I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas and New Year! Christmas for me was filled with huge amounts of delicious food and this cheesecake made an appearance at dessert time. It was a definite favourite and its cool, refreshing and smooth texture makes it an ideal dessert for a warmer day.
Ingredients -
- 1 cup raw walnuts
- 1 1/2 tbs raw cacao (for the base) + 1/4 cup (for the dark chocolate drizzle)
- 1 cup pitted dates (soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes and then drained)
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked in the fridge for at least 4 hours)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 3/4 cup raspberries (if using frozen allow to thaw completely before blending)
- 1/2 cup rice malt syrup (for the cheesecake layer) + 1/4 cup (for the chocolate drizzle)
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil (for the cheesecake layer) + 1/4 cup (for the chocolate drizzle)
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
Method -
- Blend the almonds in a food processor until roughly chopped.
- Add the soaked dates and cacao to the almonds and continue to blend until a ball forms.
- Press the date almond mixture into the bottom of a lined cake tin (I use one with a detachable bottom to make it easier to get the cheesecake out when ready). Make sure it is pressed down firmly and evenly. Place in the freezer.
- In the food processor or powerful blender combine the cashews, raspberries, coconut milk, coconut oil, lemon juice and rice malt syrup and blend until very smooth.
- Pour the cheesecake mix on top of base and place back into the freezer to set for at least 2 hours.
- In a small saucepan on a very low heat combine the coconut oil, rice malt syrup and cacao until it resembles chocolate sauce.
- Drizzle the chocolate all over the completely set cheesecake.
- Freeze until the chocolate is set and the slice and serve!
I really love raw, vegan cheesecakes - they taste very decadent yet at the same time are refreshing and full of nourishing ingredients. They are also super easy to whip up and can be kept in the freezer for a couple of weeks at least. Cutting down on dairy in your diet (which is pretty simple if you have desserts such as this) has been associated with a number of health benefits including weight loss, stronger bones and clear skin.
Enjoy!