No-Bake Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

I’m over chocolate on Valentine’s Day, which is why we created this sultry two-bite dessert you can whip up for yourself, your sweetheart, or all your single gal pals! They’re vegan, raw and gluten-free, giving you just the energy boost you need for some alone time — or, staying up all night gawking at Tinder.

Ingredients:

Crust (makes 24 mini cheesecakes)
1 cup pecans
6 medjool dates
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 tsp sea salt

Filling
1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 3 hours)
1/2 cup frozen strawberry slices
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Swirl/Topping
1/2 cup frozen strawberries, melted

Directions:

Crust
1. Remove the pits from the medjool dates and soak them in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain the water from the dates and place in a food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Process until the nuts are crumbled and the crust is sticking together on its own.
2. Press about 1 1/2 tsp of the mixture into the bottom of each mini muffin cup.

Tip: To remove the cheesecakes easily from the tray, cut 4-inch strips of parchment paper and place those in the bottom of each cup. Press the crust mixture on top of these. Then when the cheesecakes are done setting in the freezer, you can pull on the parchment tabs to lift the cheesecakes out.

Filling
1. Drain cashews from the soaking water and rinse under fresh water. Then add them to a high speed blender or Vitamix along with frozen strawberries, agave nectar, melted coconut oil, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
2. Pour this mixture into a bowl and set aside. Clean out the blender to make the strawberry puree for the swirl.

Swirl/Topping
1. Allow these strawberries to melt at room temperature or heat over low heat in sauce pan for a few minutes until soft. Then blend this in a blender into a smooth purée.
2. Take a scant Tbsp of the cashew filling and pour on top of the pressed crust. Then take 1/2 tsp of strawberry purée and dollop on top of the cashew filling. Take the end of a toothpick and swirl the two mixtures around to make a fun artsy pattern!
3. Freeze the cheesecakes for 1-2 hours until solid. Remove them from the mini muffin trays and allow to thaw for 10-15 minutes before biting into them.

Source: https://www.foodnetwork.ca/valentines-day/blog/irresistible-vegan-strawberry-cheesecake-bites/33882/