Light Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits (Vegan)
These light strawberry cheesecake parfaits are layered with graham cracker crumbs, creamy strawberry cheesecake filling, and topped with a delicious strawberry compote. It's a great make-ahead dessert that everyone is sure to love. And with half the fat and calories of traditional cheesecake, you can't go wrong with this vegan dessert!
Servings: 5
Calories: 247kcal
Ingredients
- Strawberry compote see recipe and notes
- 5 full sheets of graham crackers
- 1 cup cashew soaked overnight or quick soak, see notes
- 8 oz strawberries a little over 2 cups
- ¾ cup water
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon stevia from Sweetleaf shaker bottle
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum see here
Instructions
- Make Strawberry Compote. Make your strawberry compote by following the recipe HERE and allow it to cool. Alternatively, you can top your parfaits with fresh sliced berries.
- Crush the Graham Crackers. Use a food processor to crush the graham crackers into crumbs. Or you can place the graham crackers in a zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to crush them. Set aside.
- Make the Filling. Add the water, soaked cashews, strawberries, lemon juice, sugar, stevia, and vanilla to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 1 minute and stop to scrape down the sides of the blender. Return to blending on low and add xanthan gum through the feeding hole at the top of the blender. Replace cap and blend on high for an additional 2-3 minutes or until silky smooth.
- Assemble Parfaits. Sprinkle a couple of spoonfuls of the graham cracker crumbs into each of 5 small dessert cups. Next, pour the strawberry cheesecake filling on top of the crumbs, dividing evenly among the dessert cups. Last top with strawberry compote or fresh strawberries.
- Chill. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Happy Eating!
Notes
- Strawberry Compote- Make your strawberry compote first according to the recipe that's linked and allow it to cool while moving on with the recipe. You will have extra, but believe me you will won't regret it. It's delicious on top of pancakes, oats, toast, ice cream, and so much more! Alternatively, you can simple top your parfait with fresh topped berries.
- Cashews- Soak your cashews overnight or you can quick soak them by adding them to boiling water and then allowing them to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stevia- I use the Sweetleaf Stevia from the shaker bottle for this recipe, but feel free to omit it and add additional sugar or sweetener of choice if you prefer.
- Xanthan Gum- xanthan gum is used as a vegan thickener for all sorts of recipes. You can find it in many health food stores or buy it on Amazon.
- Storage- Store your parfaits covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 99mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin C: 34mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 2mg