Pecan Cheesecake
[Vegan]

For the Crust:

1. Before preparing the crust, soak 1 cup of cashews overnight in a bowl of water or in boiling water for 30 minutes.
2. Once the cashews are ready, prepare the crust. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Melt the coconut oil and let it slightly cool. Then add all of the crust ingredients together and stir together. Crust batter will be slightly crumbly but will still stick together.
3. Add the crust to an 8" springform pan, pressing it firmly in the bottom and partially up the sides. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Then remove and let cool while you prepare the filling and the caramel sauce.

For the Caramel Sauce:

1. Combine the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, cashew butter, vanilla, and sea salt together in a small bowl and whisk until thick and smooth. Set aside.

For the Filling:

1. Drain the water from the cashews and add the cashews to a high-speed blender. Next, add the rest of the filling ingredients. Blend together until thick and smooth.
2. Lower the temperature of the oven to 325º. Add the filling to the crust in the springform pan. Then add 1/3 cup of the caramel sauce.
3. Whisk it into the filling.
4. Bake the cheesecake for 30-35 minutes or until the center of the cheesecake is only slightly jiggly. Then turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 20 minutes with the door ajar.
5. Move the cheesecake to the fridge to set for at least 6 hours but overnight is better.

For the Pecan Topping

1. Once the cheesecake is set (after 6 hours), prepare the pecan topping. Melt the vegan butter, maple syrup, and sugar together in a small pot over low heat. Then remove the pot from the heat source and add in the rest of the ingredients.
2. Pour the pecan topping over the cheesecake and serve right away.
3. Store leftover cheesecake back in the fridge (or freezer).