Vegan Churro Cheesecake + 10 Things I’ve Learned in 1 Year of Marriage

Churros. Cheesecake. Two of my husband’s favorite words.

After 3 years of dating + 1 year of marriage, you definitely develop a deep understanding of what your partner’s favorite (and not-so-favorite) foods are. And I would rank churros and cheesecake in the top 15 of B’s faves. Cheesecake might even make the top 5.

To celebrate our FIRST WEDDING ANNIVERSARY, it seems totally appropriate to share a dessert that combines some of my husband’s favorites + has made me fall in love with cheesecake again! And even though it isn’t recipe-related, I feel it’s totally appropriate to share some of the vast wisdom (ha ha ha ha) I’ve acquired in my first year being a wife.

A fire wife, I should say, which is definitely it’s own unique category of wifehood.

But first… CHEESECAKE.

So this cheesecake came into being because it was Cinco de Mayo and I thought it’d be fun to have a themed dinner. I’m not sure why I decided to make an entire cheesecake when there are only two of us…but I have no regrets about it. The more cheesecake the better.

The crust is made with only two ingredients – cinnamon graham crackers (YES get the cinnamon ones! AMAZING) and coconut oil. I recommend using refined coconut oil, which has almost no coconut flavor. Just 10 minutes in the oven to lightly set the crust, and you’re good to go!

The filling is one of the most creamy, dreamy things you’ll ever taste in your life. It’s made with only seven ingredients (because simple recipes rock) – cashews, coconut cream, maple syrup, almond milk, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon. Super simple, made with natural ingredients, and so very delicious.

Then when you put the crust and the filling together… CHURRO CHEESECAKE fiesta time for your tastebuds.

Now for part two of this post…

TEN things I’ve learned in ONE year of marriage:

1. Choose your battles. It’s not worth getting into an argument just because he stole drank from your water bottle.
2. No matter how many times you say it, he’ll still forget to turn off the closet light.
3. Falling asleep together in the same bed isn’t as magical as movies/tv shows make it seem… Have a set of earplugs handy, get a king size bed for sure, and use two sets of linens so your sheets aren’t constantly yanked from you in the middle of the night.
4. Remember you’re now buying groceries for another person, not just yourself. Yes, husbands should eat healthy too. But they appreciate a kitchen stocked with more than spinach, oatmeal and tofu.
5. Go ahead, watch tv shows on the couch together while you eat your own random dinner concoctions. But pick a meal every so often to sit at the table, eat the same foods (bonus points if you make it!), and put your phones away.
6. He probably won’t notice that you washed all the floors and cleaned the bathrooms. Don’t expect him to. However, feel free to drop (NOT SUBTLE) hints that you cleaned and wow doesn’t the house look amazing.
7. You won’t like his “really comfy” elastic-waistband athletic shorts from high school, he won’t like your super practical and perfect-for-airing-out-feet-after-workouts Crocs. If you don’t throw his shorts in the trash, he’ll reciprocate by leaving your awesome shoes alone.
8. Cuddle.
9. You will cry and he won’t understand why (nor will you sometimes). The end. I don’t have any advice on that one.
10. Have some solid recipes in your arsenal that you can whip up and dazzle your man. Especially breakfasts + desserts. I suggest: French Toast, 7-Ingredient Blender Waffles, Peppermint Patties, 1-Bowl Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, and CHURRO CHEESECAKE 😉
11. BONUS: Look through your wedding photos every so often to remind yourselves that you do love each other no matter if someone snores, if the closet lights get left on, or if your partner doesn’t like your ugly awesome shoes.

And now back to the churro cheesecake…

…since I know that’s what you’re all really here for!

As always, if you make this recipe (or any SMY recipe) I’d love to know about it! Tag @somuchyumblog in a photo on Instagram, or leave a comment below!

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Vegan Churro Cheesecake

Yield: one 9-inch cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1 ¾ cups cinnamon graham cracker crumbs (~1 sleeve of 9 cracker sheets)
• 4-5 Tbsp melted coconut oil

Filling

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
• ¾ cup coconut cream*
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil

Directions:

1. First, make the crust. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs and coconut oil until fully combined and all the crumbs are coated. Transfer to prepared baking dish and press evenly into bottom of pan and partway up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
3. Next, make the filling. In a high speed blender, add the cashews, coconut cream, almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon. Blend for a few moments until only small cashew bits remain, scraping down the sides as necessary.
4. Add the coconut oil and continue to blend for several minutes until completely silky smooth and no chunks remain.
5. Pour into prepared crust. Tap pan lightly on countertop to pop any air bubbles. Cover and refrigerate overnight, at least 12 hours, to allow to set before serving – 24 hours of chilling time is even better if possible.

Notes:

* If you can’t find coconut cream, you can instead refrigerate a can of full-fat coconut milk and scoop out the cream that separates to the top of the can.

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