No Bake Mini Vegan Strawberry Cheesecakes

Serves: 12
Ingredients

Strawberry Sauce
2 (16 oz each) containers Driscoll’s Strawberries, hulled and chopped
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon water

Crust
2 cups crushed golden cream cookies
¼ cup coconut oil, melted

Strawberry Cheesecake Filling
Scant ½ cup coconut cream
5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 ¼ cup roasted unsalted cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
⅔ cup strawberry sauce
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt

Directions
First, boil 2 cups of water. Place cashews in a mason jar and pour boiling water over nuts until they are completely covered. Let soak for a minimum of 1 hour.

Make the Sauce
In a medium-sized saucepan over low heat, stir together the strawberries, maple syrup, and water. Let simmer until the strawberries release their juices, gently smashing the berries every few minutes. Strain mixture through a fine sieve to remove pulp and seeds; allow to cool.

Make the Crust
Grease a mini cheesecake pan, then set aside. Mix melted coconut oil and cookie crumbs together until well combined. Drop 1 tablespoon scoops of the crust mixture into each well of the mini cheesecake pan and press the crumbs evenly around the bottom of the well. Repeat with each well until all the cookie mixture has been used. Put the mini cheesecake pan in the freezer for the crusts to harden.

Make the Filling
Drain the cashews. Put all the ingredients in the order listed into a high-powered blender.
Turn blender on low, gradually increasing to high speed. Blend until all ingredients are combined and mixture is smooth, about 1-2 minutes.

Putting it Together
Remove pan from the freezer, making sure crusts are hardened, then add 2 tablespoons of the strawberry cheesecake filling to each well. Smooth with the back of a spoon and tap the pan against a hard surface to release the air out of each well.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Enjoy with fresh sliced strawberries and toasted almonds.