Caramel Pecan Pie Cheesecake

I’m almost always craving more than one thing at a time. So when I couldn’t decide between baking pecan pie, and making a raw cashew cheesecake, I put them together in to one incredible frankenstein cake. Do not wait a day to make the caramel sauce!

Ingredients (makes four servings)

Pecan Pie Crust

2 cups raw pecans (and more for garnishing)

4 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

4 tbsp vegan butter

Cheesecake Filling

1½ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight

⅓ cup coconut milk (from the can)

⅓ cup pure maple syrup

½ tsp vanilla extract

Caramel

1 can of coconut milk, chilled in the fridge overnight (minus 1/3 cup for the cheesecake filling)

2 cups of brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp sea salt

Directions

To make the crust: I recommend making the crust the day before serving the cake. Preheat your oven to 350F. In a food processor, pulse all the crust ingredients together, except for the butter. Once finely chopped, cube in butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles wet sand. Grease with coconut oil, or parchment paper line three four-inch springform cake molds. Press the mixture down as evenly as possible, and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pans, and let them bake another 5-10, until the edges get a nice brown colour. Set aside to cool, then cover with wrap, and leave in the fridge for tomorrow. Make sure to soak your cashews for the filling overnight!

To make the filling: Drain the soaked cashews, and add to a food processor with all other cheesecake ingredients. Process on high speed until the consistency is smooth and creamy, it’ll likely take a couple of minutes. Evenly distribute the batter over the crusts in your three molds. Then, cover again and pop them in the freezer for at least six hours to firm. Then, it can be decorated.

To make the caramel: It’s best to make the caramel right after the cheesecake, as we’ll use the remaining coconut oil, and it’ll need some time to rest before decorating. To a small pot on the stove, add all the ingredients together. Whisking constantly, bring the mixture to a boil, and then simmer for 20-30 minutes. You’re looking for the brown sugar to dissolve. Your entire kitchen should smell like caramel! Once a clear liquid, it will thicken slightly, but still seem thinner than standard caramel. This is when it’s a good idea to pour the caramel in to a mason jar to cool. Once cooled, place the jar in the fridge until you’re cake has firmed.

To assemble: Since the cheesecake is raw, it’s best to work with it when it’s cold. Remove from the freezer, carefully remove from molds, and stack. Then, dose in caramel, and garnish with more pecans. The caramel might need another quick whisk if any of the coconut has solidified in to pieces. It’s especially delicious to enjoy this when the cake is cool, and the caramel is warm. These would also be delightful as the three individual tarts.

Two cravings crushed in a single forkful! When you try this recipe (because we know you will) share a picture with us on our Facebook page.