 1 tsp coconut oil

5 tbsp cacao powder

6 tbsp + 1 tsp maple syrup

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese:

This recipe will make more than you actually need for the cheesecake. You can make any flavor cream cheese you want with the leftover.

Soak all cashews in boiling water for 3 hours. Rinse, drain, and dry on a kitchen towel. Measure out 5 cups of the cashews with the rest of the ingredients for the cream cheese and put in a food processor or a blender. I have a Blendtec, and it worked well, but was very thick. Blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

For the Sour Cream:

Place 1 cup of the soaked cashews in a food processor or blender. Add in the rest of the ingredients for the sour cream and blend well until smooth and creamy.

While the cashews are soaking, make the graham crackers for the crust. Preheat oven to 350. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, maple syrup, honey, and melted coconut oil until well blended and smooth.

Add in the oat flour, arrowroot starch, and ground flax seeds and mix until the flour is completely incorporated. Your dough should not feel too tacky or too dry. The sides of the bowl should be clean when well mixed.

Put parchment paper on the bottom of a tortilla press. Put 4 tbsp of the dough on top of the parchment paper, and then cover with another piece of parchment paper. Press the dough until it's about 1/8" thick. Cook on large cookie sheet for 11-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Let cool completely, and then they will be ready to use for the crust.

When the graham crackers are cool, place them in a blender or food processor and process until they are fine crumbs.

Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the crumbs into a small mixing bowl. Add in the rest of the crust ingredients and mix well. Press firmly into the bottom of a 10" springform pan.

Filling:

Mix all ingredients with hand mixer until smooth. Using a hand mixer will help reduce the amount of air bubbles in the crust to prevent the crust from cracking.

Pour filling over crust. Bake at 300 for 60-65 minutes. Center should be slightly jiggly when you move the pan. Let cool completely.

Ganache:

Melt coconut oil in a bowl in the microwave. Stir in maple syrup until combined. Add in cacao powder and vanilla and mix well.

Pour ganache over cooled cheesecake and refrigerate until serving.