Lemon cheesecake — the name alone is enough to make your mouth fill with saliva. It’s also enough to make your eyes fill with tears if you are a vegetarian because it’s something that you can no longer have.

But fret not because it is very much possible for you to come up with vegetarian cheesecake! And even if you are not a veteran at making desserts, it’s for certain that you are not going to have a hard time whipping it up. It’s for the fact that it’s something that you can make without cooking!

Aside from being free of any animal product, the lemon cheesecake you will later on learn how to make is entirely devoid of gluten. So in other words, it’s ideal for every health-conscious lemon cheesecake lovers!

Certainly, it’s not going to be a hundred percent just like a traditional lemon cheesecake. That’s something to expect since there will be a bunch of ingredients that will not be used, and most of those are the ones that give lemon cheesecake its unforgettable taste and texture. However, it doesn’t mean that the vegan version is forgettable.

If your taste buds are the alpha males of taste buds, it’s very much likely for you to notice some differences between a vegetarian lemon cheesecake and its non-vegetarian counterpart.

But if you’re just like most people who love just about anything that tastes phenomenal, be it vegetarian or not, then it’s for certain that you will enjoy every single slice of the vegetarian lemon cheesecake you will later on learn how to make from scratch — and that’s a guarantee!

Excited to make your very first vegetarian lemon cheesecake now? Well, it’s a good idea to save it for tomorrow because there is one very important step that has to be taken several hours before you come up with this kind of lemon cheesecake, and that’s the need to soak some of the ingredients in water overnight.

The said ingredients are cashews, which you will need for making the crumbly crust that is supporting the super creamy filling. So the night before you make vegetarian lemon cheesecake, soak those cashews in cold water. Cover the bowl with a plate and place in a safe area in your kitchen. Then take a trip to dreamland.

Now that such very important matter is discussed, let’s now check out the recipe:

Ingredients:

Freshly-squeezed lemon juice (from 1 medium-sized lemon) 

2 cups of cashews (softened by overnight soaking in water, and then drained and rinsed) 

1 cup of pitted dates 

1/2 cup of nuts (any nuts of your liking will absolutely do) 

1/3 cup of coconut butter 

4 tablespoons of maple syrup 

2 tablespoons of coconut oil 

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric (or slightly more for a lovelier color) 

Grated lemon zest (obtained from 2 medium-sized lemons)

Directions:

-To make the crust, place soaked cashews, pitted dates, nuts and coconut oil in a blender. Continue blending until the mixture already looks sticky. 

-Reach for a crust plate and transfer the crust mixture onto it. Press the crust mixture against the bottom and edges of the crust plate using your clean fingers. 

-Stash the crust plate in the freezer to allow the crust to set as you whip up the yummy filling. 

-In a blender, place lemon juice, maple syrup, coconut butter, turmeric and lemon zest. Blend until thoroughly mixed. Stop only when the consistency is already rich. 

-Not happy with the color and you want it to be a little more saturated? Then feel free to add a pinch of turmeric powder and then blend again. It’s a good idea to add one pinch at a time, allowing you to stop adding turmeric powder the moment you are very pleased with the color. 

-Pour the filling onto the crust and then place in the refrigerator and let it set there overnight. But if you are in a rush to enjoy it — we can’t blame you! — stash it in the freezer for a couple of hours.