Tasty Vegan Desserts

Vegan Dark Chocolate Tofu Cheesecake with Peanut Butter Pretzel Crust

For some, switching to a vegan diet isn’t a challenge; for others, particularly those who have a sweet tooth, it can be a much bigger challenge than they first anticipate (have you ever looked up a recipe to bake that doesn’t have eggs in it?).

However, fortunately, these days, going vegan doesn’t mean you have to cut out sweets entirely. Below is a pair of vegan-friendly recipes for deserts that your friends and family will enjoy so much, they won’t even know they’re vegan.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, solid (be sure it is not melted at all)
  • 1 and 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk (I like to use the thicker Thai variety, but any coconut milk will work)
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (be sure not to pack your flour)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups vegan chocolate chips, divided
  • Flaky sea salt, optional

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F and place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray, then set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla until evenly blended; then, add in the coconut milk and applesauce and continue mixing.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir until evenly mixed; set aside.
  4. Mix the two bowls together with a sturdy spatula along with 1 and ¾ cups of the chocolate chips.
  5. Roll the mixture into balls and place on cooking sheet; bake for 9 to 10 minutes; after removing the baking sheet from the oven, place the remaining chocolate chips on top of the cookies and sprinkle with the sea salt.

Vegan Dark Chocolate Tofu Cheesecake with Peanut Butter Pretzel Crust

Ingredients:

For Crust:

  • 100 pretzels, gluten free if desired (about 4 heaping cups or 6.5 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or vegan buttery stick), melted
  • 1 tablespoon coconut palm syrup or maple syrup

For Filling:

  • 1 package (1 pound) Nasoya organic silken tofu
  • 12 ounces vegan dark chocolate (72% is great)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons of fresh coffee

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  2. Using the pulse setting on a food processor, grind the pretzels into a fine, flour-like dust; then, add the peanut butter, melted coconut oil, and coconut palm syrup, and continue to pulse until evenly mixed.
  3. Dump the combined crust ingredients into a 9-inch spring foam pan and knead until evenly spread over the surface of the pan; then bake for 10 minutes—allow to cool after baking.
  4. In a food processor or blender, add the silken tofu, melted chocolate, vanilla and coffee and blend until smooth.
  5. After the filling is ready, pour it over the crust and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or overnight.