Gluten-Free Vegan Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Instructions

1. To make the base, place nuts into a food processor and grind until it’s finely crumbled (though not as a fine flour — you still want to see little almond granules). Add the dulce de leche and pulse until combined. Transfer mixture into a springform pan. Press down until a thin uniform layer covers the base. Place in the freezer while working on the next part of the recipe to let it harden up a bit.
2. To make the cheesecake, place all ingredients, except non-dairy milk, into a blender in the order listed (liquids first — I find it blends better this way). A good blender, like a Vitamix, works best for this type of recipe, though a regular blender should work too. Blend until a smooth mixture is formed. You may need to pause and scrape down the sides a few times to help the mixture blend better, as it will be quite thick. Note: only add the milk if necessary — do not add more milk than that as it’ll make the cake melt down later on when it’s at room temperature.
3. Remove springform pan from the freezer. Pour cheesecake mixture over the base layer. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to even the cake out and to get rid of any air bubbles. Place the pan back into the freezer and allow it to chill for a 3-4 hours to set {after that the cake can be kept in the fridge or freezer}.
4. For the caramel layer, there are 3 ways this can be done: a. Remove cake pan from the freezer. Pour or spread (depending on consistency) the vegan dulce de leche on top. Place back in the freezer to harden up. This will make a solid even caramel layer. OR b. You can also keep the cake frozen and when you are ready to serve, remove from freezer and spread or drizzle room temperature dulce de leche on top. This will result in a thinner and perfectly runny caramel layer. OR c. If you prefer a thicker but more gelatinized caramel layer (as you see in the pic above), then make a thicker version of the dulce de leche by using arrowroot (see notes here). Keep the dulce de leche at room temperature. Before you’re ready to serve the cake, remove from freezer and spread the caramel layer on top, and using a spatula lightly pushing it towards the edges until it begins to droop down a little off the sides. --> Regardless of the method you’re using, sprinkle the caramel layer with some salt flakes right before serving and serve right away.