Love cheesecake but no longer can have dairy, eggs, or gluten? No worries; there are lots of options for you! I know how it feels to love desserts, but then you find out that your lab report shows that everything you love to eat, you can no longer eat! And, to make matters worse, finding dessert replacements is stressful because you don’t know where to start looking!
Thank goodness for creative and innovative foodies/cooks in the healthy, alternative food industry! Now there are alternatives for everyone, even for the cheesecake lovers! Most traditional recipes for cheesecakes, include about a pound or more of dairy, sugar, eggs and wheat as the main ingredients. However over the years, home cooks/foodies, have gotten creative with finding foods that could replace those ingredients while still maintaining the same texture and flavor profile that could easily satisfy one’s tastebuds! Many of those products are now being sold in grocery stores and vegan restaurants and grocery stores that offer healthier food options. You can also purchase direct from their websites.
The two brands that I have frequently purchased and absolutely love are as follows:
- Earth Cafe
- Hail Mary Miracle Tart(R)
I love both of these products because they are vegan, gluten free, and raw! Though each of these products are unique with a variety of flavors and ingredients, the main ingredients of both brands are the same–soaked cashews, coconut butter/oil, raw/organic sweeteners and vanilla extract, which are the foundation of any vegan cheesecake. I know it still may be unbelievable that these ingredients can achieve the same effect as the cream, firm cheesecake. So, what makes the vegan cheesecakes so creamy and firm like the cream cheese based versions? The cashews which have been soaked and blended until creamy, as well as the coconut butter!
By now I have tasted all of their flavors, and it’s hard to choose a favorite, but if I’m forced to select, I would choose Hail Mary Meyer Lemon Tart and Earth Cafe Peach Cheesecake. However, all of them are worth the taste at least once! In grocery stores, the Earth Cafe cheesecakes retail for $5.99 per slice and the Hail Mary tarts retail for $3.99 or $4.99 depending on the flavor, both of which are cheaper than any cheesecake from the infamous Cheesecake Factory, which is about $7.95 per slice!
Now if you ever visit the Phoenix area, I must invite you to visit Pomegranate Cafe to try their awesome, delicious vegan cheesecake as well as their other delectable desserts! And if you happen to stay a little longer, you must call 24 Carrots Natural Cafe and place an order for one of Sasha’s awesome cheesecakes too! These restaurants are two of my favorite healthy, vegan restaurants to dine!
Please let me know if you have a favorite vegan, gluten free cheesecake that I can add to my list! I will always have room for dessert!
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