Plant-Based Tropical & Exotic Fruit Cheesecake

Summertime is the perfect time to up your consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables. Today, we’re focusing on fruit, tropical and exotic to be precise, and a special recipe that takes getting your daily servings to another level.

One of America’s favorite desserts is getting the Plant-Based 411 treatment. Replacing dairy with non-dairy ingredients is as easy as can be, and voila, the result is a tropical and exotic fruit cheesecake fit for graduation, Father’s Day, weekend picnics and barbeques.

Choose whatever fruit you like from the vast array available from Melissa’s  (https://www.melissas.com/collections/tropical-exotic-fruit) to make a showstopper dessert that will make any meal a special occasion.

Tropical & Exotic Fruit Cheesecake
Recipe adapted from, “The Whole Soy Cookbook,” by Patricia Greenberg

Ingredients:
8 whole graham crackers (makes about 1 cup)
1 package Melissa’s Coconut Clean Snax^®
6 tablespoons plant-based butter, room temperature (I like Earth Balance)
1 (14-ounce package) firm tofu
1 cup white or coconut sugar
16 ounces plant-based cream cheese (I like Tofutti)
1 tablespoon coconut or vanilla extract
2 cups assorted tropical and exotic fruit
⅓ cup guava or apricot jelly, melted
Toasted coconut for garnish

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325°F degrees.
To make the crust, process the graham crackers and Clean Snax^® in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press the mixture onto the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan. Set aside.

To make the filling, puree tofu in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. Add the sugar, cream cheese and extract, and process until smooth.

Pour the filling over the crust, place the pan on a baking sheet, and bake for about 50 minutes until lightly browned.

Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool at room temperature.

Arrange the assorted fruit on top of the cheesecake and glaze the fruit with melted jelly and garnish with toasted coconut.

Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight and serve the next day.