Enjoy The Cheesecake Factory's Avocado Egg Rolls at Home with this Copycat Recipe!

These DELICIOUS avocado egg rolls are the most popular appetiser at The Cheesecake Factory! They were so moreish that I had to make a copycat Cheesecake Factory Avocado Egg Roll recipe when I got home as I missed them so much. This is a pushy recipe Dear Reader and this version is vegan! Serve them at a cocktail party - they'll be a guaranteed hit!

To me the key to these avocado egg rolls is the generous amount of avocado in them and the most incredible dipping sauce. I make up a huge batch of this sauce and keep it in the fridge. If you love coriander you will love this dipping sauce (and if you don't, don't worry I have a substitute if you hate coriander!). What I love is that they are incredibly easy to make too and you can make the dipping sauce ahead of time.

What is the difference between Spring Rolls and Egg Rolls? Spring rolls originated in China while the egg roll is more a Chinese American invention. They are the same sort of concept - in America they are called egg rolls in America and spring rolls in Australia. However in America the pastry has egg in it, hence the name while in Australia the dough is made of flour, water, oil and salt. The outer texture of egg rolls is bumpier and thicker than spring rolls that are smooth textured and crisp.

When are avocadoes in season? Thanks to the geographical landscape across Australia and different climates, avocadoes are available all year round. Around the world they are available all year round too but peak around late summer season when they reach a higher oil content.

What else can I use this amazing dipping sauce in? I love this coriander or cilantro dipping sauce for salads whether it be green salads or legume salads. Add a couple of tablespoons of dressing to some cooked chickpeas along with 1 tablespoon of chopped red onion and 1 tablespoon chopped sun dried tomato and you have the quickest lunch salad!

I HATE cilantro/coriander! What can I use instead? These avocado egg rolls are all about coriander or cilantro but you can omit it in the egg roll and instead of the dipping sauce use Thai sweet chilli sauce or nuoc cham. Some people also use ranch dressing too.

Are the avocado eggrolls at Cheesecake Factory vegan? No because they contain egg but these copycat avocado egg rolls are vegan. American egg roll pastry uses egg (hence the name) but Australian spring roll wrappers (our name for egg rolls) do not contain any egg!

Can I cook these avocado egg rolls in an air fryer or bake them in an oven? The answer is yes to both. Make sure to brush generously with oil and cook in a 180C/350F air fryer for 10-12 minutes turning halfway or in an oven for 20 minutes.

The first time I tried these was at The Cheesecake Factory in Hawaii. They were even better than I expected and I wish I had discovered them sooner so I could go back and have them again. I have some good news too Dear Reader. I'm heading back to Hawaii early next year! Hawaii is one of my favourite ever destinations and any chance I have to go back is a greatly welcomed. This time we are spending time in Oahu again as well as visiting Hawaii Island for the first time.

The crazy part about it is that I actually won this holiday during a lunch. Sometimes during a media lunch prizes are given out and it's usually a business card draw and takes all of 5 minutes but this was different. The giveaway lasted for over an hour and comprised of general knowledge questions about Hawaii in two rounds with around 25 questions in total. There was stiff competition; there were 8 tables with 10 people on them made up 5 travel writers and 5 Hawaiian local representatives on each table. Only the writers were eligible to win the prize and the local reps were there to help us. Luckily we had two very knowledgeable people on our table, a tour guide and a smart hotel representative who didn't like to lose. We got through the first two rounds of questions and there were two tables still in contention - our table #7 and table #8.

We then went onto our next round of A or B questions where we had to put our hands on our heads for answer A and on our sides for answer B. That knocked out some people but mostly people were doing the same as everyone else. Someone suggested that we needed to close our eyes so we complied. That knocked out a lot of people and left two people, myself and another writer. They tried more questions but every time we answered the same way and it was a stalemate. At some point they ran out of questions as the competition intensified. Adrenalin was coursing through my veins and I desperately wanted to win this prize because I love Hawaii so much and I could almost smell the ocean and taste the poke.

"We need a tie breaker question!" someone suggested and they conferred before giving us our final question. Whoever guessed the closest to the answer was the winner. "How many rooms does the Waikiki Parc hotel have?" they asked. I had to hazard a guess so I answered "200?" very uncertainly. Then the other contender answered "115" which was the answer to a previous hotel room question. The answer was actually 286 and I had won! The prize was incredible, it was 7 nights in Hawaii including economy airfares and hotels. I couldn't believe that I had won after all of that time and it was thanks to my seat mates who were so clever and helpful and a bit of luck at the end. Come next year I can't wait to go back to have these avocado egg rolls again and eat my fill of poke and Hawaiian food!

So tell me Dear Reader, what is an exciting prize that you have won? Have you ever tried these avocado egg rolls?

Avocado Egg Rolls

An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Cooking time: 16 minutes

Makes: 8-9 rolls (serve cut in half for 16-18 portions)

Cashew Tamarind Dipping Sauce

• 30g/1oz roasted cashews
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 30g/1oz coriander leaves (just under a bunch)
• 25ml/0.9oz1oz tamarind puree
• 65g/2.3ozs honey
• 50ml/1.7ozs simple syrup
• 30ml/1flozs rice bran oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Avocado Rolls

• 18 spring roll wrappers or 9 egg roll wrappers, thawed completely (take out of freezer and place on counter 2 hours beforehand)

• 500g/1.1lbs avocado flesh (around 3 large avocadoes), chopped into chunks

• 40g/1.4ozs sun dried tomato, very finely chopped
• 40g/1.4ozs red onion, very finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Buyer's tip: tamarind puree can be found in the Asian aisle of the supermarket. If you can't find tamarind puree sub it with rice vinegar or white vinegar.

To make simple sugar syrup, whisk equal quantities caster or superfine sugar in boiling water. When you whisk it, it will become cloudy at first and then turn clear. Store in the fridge where it will keep for 2-3 weeks.

Step 1 - I like to make the dipping sauce first because I like to serve the rolls when they're fresh and hot. Place the cashews, garlic, coriander, tamarind, honey, simple syrup, oil, cumin, salt and black pepper in a food processor and pulse until cashews are blended into tiny pieces and the mixture is quite smooth. Thermomix directions: Place the cashews, garlic, coriander, tamarind, honey, simple syrup, oil, cumin, salt and black pepper in the Thermomix bowl and set to 30 seconds, speed #4.

Step 2 - Place the avocado flesh, sun dried tomatoes, red onion, coriander, salt and pepper in a bowl to toss gently to distribute the seasoning. Take your wrappers - I like to double up on the spring roll wrappers so use 2 per roll if you are using Australian spring roll wrappers that are thinner than egg roll wrappers. Place two heaped tablespoons of the filling in a log shape at the bottom triangle and roll up like a burrito-start rolling up the bottom and then tuck in the sides and roll up. Seal this with water on the inside and then make sure to seal it on the outside seal too. Place on a tray and repeat with the rest of the wrappers and filling.

Step 3 - Heat oil in a cast iron pot or deep fryer. When it reaches 180C/350F place 2 or 3 rolls in and cook for 3-4 minutes. Remove and place on a double paper towel lined plate. Slice in half diagonally and serve hot with dipping sauce. I also deep fried some thinly sliced rice paper - you can also use vermicelli noodles just for that extra Cheesecake Factory touch.