Vegan Saffron Cheesecake Bars
These vegan saffron cheesecake bars have a whole-wheat crust, are specked with walnuts and are tender and shortbready. They are also perfectly sweet without being cloying. The cheesecake layer is soft and gooey with the warmth of saffron adding more flavor.
Servings: 16 bars
Calories: 155kcal
Ingredients
For crust
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ cup walnuts (lightly toasted and finely chopped)
- A pinch of saffron
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 6 tablespoon vegan butter (at room temperature)
For the cheesecake topping
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon egg replacer
- 2 pinches saffron
- 2 teaspoon almond milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- orange food coloring (you could skip this entirely-- I just wanted a lovely color on my bars)
Instructions
- Mix the saffron with milk and set aside.
- Make the crust by mixing together the flour, sugar, walnuts, saffron and butter. The mixture will be crumbly.
- Grease the bottom of an 8 X 8 inch baking pan. Pat in the crust with your fingers, making it an even layer.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove.
- While the crust is baking, make the cheesecake topping.
- Mix together the cream cheese, sugar, saffron with almond milk, and vanilla extract until you have a very smooth, creamy mixture.
- Spread it on top of the walnut-flour crust in an even layer. Use a spatula to smooth over the top.
- Return to the oven and bake 25 minutes.
- Cool on a rack and then cut into 16 squares.
Nutrition
Serving: 1bar | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 205IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg