My main, and to be honest only, grievance with going dairy free is that sometimes the alternatives are not so easy to find, create or are just so bloody expensive. I recently saw that Amanda Jackson from The Naughty Dietitian had posted on her instagram a Gluten Free Rolo Cheesecake that she had made and one thing led to another and I decided to try and make it dairy free. I also assumed I would be able to find a vegan cream cheese alternative in Dubai. I was wrong. Still though I will share with you what I did, how I did it and the rather tasty outcome.
Amanda’s original recipe is gluten free but not dairy free and includes Rolos. I made mine to be dairy free using soy alternatives and instead of decorating with Rolos I updated for a grown up version of the Rolo flavour with caramel and dark chocolate. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Ingredients
Biscuit Base
- 300 g Maria Biscuits (I found these at Carrefour)
- 125 g margarine, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 400 g plant based yogurt, I used a soy based one which I found at Organic Foods & Cafe (if you have it use a vegan cream cheese alternative as it will hold better)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 90 g icing sugar
- 150 g caramel sauce (see below)
- 300 ml soy cream (at room temperature)
- 100 g 55% dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 5 tbsp margarine
- 3 tbsp flour
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup white sugar
- 90 g margarine
- ½ cup soy cream
Decoration (optional)
- Caramel sauce (leftover from above)
- 25 g 55% dark chocolate chocolate, finely shaved
Instructions
Biscuit Base
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Line a 23cm round springform pan with wax baking paper.
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Process biscuits in a food processor or using a rolling pin (keep the biscuits in a freezer bag) until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Add the melted margarine and mix until just combined. Then press mixture into the bottom of the springform pan evenly. Refrigerate while preparing the remainder of the cheesecake.
Caramel Sauce
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Heat sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. (Amanda’s Tip: sugar will form clumps but eventually melt into a thick brown coloured liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.)
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Once the sugar is completely melted, immediately add the margarine and stir until it is completely melted, about 1 minute.
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Very slowly, drizzle in 1/2 cup of soy cream. Since the cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when the cream is added so keep a safe distance. You can also pour the cream down the side of the spoon to keep it from splashing.
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Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute then remove from heat. Allow it to cool before making the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake Filling
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Whisk together the yogurt, vanilla, icing sugar and caramel on medium speed until smooth.
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Gradually pour the cream into the cheesecake mixture and continue to whisk on medium speed for approx. 3-4 minutes until the mixture is thick and creamy.
- In a sauce pan at medium heat melt the margarine and then add in the flour stirring constantly. When the mixture is smooth and thick remove from the heat and then add in 3 tablespoons of the cheesecake mixture and stir until smooth. Add this to the cheesecake mixture and stir to combine.
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Fold the chopped dark chocolate into the cheesecake filling before spreading over the biscuit base. Leave to set in the fridge overnight (Minimum of 6 hours). I decided to freeze mine so that it becomes an icecream cake style (as well it is still in the 40c range in Dubai …)
Decoration (optional)
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To decorate the cheesecake, sprinkle the finely shaved dark chocolate using a grater over the cheesecake then drizzle the remaining caramel using a piping bag or spoon as desired.
NOTES:
- I ended up freezing my cake as I found that with out the vegan cream cheese alternative it would not set as well and I was not willing to use gelatin (though that is an option for helping it to set).
- It is rather sweet so for the next time I would maybe only make 3/4 of the caramel mixture
- You can also make this a gluten free recipe as Amanda had originally done
- Always check your margarine, many margarine brands are made using milk powders etc
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