No-Sugar Vegan Cheesecake Cups

Ingredients

• Crust:
• ¼ cup chopped dried apricots
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts
• Vegan Egg:
• 1 tablespoon flax seed meal
• 2 ½ tablespoons hot water
• Filling:
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut cream
• 2 tablespoons water
• ¾ lemon, zested
• ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ teaspoon stevia powder
• cooking spray

Step 1

Soak the apricots in a small bowl of water for about 10 minutes, then drain them right away. Do the same with the cranberries, but let them soak a bit longer, around 20 minutes, before draining. Toss the apricots and cranberries into a food processor and blend for about 25 seconds until smooth, then transfer the fruit mixture to a bowl.

Step 2

Add half a cup of walnuts to the food processor and pulse until they’re finely chopped. Return the fruit back in and keep processing until it forms a sticky ball. Then add the remaining walnuts and pulse just enough to break them down into small pieces—you want some texture, so about 20 seconds should do. Put this crust mixture into a separate bowl.

Step 3

In a small bowl, mix the flaxseed meal with hot water and let it sit for about five minutes to thicken. Meanwhile, combine the flax mixture with coconut cream, water, lemon zest, vanilla, and stevia in a blender. Blend everything until super smooth. If it feels a bit thick, add more coconut cream one tablespoon at a time until it blends easily.

Step 4

Lightly spray mini silicone muffin cups and set them on a baking sheet. Cut small squares of parchment paper—about 3 inches each—to help press down the crust. Spoon a scant tablespoon of the crust mixture into each cup, then use a parchment square to press it down evenly. Once all the cups have their crust, fill them with the creamy mixture, leaving just a little space at the top.

Step 5

Give the baking sheet a gentle tap on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles, then cover the whole thing with plastic wrap and pop it in the freezer. Let it chill for at least 12 hours until set. When you’re ready to serve, take the cheesecake cups out of the freezer and carefully pop them out onto a parchment-lined plate. Let them thaw for about 10 minutes before digging in.