“Who needs dairy when plants can do this?”
Welcome back to 10 Days of Vegan Stampede, an annual feature whereby I veganize some of the wild and wacky midway foods at the Calgary Stampede. Can you believe we’re halfway already? Have you tried anything yet? Make sure to let me know down below.
If you’re new, you can start with the FAQ on Day 1 [HERE]. If you missed them, check out yesterday’s POTSTICKERS [HERE].
And now, on to Day 5!
Day 5: Chocolate Salted Caramel
Pretzel Cheezecake
This is dangerous cheezecake. Or rather, I have covered cheezecake with dangerous things.
The original treat features chocolate-dipped cheesecake on a stick, topped with salted caramel, coconut and crushed pretzel pieces. Similarly, my vegan version also features cheezecake-on-a-stick, covered in chocolate, drizzled with a nut-caramel and topped with crushed pretzel twists. It is so stinking decadent. You’re going to love it.
I tried to keep making things from scratch to a minimum, I really did. I swear store-bought Magic Shell used to be vegan; checking ingredients these days and it contains milk. Alright, fine. Some semi-sweet baking chocolate and a little coconut oil can make magic shell. That’s still easy.
Caramel usually contains dairy too, but I still checked. No such luck. THAT’S FINE TOO! We can throw together a whole food caramel with some nut butter, maple syrup, a splash of vanilla and some salt. So now you have to make two things, but this stuff is so good even on it’s own, you’ll be happy you know how to make it.
And Daiya made the cheezecake; if you feel like making homemade, fine, but make sure your recipe can hold together at room temperature, or else it will be very difficult to eat off of the stick.
A quick note about pretzels: they are usually vegan, but double check your ingredients, especially if you’re buying gluten-free.
So while this Chocolate Salted Caramel Pretzel Cheezecake recipe requires you to make two things from scratch, it’s still easy to put together and has a big payoff for a very small effort. My roommates absolutely loved it and I’m positive it’ll be a hit with you too.
Like this recipe? Share it! Made this recipe? Rate it! Post your comments below, and use the hashtag #10DaysofVeganStampede on social media platforms so I can see your stuff. Meet me back here tomorrow for the next installment of 10 Days of Vegan Stampede!
Chocolate Salted Caramel Pretzel Cheezecake
"Who needs dairy when plants can do THIS?!"
Ingredients
- 1 vegan cheezecake (you will need one that can hold it's shape at room temperature; I used Daiya)
- ½ cup crushed pretzel twists, plus a few whole for garnish
For the Magic Shell
- ½ 8 oz package semi-sweet baking chocolate
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
For the Caramel
- 1 tbsp unsweetened nut butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- about ⅛ tsp kosher or flaked salt, plus extra for garnish (you want large grains of salt, not table salt)
- wooden forks (one for each slice)
Instructions
-
If the cheezecake is frozen, thaw it. Divide into six or however many pieces is reasonable for your size cheezecake. Insert a wooden fork into the back of each piece, and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet back into the freezer to harden.
For the Magic Shell
-
Combine chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds, until the oil is melted and chocolate is starting to melt. If you need to, continue to microwave in 15 second intervals until you reach that stage. Whisk chocolate and oil together with fork, continuing until the chocolate is melt-y and smooth. Set aside until cheezecake has re-frozen.
-
Remove frozen cheezecake slices from the freezer, but leave on parchment. Pour a few tablespoons of chocolate over the top of the frozen cheezecake slices, so that it drips down the sides. Do this for all slices, then return them to the freezer to harden.
For the Caramel
-
Combine nut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. Add some salt to taste; about ⅛ tsp. Mix well.
-
Remove cheezecake from the freezer, and use a fork to apply the caramel in a sort-of drizzle – it's pretty thick, so do your best to get it on there.
Finish it Off
-
Top with crushed pretzel pieces and add a whole pretzel in the centre for garnish. Sprinkle with a little extra kosher or flaked salt.
-
Consume and enjoy once the cheezecake has softened enough to bite through.
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