Dairy-Free Cheesecake with a Secret Ingredient

Taking charge of your diet and eating habits is no easy task. When you make the switch to tracking calories, increasing your protein intake, or hitting your daily step goal, it can make you feel like you’re on top of the world. That is, until the cravings for a sweet dessert or salty snack hit just as you were hitting your stride.

Reminder: Upleveling the way you eat doesn’t mean saying goodbye to your favorite foods. Dr. Danielle Belardo, one of MyFitnessPal’s scientific advisors, concocted this high-fiber, dairy-free cheesecake recipe to help you satisfy your cravings while still staying on track to accomplish your goals.

Dairy Free Cheesecake

Serves: 10 | Serving size: 1 slice

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup raw almonds
4 Medjool dates, pitted
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

For the Filling:

2 cups raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours then drained
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup maple syrup
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup flaxseed meal (for added fiber and binding)
Fresh berries for topping (optional)

Directions:

In a food processor, combine the oats, almonds, and dates. Pulse until you achieve a crumbly texture.
Add the applesauce to the mixture and pulse until the mixture starts to stick together.
Press the mixture into the bottom of a lined 9-inch springform pan. Set in the freezer to firm up while you make the filling.
In a high speed blender, combine the soaked and drained cashews, almond milk, maple syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and flaxseed meal. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top with a spatula.
Place the cheesecake in the freezer for at least 4 hours until firm.
Before serving, remove the cheesecake from the freezer and let it thaw for about 10-15 minutes.
Garnish with fresh berries if desired.
Slice into 10 slices and enjoy!