Description
Need a sweet treat? Vegan Cheesecake bites that are also Gluten-Free and Nut-Free! These adorable little strawberry cheesecake bites are super delicious. Vegan, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, Oil-free, Refined Sugar-free
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 3/4 cup moist medjool dates, pitted (see Note 1)
- 3/4 cup rolled / old fashioned oats (certified gluten-free if needed)
Filling
- 10 oz frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup coconut cream (see Note 2)
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (or sub lime juice or apple cider vinegar)
- 3-4 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (sub any nondairy milk) or just enough to blend
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (to taste!) (or sub agave or date syrup)
- 4 tsp agar POWDER (see Note 3)
- 1.5 - 2 cups water
Instructions
- In the food processor or blender, blend up your sticky dates briefly so that they're more of a paste. Then add the oats and combine until the mixture is soft, but not sticky.
- If the mixture is too sticky, add just a few more oats. If the mixture is too dry and crumbly, add more pitted dates ONE AT A TIME. Test often to make sure you have the right consistency.
- Now add the crust into each little section of your pan. For mine, I used about 1 teaspoon of dough rolled into a little ball. then I pressed it to fill the bottom half of each slot. Press it well with your fingers and try to make it smooth.
- Start bringing your water to boil in a small saucepan. While the water heats up, make the filling. Toss your strawberries, lemon juice, coconut cream, nondairy milk, and maple syrup into the blender and give it a little blend. Taste it and adjust if needed
- Your water should now be to a boil. Sprinkle in the agar powder and whisk it in the boiling water for 1-2 minutes until the clumps have disappeared. You may want to use an oven mitt for this.
- Then turn down the heat to medium and whisk it for another few minutes until the powder is fully dissolved. You'll notice that the solution has thickened somewhat. Use a spatula to get all of the agar mixture into the blender. Now blend it well until smooth and fully combined. Quickly taste again and make sure the flavors are good for you.
- Using a small spoon or spatula (I used both to try and be as neat and efficient as I could), take around 1 teaspoon of the mixture at a time and fill each heart. Using a mini muffin pan you may need a bit more for each slot.
- Try to level it off with your spatula or the back of your spoon to make for a smooth appearance when it's set. Clean up the pan a little if desired.
- Put the pan in the refrigerator for at least 6-8 hours or overnight (preferable). If you're short on time, freeze them for a few hours, then take them out and thaw about 10 minutes before you'd like to serve them
- Serve with fresh strawberries, nondairy whipped cream, etc. and enjoy!
- Refrigerate leftovers (do not stack bites) in an airtight container up to 5 days or freeze up to 6 months. Recommend freezing on a tray then when they're frozen you can condense them into a container or freezer bag.
Notes
- Note 1: If your dates are not mushy or sticky, soak them for 10 minutes in very hot water, then drain them well. In either case, make sure to pit your dates before processing. :)
- Note 2: You can find coconut cream online or in the international section of your grocery store. If you cannot find it, you may substitute the same amount of soaked cashews (drain them before adding to the blender).
- Note 3: This recipe uses agar POWDER, not flakes. I've heard that basically, one tablespoon of agar flakes is equal to one teaspoon of agar powder. So if you can only find the flakes, use this rule to modify the amount of agar in this recipe.
- Note 4: You may be able to substitute the agar with corn starch or arrowroot powders as they are thickeners, however, I have not tested it. If you test it, let us know in the comments below so that others can benefit from your experiment!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: Holiday, American, Baking
Keywords: Vegan, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, Oil-free, Refined Sugar-free, dessert, cheesecake, valentine's day, romantic