Peanut Butter Vegan Dreams, #SundaySupper

Lines wind around the corner for Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Tokyo and Osaka; piggy banks are emptied to buy American jeans, and McDonald’s are a happy go-to meal. American peanut butter is another story.  Most Japanese are aloof to the concept of a PBJ sandwich. So, Skippy is available only in foreign specialty stores at special luxury item prices. Japanese supermarkets do carry a strain of peanut butter but it lacks the rich, creamy deep flavor of American peanut butter. Some compare the more subtle Japanese peanut butter to overly sweet frosting.



Japanese Peanut Butter
(Photo Credit)


Thanks to my industrious dad and his long hours at the office, we were able to afford the American style peanut butter. In the US, this is a 3-day Labor Day weekend, so today’s #SundaySupper Twitter event honors industrious spirits. (Scroll down to read details about joining the celebration.) Our host is the clever gourmet of FoodieStuntman.

As the Labor Day holiday is all about refraining from labor, I’m offering easy to make Ninja Baker’s Peanut Butter Vegan Dreams. For the crust and topping, I combined Udi’s (vegan-friendly) Cranberry Granola with melted coconut spread. (Found in the butter section at Whole Foods.) Peanut butter, tofu, cinnamon agave and brown sugar are among the ingredients, which produce a smooth, scrumptious filling.



The Ninja Baker's Peanut Butter Vegan Dream Cheesecake 


 Fun fact: Tofu is used all the time to create luscious cheesecakes in Japan. So, don’t be scared, all right? Tofu takes on the flavors of its fellow ingredients.

The Ninja Baker's Peanut Butter Vegan Dreams

Vegan or not, the Ninja Baker's Peanut Butter Dreams are sure to delight. Smooth peanut butter cheesecake squares are embraced between crunchy granola crusts and toppings.

P.s. I love to share my recipes. However, if you are publishing them on your site,  please credit the Ninja Baker and link back to NinjaBaking.com. Thanks!

Ingredients: 

For the crust & topping:

  • 3 cups Udi's Cranberry Granola or a similar gluten-free, dairy, soy & egg free granola
  • 8 tablespoons organic coconut spread


For the peanut butter cheesecake filling:

  • 2 boxes (12 ounces each) extra firm tofu
  • 10 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup cinnamon agave
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
  • Pinch of salt
Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Generously grease and flour (or spray with baking spray) an 11 x 7 brownie pan.

For the crust & topping:

  1. Melt the coconut spread in the microwave. (Approximately 33 seconds.)
  2. Pour over the 3 cups of granola and mix well.
  3. Line the prepared pan with half of the mixture.
  4. Bake for 5 minutes.
  5. Cool and prepare the filling.

For the peanut butter cheesecake filling:

  1. Cut the tofu into squares. Drain off excess water and dab with a paper towel.
  2. Place the tofu in the food processor along with the peanut butter, agave, brown sugar, coconut extract, oil and pinch of salt. 
  3. Pulse until thoroughly combined.
  4. Smooth the filling over the granola crust.
  5. Sprinkle the remaining granola mixture over the peanut butter filling.
  6. Bake for 25 minutes.
  7. Cool and refrigerate before serving.

Here are a few other recipes to help make this Labor Day weekend relaxing.

Refreshing Drinks

Amazing Appetizers and Sides

Enviously Good Entreés

Delicious Desserts

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.

 

Wishing you a labor-free week of luxury. (We can all dream, right?)

The Ninja Baker

© ™ Watkinson 2012

The Ninja Baker has guest blogged and contributed recipes to numerous food sites. These additional recipes can be found here.

 

 

Follow on Bloglovin

 

 

Tags: 
Vegan Recipes
tofu
cheesecake
#SundaySupper