Vegan Cherry Cheesecake Bars

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Prep Time: 20 minutes | Freeze Time: 4 hours | Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• For the crust:

  8 Medjool dates, pitted

  1 cup almonds

  2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

  1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

  1/4 tsp salt

  1 tbsp warm water

• For the cherry cheesecake filling:

  1 cup cashews, soaked in water overnight or boiled for 10 minutes

  1/4 cup maple syrup

  1 tsp vanilla extract

  1/2 cup sweetened condensed or full-fat coconut milk

  1 and 1/2 cups cherries, frozen, divided

  1 tbsp lemon juice

• For the topping:

  Dairy-free chocolate shavings

Instructions (yields 16 bars):

• For the cashews, you can either soak them in a bowl of water overnight OR boil them with 3 cups of water for about 10-20 minutes. This makes them tender and easier to blend into a smooth consistency. When you’re ready to use your cashews, drain them.

• Line an 8x8-inch pan with parchment paper.

• Add the dates, almonds, cocoa powder, coconut oil, and sea salt to a food processor and process until chunky and clumps into a ball. Add the mixture to the prepared pan and press evenly towards the sides.

• Place the crust into the refrigerator while making the cheesecake filling.

• Next, add the drained cashews, maple syrup, vanilla, coconut milk, lemon juice, and 1 cup of cherries to a blender. Blend until smooth.

• Pour 1/2 of the mixture over the crust, evenly spreading it. Top with 1/2 cup of frozen cherries, then pour the remaining mixture over.

• Shave chocolate over the bars using a grater and freeze for at least 4 hours to harden.

• Cut into 16 slices and store in the freezer.

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