Vegan New York Style Cheesecake

I definitely have a thing for cheesecake. It started way back in high school, and never really went away. In fact, a few of my friends and I have a tradition that whenever we’re together, we eat cheesecake. While it’s sad I don’t see them often, maybe it’s a positive thing.

Since I quit dairy, it was hard to find a substitute for the decadent dessert. Somehow, even though they’re tasty, the frozen varieties never really hit the spot.

This cheesecake, however, does it for me. And it’s husband approved - which is huge, considering he is even more of a cheesecake fan than I am!

The base of this cheesecake is cashews and vegan cream cheese (I’m sorry, nut sensitive friends!). I’ve also tried it with silken tofu, but somehow I like the texture the cream cheese gets. The arrowroot powder adds to the firmness of the cake. You also are in control of how tart you want it. I’ve tested this particular recipe with both as little as 3 TBSP of lemon juice and as much as a 1/4 cup of the liquid lip pucker.

I chose not to put the strawberries on top of the entire cheesecake, as we have a non-fan of the fruit living under the roof. Considering there is only one other human living in our house besides me, I’ll let you guess who that could possibly be.

You could make any type of fruit topping. In fact, get creative! And then let me know what combinations you like best! I’ve made strawberry and blueberry so far. I can’t wait to experiment with more flavors (and I’ve even made a galactic version of this for a space-themed birthday party which was a hit.

This is seriously the best basic cheesecake.

Vegan New York Style Cheesecake

For the Crust:

• 2 cups graham crackers

• ¾ cup melted coconut oil or vegan butter

• ¼ cup maple syrup or agave

• Pinch sea salt

For the Filling:

• 8oz vegan cream cheese (I used Tofutti brand)

• 1 cup refrigerated coconut cream

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes

• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder (get it from Amazon here)

• ¼ c fresh lemon juice

• ¼ c Maple syrup

• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

• Pinch salt

For the Strawberry Topping:

• 1 container (16 oz) of fresh strawberries, diced and a few just halved

• cane sugar

• lemon juice

• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder mixed in 2 tbsp water

what to do:

1) Preheat the oven to 350ºF

2) Prepare the crust by combining all the the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well and then press into the pie pan.

3) Bake the crust for 8 minutes, until browned. Set aside to cool.

4) While the crust cools, combine all of the filing ingredients into a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until a smooth mixture with no cashew chunks, scraping down the sides as deeded.

5) Pour mixture into cooled pie crust and smooth the top with a spatula.

6) Bake 40 minutes - top will be slightly browned.

7) Allow to cool completely.

8) While cake is cooling, make your fruit topping.

9) Make topping by adding the diced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes - the strawberries will break down. Make the arrowroot powder slurry and add it to the saucepan. Stir until the sauce is thickened. Add the halved strawberries and toss to coat. Cool before serving over the cheesecake.

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Do you like cheesecake? What is your favorite topping? Let me know below!

Trying this recipe? Don’t forget to tag #MapleAlps so we can see what you’re up to! :)

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Delicious Vegan Lemon Loaf

I can hear you now: “Amanda! Finally, something sweet that doesn’t involve strawberries or chocolate!”

Yeah, yeah.

I have always loved a good lemon loaf. Something about those tangy, sweet tones just really makes my tastebuds soar.

A strange thing happens when you change your diet. Suddenly, things that used to be delicious to you start to lose their appeal. This started happening to me with lemon loaves filled with sugar and dairy. They were too harsh on my stomach and the taste was overwhelmingly sweet. I had no choice but to set out and make a version that would suit me better.

Yes, it still has sugar in it (and on top of it if you glaze it!), but I get to control it. I also get to control how tangy I want it, and I do love me some tang!

But enough about me!

This loaf boasts ten ingredients - 11 if you choose to glaze it. You can also substitute the oil for applesauce to make it oil-free and it is still as delicious.

Oh man, I’m ready to jump offline and run to the kitchen to whip up one of these bad boys. So much yum! The only thing I can’t decide on is if this loaf is breakfast appropriate. I think I’ll vote yes.

Vegan Lemon Loaf

For the Crust:

• 2 cups flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp sea salt

• ½ cup cane sugar

• 1 cup nondairy milk

• ½ cup vegetable oil or vegan butter or applesauce

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

• 1 tbsp lemon zest

• 1 tsp vanilla 

For the Glaze (optional, but encouraged)

• 1 cup powdered sugar

• 1 tbsp nondairy

• 1 tsbp fresh lemon juice

• 3 tsp lemon zest (optional)

what to do:

1. Grease a loaf pan and preheat the oven to 350ºF

2. Mix your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl

3. Mix wet ingredients in a smaller bowl

4. Add wet ingredient mixture to the dry ingredients

5. Stir until batter is well mixed and pour into prepared loaf pan

6. Bake for 45 minutes, using the toothpick test to make sure it is baked through

7. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes

8. Move loaf to a wire rack and cool completely before adding glaze

9. Make the glaze by whisking together all ingredients

10. Pour over loaf. I like to let the glaze harden before digging in

11. Enjoy!

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What kinds of loaves are your favorite? I have so many favorites I can’t decide, but this lemon is definitely on the top of that list :) Leave your favorite in the comments.

Trying this recipe? Don’t forget to tag #MapleAlps so we can see what you’re up to! :)

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Spinach + Artichoke Flatbread (vegan)

Well, Instagram has done it again! This post is brought to you by my IG page, after you all wanted the recipe for dinner I made earlier this month! According to my story, I made this yummy artichoke and spinach flatbread and we enjoyed it on the deck with some homemade lemonade for dinner. It was all great. And the weather was perfect, thanks for asking. Well, you all asked for the recipe, and since you asked, you are now receiving. The power of overwhelming me with the question on social media, hehe! This flatbread is seriously simple for summer, and can easily be grilled too!

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This recipe uses my favorite Alfredo sauce recipe. My mom used to make a very similar one, and I definitely had to keep the tradition of homemade Alfredo alive. It just doesn’t taste the same out of a jar. Plus, this one is vegan, so a much better option that still tastes yummy. I decided to go with a creamier sauce rather than the typical tomato-based one (or plain olive oil) I often see on flatbreads.

I’ve also had this almost obsession with artichokes lately and have been eating them up. I don’t hesitate to pick up a jar while browsing the aisles of the grocery store. Seriously so much yum! It’s not just the taste, it’s the texture too! Just. So. Good.

But I needed something to put them on. A few years ago, we went to this amazing Italian-Indian fusion place and had this delicious naan pizza with Indian inspired toppings. It was so good.

Enter naan.

Seriously, writing up this post is making me hungry, so I’ll get to the point.

You can use any naan or flatbread you want. If you want to do this on a pizza crust, by all means, do so! There probably won’t be anything left over once you serve this up!

And pro tip: eat it outside. It’ll make you feel fancy.

Spinach + Artichoke Flatbread

what you need for the Alfredo:

• 1/2 cup raw cashews

• 1 TBSP all-purpose flour

• 1 TBSP nutritional yeast flakes

• 1/2 cube vegan seasoning (I have used this one from amazon)

• 1 1/4 cup water or vegetable broth

• about 2 tsp dried basil

what to do:

1) Add first five ingredients to a blender and process until everything is well mixed.

2) Add mixture to pot, add basil, and bring to a slow simmer - constantly stirring until thick

what you need for the flatbread:

• Your favorite Naan bread or flatbread

• 1, 6oz. jar of artichoke hearts

• 3 1/2 cups fresh spinach

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 TBSP olive oil

Optional garnishes:

• your favorite shredded vegan cheese (optional)

• roasted red peppers (optional)

• red chili peppers (optional)

• sea salt to taste (optional)

what to do:

1) Preheat the oven to 425ºF (I do so with a pizza stone in there - optional!)

2) Mix the garlic and olive oil. Brush mixture on one side and put the bread oil side down on a prepared pan (or on pizza stone) Bake for about 2 minutes and set aside.

3) Put the remaining garlic and oil mixture into a pan. Add artichokes and spinach and cook until spinach starts to wilt, being sure to not overcook the spinach. Remove from heat.

4) Top naan with Alfredo sauce and artichoke mixture.

5) Sprinkle some vegan cheese on top (optional) and place in oven.

6) Bake for 5-7 minutes, until cheese is melted and if you want, broil the top for a minute.

7) Garnish with some red chili, red peppers, and sea salt.

8) Cut and serve fresh! Enjoy!

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Do you enjoy a good smoothie? What is your go-to? Let me know in the comments!

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Untraditional Simple Syrup

Summer for me means a lot of fresh lemonade and iced tea. I remember the days of powdered mixes in a can that you mixed with water and at the end of the drink there would be little granules at the bottom - and it would get sweeter as you got to the bottom. I know I’m not the only one who was annoyed with that.

Besides canned and powdered mixes being full of chemicals and dyes and sugars that are not the best options during the summer, it is incredibly easy to make your own drinks that contain less ingredients and taste just as great - if not better!

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A couple of things makes my simple syrup untraditional, the first being that instead of white refined sugar, I use raw organic cane sugar. The reason I use raw organic cane sugar is not necessarily for health reasons (gasp!). First off, I find white sugar a little bland. It’s just sweet and there is no depth of flavor. Maybe it’s just a personal preference, so feel free to use white if that is what you so wish. Organic cane sugar just means that the sugar cane used for the sugar was grown organically and is produced without any synthetic pesticides and herbicides. Which is nice to know. Not only does this decrease the amount of pesticides you are potentially intaking, but it is a step towards lowering the pesticide load on the environment.

In conclusion, there really isn’t a difference nutritionally between the two sugars, and you should be careful to not intake too much of a good thing anyway ;-)

The other thing that makes my simple syrup untraditional is the ratio of water and sugar that I use. Usually, there is a 1:1 ratio. I, however, use 2 parts water to 1 part sugar. It’s a small difference, but still a difference nonetheless. I’ve been curbing my sweet tooth, I guess. Don’t worry. It is definitely still sweet enough!

This simple syrup is perfect for lemonade and sweet tea and anything else you may want sweetened - without the granules in the bottom of your glass!

The best part? It’s quick and easy to whip up! And even easier to store in the fridge for up to 4 weeks!

Simple Syrup

what you need:

• 2 cups water

• 1 cup raw cane sugar

what to do:

1) Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to boil

2) Simmer for about 3 minutes, until syrup is clear

3) Allow to cool down before using in the drink of your choice

4) Store in an airtight container (a mason jar works well) in the refrigerator for about 3-4 weeks (if it lasts that long!)

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What are your go-to summer drinks? Have you ever made a simple syrup before?

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Chia Peach Frozen Pops (vegan)

Since moving to Michigan, I've appreciated Summer that much more. It seems that the Winter months drag on and on and on and Spring and Summer bring a breath of fresh air. I find myself physically aching for warm weather near the end of a cold spell and longing for warm evenings on the porch or at the beach.

I need to go outside and embrace my Summer! School will be starting before I know it, and soon the Winter will be back, so I need to get my outdoor time in now. I've been enjoying walking, jogging or riding bikes to the lake and walking along the shore. I also love just laying in the backyard or sitting on the porch - the grass is so soft and the sun makes me so happy!

Before I leave though, I'll give you this recipe to help you stay cool.

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You all know by now that I like chocolate, and while I have made chocolate versions of these frozen pops (ummm, chocolate peanutbutter chia please!!) and even fudgiscles, I decided to share a non-chocolate frozen treat with you today! I got the inspiration from a smoothie, really, and thought that fruit chunks in a popsicle would be a fun idea. Besides, it makes them prettier in my opinion.

Of course, you can use any kind of fruit in your pops. I chose peaches, because peaches. I love peaches. But I could imagine using raspberries or blueberries, or anything, really!

Waiting for these babies to freeze is a true test of patience, but they are well worth the wait!

Chia Peach Frozen Pops

what you need:

1 ¼ cup coconut milk

½ cup soy

¼ cup chia seeds

½ - 1 TBSP cane sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)

Canned or fresh peach (or any other fruit, really!)

what to do:

1. Whisk all ingredients except peaches together in a small bowl

2. Let mixture sit for 15-30 minutes, until it has become thick

3. Spoon a bit of the mixture into each popsicle mold.

4. Add fruit as you wish, alternating between the mixture and the fruit

5. Freeze 6 hours, until frozen.

6. To remove, run mold under hot water for 10-15 seconds and pull out carefully. To store, I wrap the pops in parchment paper (separately) and keep them in a freezer bag. You could also get really fancy and grab these plastic sleeves for frozen treats. 

For these treats you may need:

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What do you like doing in the Summer months?

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