If you’re looking for a healthy dessert — perfect to for all of summer’s activities, from picnics to barbecues — try mini almost-vegan cheesecakes. They’re “almost vegan” because we used an egg but substituted all the dairy. If you’re totally vegan, however, we’ve read that silken tofu can work as a great egg substitute in cheesecakes. (We didn’t try this, though.) If you’re not into veganism, feel free to use real butter and cream cheese! We made them both ways, but as gratifying as being environmentally conscious is, we thought the nonvegan version tasted a little bit better. Either way you choose to make them will be delicious.

Ingredients:

• Cinnamon graham crackers
• 8 ounces Daiya (nondairy) cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons vegan margarine or butter
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup strawberries
• 2 tablespoons vanilla soy yogurt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place graham crackers in plastic bag, and crumble them using a hard surface, such as a mason jar.

3.  In a mixing bowl, combine cream “cheese,” egg, sugar, vanilla and yogurt until creamy.
4.  Melt the vegan margarine and combine with graham cracker crumbs.
5.  Pour graham cracker crumbs to the bottom of muffin tins.

6. Add cheesecake mixture to the muffin tins.
7. Bake for about 16 minutes or until the mixture is set.
8. Chill for about 1 hour in the refrigerator.
9. Garnish with blueberries and strawberries.