Method (base)

1. Add the dairy-free butter / margarine into a small saucepan, place on the hob and heat over low until fully melted. Remove from the heat and add into a medium sized, heat proof mixing bowl.
2. Add the cookies and cream cookies into a blender / food processor and blend until fine. Pour the cookie crumbs into the melted butter and stir together using a wooden spoon or spatula. It should resemble wet sand, and when you press it between your fingers, should hold its shape. Press approximately 40-50g of mixture into each cookie cup tin, making sure to compact it in using clean hands. The more compact it is, the less likely it will crumble. Place into the freezer whilst you make the filling.

Method (cheesecake filling)

1. Place the dairy-free dark into a heat proof bowl. Fill a small saucepan 1/4 with water and place over the hob on a low / medium heat. Place the bowl on-top to create a bain-marie. Melt the chocolate. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, add in the dairy-free whipping cream and cream cheese. Whip on low speed first to prevent it splashing out the bowl, then turn to high speed. Whip until thick. This will take around 5 minutes. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, but a hand whisk will work great too! The mixture should be thick, creamy and hold its shape firmly.
3. Add in the melted chocolate and cocoa powder. Whip until fully combined. The mixture should be thick, chocolatey. Click here to see me make these cheesecakes.
4. Transfer the cheesecake filling into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip nozzle (or snip off the tip of a piping bag).
5. Pipe the cheesecake filling evenly on-top of each base / into each cookie cup. Level off the top with an off set spatula or back of a spoon.
6. Place into the freezer for 4 hours or until firm to the touch. If you have push up tins, push up the bases of the cookie cup tin to release the cheesecakes. If the cheesecakes haven’t set firm, they won’t come out the tin neatly.
7. Once firm, I like to pop them into the fridge to defrost slightly while you make the ganache and cream swirl.

Method (chocolate ganache)

1. Place the dairy-free dark into a heat proof bowl. Fill a small saucepan 1/4 with water and place over the hob on a low / medium heat. Place the bowl on-top to create a bain-marie. Melt the chocolate. Pour in the dairy-free cream and whip until smooth.
2. Spoon a 2 teaspoons worth of ganache on-top of each cheesecake and level off with an off set spatula or with the back of a spoon. 

Method (chocolate cream swirl)

1. Place the cream into a bowl and whip until thick. I use a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment. A hand whisk will work fine, but it will take much longer.
2. Drizzle in some of the left over chocolate from the chocolate ganache, and whip together until thick and chocolaty. You’ll want the chocolate to be runny, if not, you’ll get lumps in the cream.Transfer the cream into a piping bag fitted with an open star tip nozzle and pipe a high swirl on top of each cheesecake.
3. Decorate with some grated dark chocolate- optional.