Dairy and Soy Free Lemon Cheesecake Mousse (L is for Lemon)

For several years now, I have been  trying to get a more traditional cheesecake recipe to work with dairy- and soy-free cream cheese, but it wasn't working.  We recently tried a vegan no-bake cheesecake recipe, and suddenly, my mine raced with possibilities. No-bake cheesecake isn't exactly the same as a New York style cheesecake, but it's still delicious.  Plus, it's ready almost immediately, rather than hours later. I'm always on the hunt for quick desserts, so my math says fast + cheesecake = perfect.

After lots of googling and comparing recipes, I came up with this lemon-flavored one.  You certainly could put it into a crust (I like using Enjoy Life soft cookies as a press-in-the-pan crust), but I decided to serve this one in dessert glasses, making the lemony mousse the star of the show.  To serve, I topped with a bit of lemon zest, but you could use cookie crumbs or even fresh berries.  Best of all, this dessert is ready as soon as it has been put together, so it's perfect for last-minute dinner guests -- or just when you're craving some cheesecake!

Lemon Cheesecake Mousse

1 package Daiya cream cheese (8 oz)
1 can sweetened condensed coconut milk
1/2 cup lemon juice, divided
1 packet unflavored gelatin*

Whip the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.  Add in the sweetened condensed milk and continue whipping on high for 3 minutes.

 Place about 1/4 cup of lemon juice in a bowl.  Stir in the gelatin.  Heat the other 1/4 in the microwave until hot (slightly steaming), about one minute.

Add the hot juice to the gelatin mixture, and stir with either a whisk or fork until liquefied and smooth.  Slowly this to the cream cheese mix, and beat until fully incorporated.

Spoon into dessert glasses (or a prepared pie crust for a traditional cheesecake).  Top with lemon zest (or fresh berries, or mini chocolate chips...) It can be served immediately, or stored covered in the refrigerator.

 *Note: Gelatin can be omitted to make a vegan mousse, but the texture may not remain as fluffy.  Add the cold juice to the whipped cream cheese and milk mixture in the same order. 



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