Recipe and images courtesy of Romy London (@romylondonuk on Instagram)

This appealing cheesecake, with its pistachio filling, oat crust and crushed pistachios topping, is heavenly! A sticky, nutty base with a zesty sweet cheese centre. In this recipe silken tofu is used to replace cream cheese, mixed with coconut milk for a light vegan alternative.

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 100g pistachio kernels
• 100g rolled oats
• A pinch of salt
• 140g dried dates, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes

For the cheesecake filling:

• 100g pistachio kernels, soaked in warm water for 2 hrs
• 400ml coconut milk
• 60 ml maple syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 300g silken tofu
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• A pinch of salt
• 4 tbsp cornstarch

For the decoration (optional):

• Crushed pistachio kernels

Method

1. Let’s start off with the crust! Place the pistachio kernels into a food processor alongside the
   rolled oats, a pinch of salt and the soaked dates. Pulse for 30 seconds - 1 minute or until the
   dates and nuts have broken down. You should end up with a firm dough.
2. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake tin and press the dough against the bottom and corners of the
   tin.
3. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 175°C.
4. In a high-speed blender combine the soaked and drained pistachio kernels, coconut milk,
   maple syrup, vanilla extract, silken tofu, lemon juice and pinch of salt. Blend on the highest
   settings for 3-4 minutes or until no nut pieces are left in the mixture. If needed, strain the mix
   through a sieve before continuing. Blend the cornstarch into the mix for 1 minute, then pour
   the cheesecake mixture into the cake tin and place it in the preheated oven.
   Bake the cheesecake for 15 minutes at 180°C, then reduce the heat to 160°C and bake for a
   further 30-35 minutes.
5. Once the time elapses, remove the cake from the oven and allow for it to cool down
   completely before decorating with crushed pistachios. Cut the cake into slices and enjoy
   alongside a dollop of dairy-free whipped cream.