This will come as a surprise to few (and certainly no one who knows me “in real life”), but I’m a rather strange girl. My taste in just about everything (food included!) is at least a little off the beaten path, and I have a history of doing/saying/wearing/liking/
listening to/being interested in/laughing at things that others may find odd. Oh yes, I was definitely one of “those kids” in high school—straddling the line between nerdy and gothy, the wallflower with dyed hair and unusual clothing, pierced face usually buried in a book.
(Me, age 15)
Speaking of “nerdy,” as many of you may know, my B.A. is in Linguistics, and my #1 love (yes, even above and beyond food!) will always be language. Romance languages were/are my specialty, and though my fluency has faded over the years, I still have a working knowledge of several of them. One that I studied for many years was good old Latin, and it remains among my very favorites. Its grammar’s ridiculous complexity, its frozen-in-time vocabulary, its indelible relation to an ancient culture now extinct but never forgotten…I owe my love for all other Romance languages to Latin, the original Italic tongue. It all goes back to Latin! (Well, in truth, it all goes back to Proto-Indo-European. But actually, that goes back to Proto-Eurasiatic. Really, though, that goes back to Proto-Nostratic…but I digress.)
Where am I going with all this? One quirky pasttime I’ve indulged in for the last several years is having parties for unexpected occasions. For example, my Groundhog’s Day parties are always wild, and a JFK Assassination Anniversary Party I had a few years back was particularly memorable. Last Friday, March 15th, I finally had a chance to have a party that my Latin-scholar-self has been waiting YEARS to host (I had to hold off until the date fell on a weekend, you see)—an Ides of March party! An Ides of March toga party, that is. Yes!
And so my friends and I came together to commemorate the 2057th anniversary of the death of one of my favorite historical figures and one of the all-time greatest badasses that ever lived, Gaius Julius Caesar. It was smashing success. Senātus Populusque Rōmānus!
As with all my parties, I made a themed buffet of snacks, this one full of Roman and Italian finger food:
- Choice of crisp wheaten flatbread (i.e. crackers)
- Choice of cubed cheeses
- Manzanilla olives
- Barhi dates
- Raw almonds
- Fresh red grapes
- Ancient Roman honey cake
- Cinnamon swirl caramel cheesecake bars
- Assorted alcoholic beverages (duh)
What’s that? Oh, did you catch the “Cinnamon swirl caramel cheesecake bars” there? Yeah, they were as amazing as they sound. And despite this rambling introduction, they’re the things I’m really here to share with you today.
I’ve had this idea in my head for awhile now to make a cultured raw cheesecake. I wanted to derive the tang not from lemon juice, but from actually culturing the filling. Thing is, I didn’t want to use probiotic powder—I realize it’s not something everyone has in their fridge at all times, plus it can be difficult to find a nondairy (if desired), loose-powder version, so many people skip over recipes that require it. Instead, I’ve been brainstorming this cultured cheese filling made with…yogurt!
I used a dairy-free, coconut-based vanilla Greek yogurt by SoDelicious—but honestly, you can use whatever kind you like, even dairy yogurt. I recommend Greek-style if you can find it, but if not, regular yogurt will work just fine.
So here you have it: high-raw/no-bake, [optionally] dairy-free/vegan, home-cultured cheesecake bars with a dreamy cinnamon-caramel swirl. Caesar would be proud!
Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Soy-Free
Dairy-Free (if dairy-free yogurt is used), High-Raw, No-Bake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups almond flour
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Big pinch of sea salt
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 cup raw cashews (or macadamia nuts), soaked for 2 hours, drained
- 1 (6-oz.) container vanilla or plain yogurt of choice (I used SoDelicious’ Greek-style coconut milk yogurt)
- ¼ cup coconut nectar (or raw honey)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Big pinch of sea salt
- ½ cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper or waxed paper. Use enough paper that an extra inch or two hangs off each side.
- To make the crust, combine the almond flour, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Add the maple syrup and coconut oil. Using a pastry cutter, a large fork, or your fingers, cut/stir the mixture together until it is crumbly but just starting to clump together. (Alternatively, pulse everything together in a food processor.)
- Transfer the mixture to the lined pan and press it very firmly and evenly onto the bottom. Place the pan in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
- To make the filling, in a high-speed blender (or food processor), combine the soaked-and-drained cashews (or macnuts), yogurt, coconut nectar (or honey), lemon juice, and salt. Blend to combine. With the blender running on low speed, pour in the coconut oil in a thin stream, then blend on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Transfer ¼ cup of the filling mixture to a small bowl. Remove the pan with the crust from the fridge and pour the remaining filling mixture on top of the crust. Gently tap the pan on the counter to coax any air bubbles out of the cheesecake. Set it aside on the countertop.
- To the ¼ cup filling mixture in the small bowl, add the maple syrup and cinnamon and stir until well-combined. Transfer the mixture to a squeeze bottle, then squirt it in large swirls all across the top of the cheesecake.
- (Alternatively, if you don't have a squeeze bottle, simply randomly drop the mixture in heaping teaspoonfuls across the cheesecake.)
- Gently swirl a knife or chopstick across the surface of the cheesecake just a few times (don't over-swirl).
- Dehydrator instructions: place the cheesecake in a dehydrator at about 105°F for 4 hours.
- No-dehydrator instructions: set the cheesecake on the countertop and leave it there for about 8 hours or overnight.
- After 4 hours in the dehydrator - or 8 hours on the countertop at room temperature - the probiotics in the yogurt will have cultured the cheesecake filling! At this point, transfer the cheesecake to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or until ready to serve.
- Just before serving, remove the pan from the fridge and carefully lift out the cheesecake using the extra "flaps" of parchment paper.
- Trim off the edges, then cut the cheesecake into small bars or squares. Serve chilled.
These bars were a resounding triumph! The almond crust is melt-in-your-mouth tender, and my idea of culturing the filling with storebought yogurt worked like a charm, imbuing each creamy bite with the authentic tang of traditional cheesecake.
There’s just enough cinnamon in the swirl to give it that “warm” taste, and the coconut nectar and maple syrup intertwine into a deliciously unique caramel flavor.
They’re rich enough that bite-sized portions were perfect for my party guests. Nonetheless, these were the first item on the buffet to disappear!
Do you speak (or have you studied) any other languages?
Do you ever have themed parties?
P.S. If you liked this dessert, you should know there’s less than one month left until the release of my second book, which happens to be made up entirely of sweet treats: Practically Raw Desserts! Have you preordered yet?
I’m one of those strange girls who keeps vegan probiotic powder in my freezer, however…. kudos on using the yogurt. I’m usually too lazy to culture anything and just use the lemon, but it’s not quite spot on, whereas I’m sure this one is!
DELISH!
Haha, I totally am too! But, same here – I only rarely use it, because it often seems like “too much trouble.” This is a nice shortcut that adds both probiotics and body to the cheesecake!
After soaking cashews for two hours, what do you do with the water they were soaking in?
Hi Nicole – just discard it after rinsing and draining the soaked cashews.
Omg, this looks fabulous! Beautiful! I wish I could be such a good cake decorator as you are. I read the post you linked above (on piercings) and it’s crazy how many languages you speak/spoke, can’t even imagine that! I speak Hungarian, but that’s a given (native tongue) and English fluently, somewhat Spanish…I studied French and used to be proficient but sadly I forgot everything. My upper-elementary/lower-intermediate Swahili is sadly also declined to a few words. (Of course I know 5-10 words in many other languages, but that doesn’t count as language learning.) As for theme-parties: I love going to theme-parties, but never hosted one (except for a Big Lebowski theme party, but it wasn’t at my house but we went out to a bowling alley
). I enjoy dressing up for Rocky Horror as well.
Thanks Kat! Hehe, I don’t think I’m a good decorator at all – I just kind of wing it – but I appreciate that you think I am!
I’m so jealous you speak Hungarian! It’s a fascinating (and somewhat exotic-to-me) language, being Uralic (rather than Proto-Indo-European) in origin and agglutinative (rather than isolating or inflectional) in structure…I can’t help but liken it to Turkish in many ways even though they’re not closely related at all (well, there’s still some controversy there, but I think it’s become clear they split apart waaay earlier than originally thought). Also SO cool that you speak/spoke some Swahili – wow! Where did you learn that?
I lived in Kenya for 6 months. Unfortunately, I forgot most of it though, all I have is a few basics. Swahili is an awesome language to listen to though, everything sounds like ‘hakuna matata’.
Beyond stunning. The recipe, the creativity, the flavors, the photography (the squirt bottle step by step shots are like…omg…I want to be there!)
Truly a gorgeous post, Amber!
Thank you so much, Averie! As you know, I take photography compliments from you VERY seriously.
OMG Amber, I love EVERYTHING about this post! I think we all have an inner nerd in us… for example, I’m a MAJOR weather nerd! I can’t get enough of it, I read about it and have lost hours of my life to the weather channel. I loved reading about your off the beaten path tastes and passion for language!
I’m a huge fan of theme parties and an even bigger fan of the fact that you have theme parties for unexpected occasions! Sounds like you throw a great party and that cheesecake is beautiful! Cinnamon is one of my favorite flavors ever so this sounds right up my alley! Great post!
Aahhh, I LOVE hearing that you’re a weather nerd! Particularly because that’s one thing I’m NOT nerdy about – I’ll get lost in books and shows about astronomy and astrophysics, but not weather specifically – so it tickles me to hear that you love reading and watching things about it! So interesting! I do remember obsessing over clouds for a brief period when I was little…
Not surprisingly, there is a dearth of linguistics shows to be found on TV, so in that vein I’m usually relegated to watching/listening to YouTube videos of people speaking other languages, haha. But I’m also a history buff, and language necessarily intersects with history and culture, so there’s lots of good TV to be watched there…I grew up watching the History Channel with my dad at night. OH, and CourtTV, because I’m actually an amateur criminologist too – love love LOVE that stuff! In fact, if there were more than a handful of such positions available in the country, I might’ve become a forensic linguist instead of a chef.
Anyway! We could totally talk nerdiness all day, it sounds like!
How cool that you are into criminology! it was my intention to study forensics but biology was my least favorite of the sciences and I fell out of love with it early. Chemistry and Earth Sciences though? I’m totally in. In my dream world I would go back to school for Meteorology or Geological Oceanography (I’d LOVE to study tsunamis… so fascinating) but my Math skills aren’t up to par I don’t think… and like you I think the job market is pretty limited. Luckily the Weather Channel has really upped their game with their programming so I can still indulge the inner weather nerd!
Yeah… I think we could definitely talk nerdiness all day, ha!!
So cool! I’m sort of in a different corner of the scientific-interests-world – I love biology and anything involving the human body (including nutrition!) – but I went through a geology-loving phase in my youth, too!
Random confession: the Mariana Trench fricking terrifies me. Weird?
Weatherwoman Sarah…that’s what I’ll have to call you from now on!
Ha! Not weird at all! My love of weather comes from my fear of what I can’t control
Sarah, I just read this article and the first 4 paragraphs immediately made me think of you: http://chronicle.com/article/Youre-Distracted-This/138079/ Haha, you’re not alone!
Love your ideas for parties!
Thanks Emily!
Wow! Looks great! Is it very coconutty in flavour? I have preordered your book just after I bought Practically Raw
Thanks Malgorzata! The bars don’t taste very coconutty to me, but I’m not at all sensitive to the “coconuttiness” of coconut oil. If you want to minimize that, you could use expeller-pressed (deodorized) coconut oil, and/or use a non-coconut yogurt (soy or dairy would work) to cut out a tad more of the coconut.
So happy to hear you’ve preordered Practically Raw Desserts! You will LOVE it!
i LOVE themed parties! in the last few months i’ve been to a demented fairytale bday party and a mardi gras masquerade bday party. i’m actually hatching a plan to have a great gatsby bday party for myself in the summer
the cheesecake bars look UNBELIEVABLE! you could totally sell them in a bakery. they look simple enough to make. i really want to try them!
I’ve always wanted to go to a masquerade ball/party! I even have a mask for it that I got in Venice that I’ve been waiting years to wear. I’ve thought of having one myself, but I need to come up with a way to make it for a “weird” or unexpected occasion…any ideas?
OH MY GOSH can I come to your Great Gatsby party?!? I fricking love F. Scott Fitzgerald, and that book…I’m just a literature whore in general, but Fitzgerald is particularly incredible. (Have you read The Beautiful and Damned? My favorite of his.) I’ve been made aware there’s a movie version of it coming out soon, and while I do want to see it, I’m simultaneously scared (and preemptively annoyed) at the thought that many people might suddenly pop up thinking they’re “Gatsby fans” when they haven’t even read the damn book. I take stuff like that personally (I know I shouldn’t!). ANYWAY, I hope you blog about that party because I want to hear ALL the details!
amber, i would LOVE for you to come to my birthday party. that would be fabulous! it’s funny, i take stuff like that very personally, too, and get really angry. i find myself wanting to be like, “you’re not a REAL fan,” but i keep my thoughts to myself (for the most part).
i will be seeing the movie, just to see how they translate it to screen, but i’ve always loved the book. i haven’t read the beautiful and the damned, but will definitely check it out, now
and, i will most definitely blog about my party!
Ok good, I’m glad it’s not just me!
Those early pics of you are so cute. I think you would have been fun to hang around with then and now, too.
I took four years of French, but I’ve lost most of it over the years. I wish I had stuck with it.
Oh, and those bars look scrumptious. I actually keep probiotic powder in my fridge, but that wouldn’t stop me from trying your idea, as well. Genius
Haha, thanks! I was quite a character. Guess I still am.
The yogurt is a nice change of pace from fiddling with probiotic powder!
Found you through Averie’s pin! This looks delicious, even thigh I’m neither vegan nor raw, though I do like the idea of both! I mainly came to check out this recipe for my sister in law….she has a lot of food intolerances, but I think she would be able to eat this if soya yogurt was used instead of coconut (something about coconut milk causes vomiting, as do dairy products)! I’ve pinned the link and will be passing this on to her…we will have to get together and try it out! I just hope one of us has w strong enough food processor/blender!
Welcome to my site, Kearsten! Yup, use any kind of yogurt you/she likes (and tolerates). If you’re worried about the strength of your food processor (only use a blender if you have the high-speed kind), my biggest recommendation is to soak the nuts really thoroughly. You might even soak them in warm/hot water to make sure they soften up completely and are easy to blend.
Enjoy!
YUM, these look tasty! I’m a sucker for cinnamon in anything. BUT I mostly wanted to say that 1. Yes, languages are the BEST. Even if I’m a Germanic and Slavic girl, and you’re a Romance type, we can still get along! 2. I wish I’d been at your Ides of March party! I’m thinking of having a quinoa-themed party soon, because 2013 is the UN-official International Year of Quinoa!
Love,
Emy
xxx
Emy, I can get down with Germanic and Slavic!
Actually, I myself am German (my fam is the Lichtenauers, from Bavaria, baby), so it’s perhaps ironic that German is the one “major” European language I didn’t have time to focus on in high school and college. See, my “focus” on Romance languages was in terms of actually *learning* them, but the funny(/awesome) thing about linguistics is that you study the structure of dozens and dozens of different languages without actually learning the languages themselves, if that even makes sense. With my obvious grasp of English + what I know of Old and Middle English and of German itself, I can read things in German and get the gist of spoken German surprisingly well (I’ve been to Germany twice and was really pleased with how comfortably I could get around), but other than a smattering of vocabulary (and, ahem, Rammstein lyrics!), I can’t speak or write much of it off the top of my head. However, I can talk to you about the nature of the German vowel system or their use of Latinate dative and accusative noun cases till you’re blue in the face! 
It’s always bothered me that I don’t “know” German, since I AM German…and for years I’ve meant to do something about that, but have never had the time to delve into it the way I’ve wanted to. Someday…
Anyway, there I go again! Seriously, I could talk about this stuff for days. YEARS. Ask my husband. He’s perfected his “eyes glazing over” look. Haha!
A quinoa party?! I’d love to know what all you’ll be doing/making for that!
These look amazing, Amber! I love the idea of using yogurt to culture the cheesecake- sounds wonderful!
I think you and I would have been friends in high school- dressed all in black, wore big Doc Martins, did theater, and always carried a copy of Cather in the Rye with me. Very hippie-nerd-goth. It cracks me up when I look at pictures now.
Thanks Kristy!
) Style-wise, I wear more color nowadays, but will always prefer dark makeup and black clothing when going out, and I do still get gussied up in Lip Service and don my combat boots for certain occasions!
Hehe, we might indeed have been friends! (Actually, we’d probably be friends NOW too
You have THE BEST goth clubs in LA, by the way – THE BEST! So jealous.
I took Latin in high school and have to say I didn’t love it NEARLY as much as you! The toga party sounds totally fun, and the cheesecake bars look incredible. Love the idea of culturing with yogurt.
Hehe, I suppose there aren’t too many people that fall in love with the beastly process that is learning Latin
It was funny to see the class size dwindle as the years passed!
Thanks Erin!
Thanks for considering those poor people (like me =D ) who don’t have access to all those really cool and fancy vegan ingredients!
This looks so yummy! I guess agave (instead of coconut nectar) would also work? Coconut nectar is another thing they don’t sell here…
Are you ok with honey? I’d use a nice, thick raw honey as a sub for coconut nectar preferentially, because it’s a more comparable texture – very viscous. Agave is more runny, but I think it should still work, especially if you use a Greek-style or other very-thick type of yogurt!
This looks so good. Would it be possible to use this yogurt as a replacement for the probiotic powder in you basic nut cheese recipe? I have not been able to make that yet because I cannot find probiotic powder (non-dairy) anywhere!
That might just work, Tessa! I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t guarantee anything, but you could try replacing the 1/2 cup of water with one 6-oz. container of plain yogurt. If you try it, let me know how it works!
Wow these are incredible Amber, so creative! I’m going to have to try your trick for getting the cultured cheese taste!
Thanks Gabby! Hope you try them; I think you’ll LOVE them!
I’m featuring these at HVF this week
I’m seriously obsessed with the idea of these. MUST. GET. YOGURT.
Thanks for sharing them girl!
Woohoo! Thanks a bunch!
This post is everything why I love you. And yes, I know that sentence is incorrect. I don’t care. It is what my heart says.
MY heart says that sentence is 100% correct.
<3
Those bars are, seriously, ALL I remember from the party! I arrived, was swept into a toga by Sara and… all I can remember past that is the Cinnamon Toast Crunch(less) goodness, the silkiness and totally spot-on cheesecake tanginess… and then blacking out in between your foyer and bathroom! So let my drunken memories be a verdict to their tastiness; these bars are divine! And in response to a commenter above, I am totally shocked that coconut yogurt was used, as not a trace of coconut flavor could be tasted (I was expecting soy yogurt for some reason…). Actually, I am totally surprised by the igredients… They’re so simple! I was expecting a lengthy “make your own caramel” side-recipe. Okay, now I’m rambling, but anyways: yum. These were heaven!
I’m so pleased they were so memorable! The party was a blast, and I’m so glad you came (though I’m sorry about the end of it!).
Now what the hell kinds of snacks am I going to make for August 9th’s Manson family murder party?!
oh! i came for the cheescake and stayed for my two greatest loves: linguistics and food. i love your blog!
one question:
i am new to the whole dehydrator thing, can you do that in an oven too?
greetings from austria
lilli
Thanks Lilli!
No need for an oven – be sure to take note of step 10 of the recipe for non-dehydrator instructions!
oh i missed that one. thanks for your reply!
Im one who has the probiotic in the fridge lol
I’ve loved your blog since I made your 5 minute bloodies…yum
These look amazing…I don’t have coconut nectar so o might have to get some…I have Vegan honey not sure how they’d work….
Hehe, me too Michelle
And thanks!
Coconut nectar or honey are ideal sweeteners for these bars because they’re so thick/viscous, but I’m sure any liquid sweetener you have would work ok!
These are on my counter tonite so yummy can’t wait to try them tomorrow
Nice!! Enjoy!
Food and languages! My two favorite topics. I will definitely have to give this recipe a try. I haven’t been to any themed parties, only because I don’t know anyone that really throws them. Though, I have been wanting to do a Doctor Who party, or a bring-your-omnivore-friends-to-a-completely-vegan-dinner party (the name may need to be re-worked). Perhaps when I have a bigger apartment.
As far as languages go, I love them. I spent about 3 years studying Spanish in high-school, 2 years with french and I did a semester of Italian because I love romance languages. Unfortunately I’ve lost most of my knowledge of those languages and am left with a few words and phrases and I can understand some Spanish. I actually wish I kept up with Spanish because my best friends are all Dominican and when I visit their families it’s mostly in Spanish. However, I am currently learning Irish. I find the Celtic languages fascinating and have this idea of learning all of the Celtic languages! I also have a smidgen of German, Danish(my friend is currently learning and is passing some words to me)and Haitian Creole. My husband is Haitian so I plan on learning that as well. Sorry, I could keep talking about this. I am actually considering going back to school for linguistics. I spend most of my days reading about languages anyways. haha
Ahoy, fellow language-loving Whovian! That is awesome, haha. Celtic languages are FASCINATING and are a Sprachbund (language grouping) I never got to study very in-depth. They’re Indo-European but broke off and developed in such isolation that they’re arrestingly different from other Northern European tongues…so neat! I just love listening to them. And awesome that you’re wanting to learn Haitian Creole, too. So many languages, so little time!
I am pretty sure you’re my new favorite person. You make awesome food, love languages AND you’re a Whovian?! My mind might explode from the awesomeness. I actually have a dream list of languages I want to learn, but I fear there may not be enough time. Won’t stop me from trying though.
Hehehe! To be fair, I will tell you that Matt and I have only watched Doctor Who 2005-present, not the old ones. But we got HOOKED on the new ones and are totally into it. Guess that makes us “new school” Whovians?
Ever had anyone ask you “If you could have one superpower, what would it be?”? My reply, ever since I was a kid, has been “The power to learn/know every single language on earth.” I can’t count the number of eye-rolls I’ve gotten at that answer over the years!
I started out with only having seen the newer Doctor Who episodes too. But then I noticed Netflix had the older episodes and then I fell in love with Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker’s Doctor. Honestly, it’s worth watching if only to see their magnificent hair. And Tom Baker wears a ridiculously long scarf that is comical to watch him walk with.
Also, best super power EVER! Can I add flying to that power? Because then not only do you know every language, you can fly wherever that language is spoken! “You know, I feel like speaking Belarusian today. Might as well have my lunch in Belarus. Chat up the locals.” My friend and I get looks all the time, since we have a weird obsession with languages, especially ones that are dying out. I get people asking why the heck I’m learning Irish all the time.
Oh man…flying + being a superhyperpolyglot? Unbeatable. Superman couldn’t compete.
[...] These are definitely worth the wait. Give these a try. The recipe is here. [...]
These cheescake bars are awesome. I made them last weekend. It is difficult waiting so long before eating them. The wait is well worth it. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you, Kathy! The wait is the only downside
So happy you enjoyed them!
Oh, good grief, Amber. These look amazing.
Hehe! Thanks, Gena.
Hi Amber! I found your blog via Vegan Cuts! Holy mole sauce you are a genius. The yogurt completely changes the texture. It’s like actual cheesecake. Brought a few squares to work to share with some vegan and nonvegan coworkers, everyone loved them. I want to try making this with a graham cracker crust. I hope that base wont get too soggy but I want to make it even more like the mouth feel I’m used to, and the filling has the perfect mouth feel and texture. Do you think this is a bad good/bad idea or have other suggestions?
Yay, so glad you (and your co-workers) love the bars, Debbie!
Do let me know how it works out!
I think you should definitely experiment with a graham cracker crust! You may be right to be concerned about sogginess, though. But I have a trick you might try:
- Make your graham cracker crust (or buy one ready-made, whichever you planned to do) and put it in the freezer for a few minutes, until it’s chilled.
- Melt a tablespoon or two of extra coconut oil. Remove the chilled crust from the freezer. Working quickly, immediately brush the melted coconut oil over the crust (try to brush it thinly and evenly, as it will harden upon pretty much upon contact). Put the crust back in the freezer while you make the filling.
- Proceed with the recipe as instructed from that point forward, using the non-dehydrator instructions.
Adding that thin layer of frozen coconut oil may hopefully “lock in” the moisture of the filling, preventing it from soaking into the crust as it solidifies. Now, with this method you won’t be able to dehydrate the bars (it’ll just melt that extra oil, making an oily crust), but as long as your house isn’t too warm, you should be able to do the room-temp culturing just fine.
I hope that makes sense! I can’t guarantee 100% that it’ll work, but it’s what I would try if it were me.
Wow you are really a genius. I will let you know how the graham crust works out with your oil sealing idea. Thanks for your help (and the quick response), you have just made a fan for life!
<3
Aww, thank you Debbie!
[...] double the filling, or use a smaller contraption to bake it (I kind of like Amber’s method here of lining it with parchment paper and then slipping the whole thing out [...]
[...] Cinnamon Swirl Caramel Cheesecake Bars from Chef Amber Shea should not even be legal! [...]
[...] Knock You Off Your Feet Indulgence: Cinnamon Swirl Caramel Cheesecake Bars from Amber @ Almost Vegan [...]
Oh my word, these look phenomenal! Just found these via the veggie nook and realized that somehow I’ve become unsubscribed to your blog! Reading through archives now to see what I’ve missed..
Another languages lover over here- I study French and Spanish at university. My course is mainly literature and language but I’m doing a little bit of French linguistics too.
Oh no! If you were subscribed through email, it probably happened when I rebranded my site and moved to a new server last November. I sent out a couple email notices about resubscribing to the new site. I wish subscriptions had transferred, but for some reason they didn’t.
Yay for Spanish and French – two of my favorites!
Never mind, I can catch up! I’m re-subscribed now anyway
What brand dehydrator do you have? I love the glass door!
I have a Tribest brand Sedona – I LOVE it!
Better than Excalibur? I love mine and always heard it was the best. However, I notice that yours has a temperature control too.
Definitely better than Excalibur, in my opinion (though I used an Excalibur for years, and it worked just fine!). The DIGITAL timer and temperature controls (not just less-than-accurate dials!) on the Sedona are fantastic. It beeps when the time runs out, unlike the Excalibur. It has an on/off switch. It has a GLASS DOOR that actually has hinges – you don’t have to find a place to set the door down every time you want to open it (and besides, you don’t have to open it to check on the food as often anyway, because you can see through it!). It’s BPA-free (Excalibur is not). And though I haven’t used this feature yet, it gives you the ability to insert a tray in the center slot and then only use the top or bottom of the dehydrator to save power. Too cool!
But perhaps the biggest difference? It is SO quiet! When I first got it, I kept running into the kitchen to stand next to it to make sure it was still on, because I couldn’t hear it unless I was less than a few feet away – what a change from the noisy Excalibur! (If you’re an Excalibur owner, you know what I mean – it’s so loud, you can hear it from the next room.) And not that it needs it, but the Sedona even has a “night mode” that you can use to make it even quieter. It’s just awesome.
Wow! I’m sold! Now I will put that on my list. I like my Excalibur but you are right…I have to close the bedroom door when I run it at night!
You…and your recipes…rock!
Hehe! Thanks!
FYI, Amazon has the best price on Sedonas: http://bit.ly/SedonaDehydrator
YUMMY! new N°1 in my family
loved the creaminess and lightness. i used soya yogurt cause i can’t get any other but it was great (and it had probiotics inside which i hope have multiplied 
) (however, as i didn’t want to use the filing, i made a date icing on top, so the color wasn’t so cinnamon like, but it was still very good).
thanks for the awesome recipe! cheers
Cool idea with the date icing!
Happy to hear you and your family loved them.
Amber,
This one is seriously making me drool. I will be making it – Thank you!
You are very welcome! Enjoy!
I made this recipe Easter Monday for a raw potluck and they were gone in no time. Everyone loved it. I will make it for my hubby’s coworkers soon (today I guess) because his boss loves regular cheesecake. I am excited what he will think about your creation. It is absolutely delicious. I made it with maple sirup only but next time I will try it with the coconut nectar. Thank you very much!
I’m so happy to hear that, Anja! You’re welcome!
Hi Amber,
I don’t have almond flour, would brazil nut flour work. If not, what else could I use.
Thanks,
Christine
Yes, that would work! Any nut or seed flour would do the trick.
[...] Chef Amber Shea has developed the perfect solution in our featured recipe ….. (Check out her link to see the full recipe.) Photo courtesy of Chef Amber Shea [...]
Will this work with only Greek style yogurt?
Nope, any kind should work – many people have reported success with non-Greek yogurt.
WOW, these look amazing! I am making these asap
First, though, I’m pinning!
-Dana
Thanks Dana!
Hi Amber,
Amazing looking recipe. Quick question: if we don’t have a dehydrator and use dairy yogurt but leave it out for 8 hrs, won’t it go bad? I live in FL where it is VERY humid so I’d be worried about ruining the batch. Your thoughts please?
That’s a great question. Considering I made these in the Midwest in March, I hadn’t thought about something like Florida heat/humidity. If it’s warm and humid where you’re at, I’d leave them out on the counter for just 4 hours instead of 8. If it’s VERY hot and humid (like you don’t have AC!) then 1 hour should be plenty. Hope that helps!
You are just too adorable and fun! I loved learning more about you! I think it’s great when bloggers share. I am making these bars tomorrow and just can’t wait. I’ve been drooling over the recipe for days.
In addition to English, we do speak Spanish in our home (but not fluently). Our kids are in a Spanish Immersion school (it’s a 7 years program). My daughter is very interested in also learning French, so you never know.
And YES I am a big party girl. They might not always be themed, but I love getting people together. Love cooking for people, love entertaining, love the energy and sense of connection.
Have a great rest of your week and a fabulous weekend.
xo,
-Amber
That is so great that you speak Spanish in the home with your kids! I hope to do the same with mine someday!
Also VERY cool about their Spanish immersion program. And I say definitely encourage your daughter to learn French if she wants to. 
Hi Amber,
I could just kiss you for this recipe!!!! I have yet to come across a “cheesecake” recipe that tastes this closely to actual cheesecake. I’m serious. I was floored – absolutely phenomenal. Thank you for this amazing recipe. I’ve shared a picture on FB. Oh, and I just left it out on the counter to culture as you suggested then transferred to the fridge. Worked perfectly.
Thank you, thank you!!!
xoxo,
-Amber
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=589076054449524&set=a.292220644135068.78458.288512964505836&type=1
Wow, thank you SO much, Amber! And thank you for sharing your photo on FB! I’m thrilled to hear these turned out so wonderfully for you, and that you and your family love them.
WOW! I feel super important! You actually replied in a FLASH! Thanks sooo much! Reason I am asking is because I question myself…I have never soaked cashews before! This afternooon I went to our co-op store and bought all the ingredients for this decedant, amazing receipe of yours and want to make when I get home tonight! I want to make sure I know what I am doing (not very likely)
Thanks again!
Hehe! You caught me RIGHT at afternoon-comments-checking time!
Hope you LOVE the bars, Nicole! Let me know if you have any more questions during the process; I should be around and able to respond this evening if needed.
Hi, it’s me…right now I mixed yogurt, cashews, etc…its very runny, is that OK>?
Yes, it’s ok! It’ll be very liquidy at first. It’ll thicken up a tiny bit as it sits out and cultures, but the real thickening will happen after that, when you refrigerate it – the coconut oil in it will firm it up nicely in the fridge.
Hi Amber,
Look how you inspired me lovely lady: http://www.thetastyalternative.com/2013/05/mini-strawberry-cheesecakes-inspired-by.html
xo,
–amber
Ahh, your little cheesecakelets are just BEAUTIFUL! Sorry I’m so behind on my feed reader, or I would’ve commented on your post days ago. I LOVE your strawberry variation – I am going to have to try it myself as soon as I get my hands on some seasonal local strawbs!
Excellent Amber-Amber collaboration there
Happy belated Mothers Day, Amber!
Hi Amber,
Must try this cheesecake…must! LOL
Somewhat related…
I have a question about probiotics. I have your cookbook “Practically Raw” and there’s some cheese recipes I’m so itching to try and I did go to the website you recommened for the probiotics powder and I found Probiotics Acidophilus powder. Is that the correct powder? I’m maybe a yodel when it comes to this and sorry for the silly question but I want to be sure I buy the correct item to use.
Thank you so much and also for sharing such wonderful recipes with us!!
Laura G.
Hi Laura,
Not a silly question at all! Any kind of acidophilus powder will work perfectly. There are actually many different strains of probiotics, but acidophilus is probably the most common and easiest to find.