Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars
It’s about time these babies lived here on the blog! I’ve been making vegan cheesecake bars like these for many years, yet realized recently the only place they’re recorded is in my E-book. And the vegan cheesecakes here on my site are a little fancier in variety (golden milk cheesecake + coffee caramel cheesecake).
These vegan strawberry rhubarb cheesecake bars are creamy, tangy + undetectably healthy (I live for tricking people). Feel free to replace the strawberries.+ rhubarb here with any kind of fruit of your liking. They’re perfectly refreshing for summer + could even pass for breakfast! You have my permission.
Equipment
- 1 High-speed blender
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup medjool dates, pitted (~8 or 9 large)
- ½ cup small coconut flakes (unsweetened)
- 1 cup oats (almonds, walnuts, or cashews also work)
- pinch salt
- 1-2 tbsp tbsp water
Filling:
- 2 cups raw cashews (soaked)
- 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup rhubarb
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp vanilla
- ⅛ tsp salt
Instructions
- Soak cashews in hot water at least 10 minutes.
- Sauté chopped rhubarb over medium-low heat until reduced and soft, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
For crust:
- Combine all ingredients into a food processor, besides water. Blend until it’s fully combined and a mealy texture. Add water in, 1 tbsp at at a time, while it’s running (if possible). You’ll see the mixture start to form a sticky dough.
- Press crust into the bottom of an 8×8 or 9×9 pan (lined with parchment paper!). The parchment (or wax paper) is key here as you’ll need the leverage to pull the bars out once frozen. Make sure the paper is longer on at least 2 sides to help pull. Once evenly pressed down (with a rubber spatula, your hands, or the bottom of a glass), throw into the freezer.
Filling:
- Back to the filling. Add all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until VERY smooth. Depending on your blender, you may need to use a tamper to help move things around (if it has one) or just stop every so often to give it a stir. Be patient, the smooth consistency is important!*
- Once creamy, pour over the crust and spread evenly. Top with freshly sliced strawberries + chia seeds (or neither!). Coconut flakes would be great here, too.
- Freeze for at least 4 hours, but longer is fine. Pull the bars out and onto a plate or small pan. onto a cutting board. Let sit for 20 minutes before slicing into bars or add to the fridge and slice later.
- Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for up to one month (you'll want to thaw for 5-10 min before enjoying).
Notes
*Note: a high-powered blender is ideal here. If you use a food processor or lower-grade blender, it won’t get as smooth.
**More notes: If you want to make this into a cheesecake, just use a springform pan instead and follow the same instructions.
***You can also use any type of fresh or frozen fruit (1-1.5 cups) in this recipe!
