Vegan Copycat Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars
Vegan Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars
Remember those Philadelphia Cheesecake bars from the early 2000's? They were pretty much the purest form of ecstasy when I was a kid, so I found out how to make them–and, make them vegan!
Remember those Philadelphia Cheesecake bars from the early 2000's? They were pretty much the purest form of ecstasy when I was a kid… I was pretty obsessed with them, and still am if I'm being honest!
A few years ago, I wrote a blog post sharing a recipe for Copycat Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars and it has become, without a doubt, one of my most popular blog posts of all time. I'm so glad to see that you guys miss those strawberry cheesecake bars as much as I do!
New goal: let’s get Philadelphia to bring those delicious Philadelphia cheesecake bars back! I'll sign the petition. I'll show up at the CEO's doorstep if it means I get to take a bite into that soft cheesecake bar just one more time.
Until then, I'll settle for making the copycat vegan version of these bars myself at home. And I'm ok with that because these taste pretty dang close to the real thing, if my memory serves me correctly. Every snack session with these cheesecake bars is like hopping into a hot tub time machine straight back to the early-2000's, and it's always a great trip. I make sure to leave my belted dresses and Hot Topic bracelets at the door, though. We don't need those back, but we do need Philadelphia cheesecake bars!
Anyway, the vegan version of this recipe is super easy and tastes just as great as the non-vegan version. Vegan cream cheese has come a longg way since the early-2000s. You should be able to find some in the grocery store near regular cheese cake, or in the alternative dairy section.
Welp, until we get that Change.org petition off the ground we'll just be making these vegan Philadelphia strawberry cheesecake bars at home. And this recipe is easy enough so that's ok by me. How about you? You ready to hop in this hop tub time machine? Let's go!
Vegan Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs (1 sleeve)
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 c white sugar
- 1 c raw cashews, soaked and drained*
- 1 c coconut cream**
- 8 oz vegan cream cheese (this is the brand I used)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 c maple syrup
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 200 g fresh strawberries (about 1/2 of a standard container)
- 1/4 c sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 c water
- 1/2 c white chocolate chips (I used this one), melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper.
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, and press into the pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly as you work on the cheesecake.
- Once cashews are soaked and drained, add to food processor along with coconut cream, vegan cream cheese, cornstarch, vanilla, maple syrup, coconut oil, lemon juice, and salt. Blend on high until very creamy and smooth.
- Pour cheesecake filling over the pre-baked crust and spread into an even layer.
- Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the edges look very slightly dry and the center appears only slightly “jiggly”. When you shake it, only the center should jiggle.
- Let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to refrigerator to let cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Place all strawberry ingredients in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring mixture to a simmer.
- As it's simmering, mash the strawberries with a fork until they liquify. Continue stirring and checking on the strawberries as it cooks down. It should reach jam consistency after about 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Once cheesecake has cooled, remove from refrigerator and slice into 8 bars.
- Using a spoon, scoop out the middle of each bar so there is a well in the center.
- Spoon strawberry filling into the center.
- Use a fork to drizzle melted chocolate on top of cheesecake bars.
- Store cheesecake bars in an airtight container in the fridge. Will keep fresh for about 3 days.
Notes
*Cashews: to soak your cashews, place them in a bowl and cover with boiling water for 10 minutes. This will soften the cashews and make them creamier once blended.
**Coconut cream: this is the solid part of coconut milk that hardens at the top of a refrigerated can. Scoop this out, and use the liquid milk at the bottom for something else! You can also buy store bought coconut cream (Trader Joe's makes a good one).
I started salt n sprinkles to show that making good food is both fun and easy to do. My recipes are mostly plant-based, and always delicious. I know you'll find just what you're looking for!