Soo I have a thing for apricot jam, and I’m always thinking of creative ways to incorporate it in recipes. I love searching for unsweetened or naturally sweetened brands, and living here in Southern California with year-round farmers’ markets has been a treat for exploring new jams and jellies. As far as finding a good grocery store apricot jam, I like this one, as it is only sweetened with grape juice. Whichever brand you choose will work beautifully swirled on top of these vegan gluten-free cheesecake bars. The crust is super simple made with golden raisins (sometimes called sultana raisins) and walnuts. I think golden raisins are underrated and I love their smooth, subtly fruity flavor. The really cool thing about this recipe is that I only had to test it once, and tah-dah, it came out perfect and delicious! Now the photos, well, that’s another story… I’m working diligently on my camera skills and slowly getting better…
Anyway, you can store these dreamy, creamy no-bake bars in the freezer for several weeks and have them available when your sweet tooth starts calling your name. Go get some of your favorite apricot jam and give these a whirl!
- 1 c walnuts
- ¾ c golden raisins
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1½ c raw cashews
- ½ c milk (I used almond)
- ¼ melted coconut oil
- ⅓ c maple syrup
- ¼ lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¾ c apricot jam
- Line the bottom only of a 9x9 baking pan/dish with parchment paper. 8x8 will work too, you'll get a thicker bar and will only need ½ c of jam.
- Add all crust ingredients to a blender until smooth, then transfer to the pan/dish and spread evenly.
- Set crust in the freezer to set.
- If you have a high-speed blender, pour boiling water over the cashews and let sit 15-30 minutes. If not, soak them overnight. Drain well and transfer to a blender.
- Add milk, oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla and blend on high until super smooth.
- Pour filling over crust and spread so it
evenly reaches all sides.
- Using a spoon, drop dollops of the jam all over the surface of the cheesecake.
- Use a chopstick or skewer to gently swirl the jam on top of the cheesecake until it looks pretty!
- Freeze for 4-5 hours or overnight.
- Store the cheesecake in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, and thaw 10-15 minutes before serving.
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