Creamsicle Vegan Cheesecake Bars

For the orange sauce:
Zest the orange and set it aside for later (you should have about 2 teaspoons, packed). Slice about 1 inch off the end of each orange, and then very thinly slice the remaining piece crosswise. Make sure it stays together, but slice it as thinly as possible.

Combine honey and water in a large pot on high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir in the oranges, making sure they are covered in the liquid. Reduce the heat to medium/low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the oranges are translucent but still hold their shape, about 35–40 minutes.

For the crust:
Line the bottom of an 8-inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang to use as a handle later.

In a large food processor, process cashews until crumbly. Add dates and continue to process until crumbly and mixed. With the food processor running, stream in water and process until mixture starts to come together.

Transfer crust into the prepared pan and press out firmly and evenly. I find it helps to hold a piece of parchment paper to press out if the crust sticks to your fingers. Place into the freezer while you make the filling.

For the filling:
Add all of the filling ingredients, along with the orange zest, into a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary. Pour into the chilled crust and smooth out evenly.

By this point, your oranges should be done. Use a slotted spoon and very carefully remove them one at a time from the pot. Place them on top of the cashew cream. Try not to overlap too much, but a little bit is okay.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of the cooking liquid over the oranges (try not to get too much of it onto the actual exposed cream) and then discard the rest. Place into the freezer until hard, at least 5 hours to overnight.

To serve, let stand at room temperature for 5–10 minutes. Slice and devour!

Notes:
1. If you don’t slice the orange thin enough, it makes the bars bitter, so get them nice and thin!
2. Again, make sure cooked oranges are translucent. If they’re not cooked enough, they are bitter.