I wish I was any other New Yorker and said “yes, I LOVE cheesecake!” But the fact of the matter is – I don’t! I know, blasphemy! Obviously I grew up with cheesecake all around us, being a native New Yorker. Something about the texture just threw me off. I found it to be really heavy, constantly stuck to the roof of my mouth and a bit flavorless. That is until my mom started making us cheesecake cupcakes. I have no idea where the recipe is from, if she made it up, or if someone loaned us the recipe, but these cheesecakes I love. And when I asked her to send me the recipe, I noticed it was written in her recipe book (yes, I am THAT old that my family used to keep a handwritten book of recipes before phones and computers!), the recipe was written in my oldest sisters handwriting! Which by the way is very beautiful.

Anyhow, I start this series in August on my Instagram called ‘Around The Eco World’ where I showcase plant-based versions of popular recipes from around the world. I of course had to start with my home country – America! So far, I have published 3 episodes (all videos linked below for easy access):

• Episode 1 (America): Cornbread IG, TikTok, YouTube Shorts – recipe can be found in my cookbook The Modern Tiffin 
• Episode 2 (America): Mac n’ Cheese IG, TikTok, YouTube Shorts – recipe can be found in my cookbook The Modern Tiffin 
• Episode 3 (America): NY Cheesecake IG, TikTok, YouTube Shorts
• Coming up: ITALY

For my latest episode, I shared a plant-based version of my moms delicious Cheesecake Cups, attempting to follow her recipe to a T, but substituting in plant-based ingredients. I think there is definitely room for improvement, but it’s not a bad first try! Let me know if you end up trying out the recipe!

NY Style Cheesecake Cups:

makes 12 standard cupcakes 

• 16 oz softened plant-based cream cheese (I used Violife)
• 6 tbsp plant-based egg substitute (I used JUST Egg)
• 3/4 cup raw cane sugar
• 1 vanilla bean pod – vanilla beans scraped out
• 12 vanilla wafer cookies (I used Whole Foods 365 Brand)
• 8 strawberries sliced in half (include the tops)
• 1/4 cup raw can sugar
• 1 cup water
• juice from 1/2 a fresh orange + zest
• 1/2 tsp agar agar powdered dissolved in tbsp warm water

Method:

1. Preheat your oven at 375 degrees. Line a standard cupcake baking sheet with parchment or silicone cupcake liners. Set aside.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip together cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla beans until creamy and whipped.

3. Place a vanilla wafer cookie face up on the bottom of each cupcake. Pour in cream cheese mixture 3/4 way up. Smooth out tops and give the sheet a few taps on the counter to release any air bubbles.

4. Bake for about 45 minutes or until solid – mixture will look a bit oily and wet while baking, but trust the process.

5. In a small pot set over medium heat, add in strawberries, scraped vanilla bean pod, water, sugar, orange zest, orange juice and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add in the dissolved agar agar mixture. Simmer for two more minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

5. Once cheesecakes are out of the oven, cool completely in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Top each one with a thick gooey strawberry. Serve.