5 Minute Peanut Butter Pie

Do you ever have core memories of certain things you have eaten that have changed your life or way of thinking? I have many, my thoughts are almost completely of food.

A core food memory of mine occurred on valentines day of 2018 when I was living in NYC. I was on the hunt for a sweet treat that was gluten free and dairy free and not filled with horrible ingredients. I stumbled into a vegan shop near Union Square after going to 2 gluten free shops that didn’t have any dessert to my liking. This vegan shop, which I wish I could remember the name of, had a huge assortment of gluten free and vegan baked goods. My eyes landed on a raspberry “cheesecake” that looked just like a normal cheesecake. I bought the slice and ate it in the shop. I was perplexed by it, how did they achieve such great texture without any dairy or actual cheese? I asked them and they told me the secret ingredient to their cheesecakes was actually tofu. My mind was blown.

From there on I have been using tofu in “cheesecakes” that I want to make dairy free. When adding other flavors, you cannot taste the tofu, and it give the best texture that is firm enough to slice, but soft like a real cheesecake.

I have played with many flavor variations over the years, but this peanut butter tofu cheesecake variation is by far my favorite. If you are peanut butter lover, and also a fan of making baked goods in under 5 minutes, you have to try this recipe. Plus the tofu makes it super high in protein, so it’s healthy right?!

Ingredients:

• 16 oz silken firm tofu, drained (non firm is fine too but better texture comes from the firm tofu)
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1 nine inch pre baked oreo pie crust
• 3 peanut butter cups, chopped for garnish

Preparation:

STEP 1.

Add the tofu, peanut butter, sugar, vanilla and salt to a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour into the baked oreo pie crust, smooth with a spatula, and top with the crushed peanut butter cups. Transfer to a freezer and freeze for 1-2 hours to set!

STEP 2.

Slice and serve!