“Cheesecake” Bites -Dairy Free, Gluten Free

I tried to make a dairy-free cheesecake for Christmas. When I bit into it…I think the angels started singing.  Oh…no..that’s just me.

Some of us can’t eat dairy but we really like cheesecake. I have made raw cheesecake in the past with cashews. That was an acceptable substitute. It tasted good, but not exactly like the cheesecake I remember and love (although it has been a while). I want a baked cheesecake.

I didn’t use Tofutti, because I try to stay away from soy as much as possible.

I noticed that Daiya came out with a plain cream cheese and thought I would give it a try.

I used cupcake tins for portion control, and I thought it would be easier to store the unused portions. Cheesecakes can get a little messy. Plus, these are adorable, tiny cakes.

For the crust, instead of graham crackers I used gluten-free, dairy-free cookies. Using a rolling pin and a plastic bag, I made crumbs out of them. I used vanilla cookies. I also tried cinnamon, both came out tasty. Chocolate would be fantastic too! Maybe next time. They also make gluten-free dairy-free graham crackers.

For a healthier crust, you could make a nut crust with nuts and dates.

 

UPDATE: I recently discovered Kite Hill Almond Cream Cheese. This makes a much better Cheesecake. Better texture. Doesn’t brown as well though. But my family says it tastes pretty close to real cheesecake.

 

 

For the crust, instead of butter, I used ghee. It doesn’t have lactose or casein in it. I tried coconut oil. It works as well. You should also be able to use Earth Balance, although I haven’t tried it yet. Use whatever works with your dietary restrictions.

Press the crust into the cups and fill with cheese filling.

You’ll notice that they sink in the middle when they cool. That’s okay though, it makes a little bowl to hold your topping.

Next time I might cool them in the oven to see if they will sink in less. Anyone know if that will help?

Here are our flavors.

 

 

 

 

I freeze these without the topping.