Strawberry Swirl "Cheesecake"

Are you in need of a creamy, sweet, and satisfying dessert? Always?? Me too!My husband doesn't quite understand my need for dessert. No matter how full I am, I cannot go to sleep happy without having a sweet treat for sweet dreams. 

This vegan cheesecake is my interpretation of a few different recipes I have tried. I attempted to find the perfect balance of all the ingredients, and this is what I've come up with! I used homemade strawberry syrup for the swirls on the top of this one, but I am sure any fruit syrup would taste great!

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups finely ground vegan graham crackers
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 6 tablespoons melted vegan butter

Filling Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups soaked cashews (soak them for at least 4 hours, and drain them completely before using)
• 1 1/2 cups coconut cream (I used Trader Joe's thick and rich coconut cream)
• 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup agave
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Strawberry Swirl Ingredients:

• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1/3 cup raw sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Crust Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Mix sugar, cinnamon, and graham cracker crumbs in a medium bowl.
3. Add melted butter and mix thoroughly with your hand until all of the dry ingredients become wet from the butter. 
4. Firmly press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 7 minutes.
6. Remove and let cool completely before filling

Filling Preparation:

1. Add all of the ingredients to a high power blender (if you don't have a high power blender, the mixture won't come out as smoothly)
2. Blend on high speed for 3 minutes.
3. Scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula.
4. Blend on high speed for another 3 minutes.
5. Scrape the sides one more time!!
6. Blend for another 3 minutes.

Strawberry Swirl Preparation:

1. Add all of the ingredients to a small saucepan
2. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally; being careful not to let the sugar burn.
3. Remove from heat and let cool completely

Assembling:

1. Pour filling into prepared crust, cover, and freeze for 2 hours.
2. Separate the syrup from the strawberry pieces. (I used a slotted spoon to take the strawberry chunks out of the mixture.
3. Save the pieces of strawberry to top the cheesecake when you serve it!
4. When the 2 hours is up, remove cheesecake from freezer.
5. Carefully drizzle the strawberry syrup over the entire top of the cheesecake.
6. Use a butter knife to gently swirl the syrup into the top.
7. Freeze for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. 
8. I would recommend cutting it while it is frozen if you want neat slices.
9. Thaw slices in refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!!