Healthy, Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake Cookie
Vegan (and healthy)Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
Looking for a better-for-you dessert during festive occasions? This dessert pairs two classics—cookies and cheesecake—into a bite-size vegan sweet that’s perfect for a party or just a cozy holiday at home or anytime. Super easy to prepare and only 7 ingredients.
Makes 14 cookies
Ingredients
For the filling:
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 3 tbsp fresh squeezed (preferred) lemon juice
- ½ tsp lemon zest or the zest of 1 lemon
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp pure (preferred) maple syrup
For the cookies:
- 1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour (or coconut flour for GF)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup vegan butter, softened (I love Miyoko’s brand)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 14 fresh raspberries
Prep It!
- Soak the cashews in just-boiled water for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse them well.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a blender, blend the soaked cashews together with the lemon juice, lemon zest, water, and maple syrup until you have a smooth and creamy mixture. You might need to scrape the mixture down from the edges when blending to get everything smooth.
- To make the cookies, in a bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the vegan butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and combine either with a wooden spoon, a spatula or with your hands into a smooth dough.
- Take 1 tablespoon (16 g) of the dough and roll it into a ball. Flatten it on the parchment paper and shape the cookie dough into a mini pie with edges. Fill the cookie with cashew cream, about 2 teaspoons (10 ml) per cookie.
- Repeat until you have all the cookies on the parchment paper. Bake the cookies in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cashew cream is solid.
- Let the cookies cool on the parchment paper for 10 minutes before moving them onto a cooling rack.
- Place a fresh raspberry on each cookie. Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reprinted from Fantastic Vegan Cookies by Tiina Strandberg
