Mini oaty cups filled with smooth cream cheese and topped with roasted pistachios flavoured with orange and aromatic cinnamon and cardamom!
Baklava is one of the most popular desserts in the Middle East or any Arab speaking country. It’s such a decadent dessert and one that is served to show hospitality and generosity. Diamond shaped delights made up of layered crispy phyllo pastry, crunchy nuts flavoured with cinnamon and cardamom all drenched in a rose water and orange blossom infused syrup.
They’re super decadent and delicious, but they’re also really heavy, sugary and fatty. I did my best to make a healthier version a couple of years ago (you can find the recipe here), which turned out to be very popular! So I thought I’d create another version, but this time in the form of a cheesecake. One that’s also vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free.
The base, or ‘cups’ are made up of a simple mixture of oats, maple syrup and coconut oil. The cream cheese filling is even simpler made with only 3 ingredients! the topping is where the magic and most of the flavour is – pistachios, orange zest, cinnamon, cardamom, rose and maple syrup to sweeten. Tastes absolutely divine, but with less sugar and more fibre!
These mini Baklava cheesecakes are:
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Easy to make
- Packed with aromatic flavours
- Made using healthier ingredients
A must try if you like Baklava, Middle Eastern desserts in general or if you want to try something new and exciting!
Vegan Mini Baklava Cheesecakes
Makes 6
Base
110g oat flour – rolled oats blended into a flour in the food processor (Use gluten-free oats if allergic/intolerant)
A pinch of salt
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp Coconut oil, melted
For the cheese filling
150g vegan cream cheese
1.5 tbsp maple syrup
1.5 tbsp cornflour
For the Baklva topping
40g pistachios, roughly chopped
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
Zest of 1 orange
Rose petals for garnish
Method:
Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/350F
Mix all the base ingredients in a bowl, then press into and up the sides of 6 deep muffin trays creating a cup shape.
Mix the cream cheese ingredients in another bowl, then divide between the 6 cups. Only fill half way to allow enough room for the topping.
Mix the topping ingredients, then press down into the cups. The more filling you have the less likely the cheese will ooze out as they cook in the oven.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden.
Leave to cool completely before removing from the tin.
Tips:
The cream cheese filling will melt in the oven, and may ooze out if you overfill the cups. Make sure there is enough baklava topping to cover the cheese layer to keep it from oozing out.
Store in the fridge in an air-tight container once cooled and consume within 5 days.
