Raw Vegan Cheesecake
I have no problem admitting that I am a terrible baker. Part of it may be because I am not much of a sweets person, but I think it’s likely because I am not great at following directions or having to be precise. I have learned that with raw vegan desserts there is some wiggle room, and then the oven isn’t involved. This cheesecake recipe is one I go back to over and over. You can make with many different fillings. I have used different berries or cherries, passionfruit, kept it simply lemon, added almond or peanut butter. It is up to you. Enjoy this refreshing treat.
For the Crust: You can use either a muffin tin to create 12 mini cheesecakes or a pie dish to serve large pieces.
1 1/4 cups raw walnuts
1 1/4 cups pitted dates, packed tightly
Blend dates in a food processor until it forms into a ball. Remove, and add the walnuts until processed into a meal. Combine dates and walnuts and blend until a dough is formed. If the dough is a too wet, add more walnuts. Or, if the dough is too dry you can add a couple of dates.
Grease the bottom of either a pie dish or muffin tins. If you opt for the muffin tin, it is easier to get the cheesecake out if you do a small strip of parchment paper underneath, though it isn’t necessary.
Scoop a spoonful of crust into each hole, or cover the bottom of the pie dish. Press down and pack the crust firmly. That’s it for the crust!
For the Filling:
1 1/2 cups raw cashews soaked overnight (I add a splash of apple cider vinegar when soaking)
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
pinch salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup coconut milk (full fat, guar free is best)
1/2 cup maple syrup
*you can leave the filling as is or add in your fruit or nut butter here. Sometimes I split the filling and will make some fruit and some simply lemon to have different options.
Blend all the filling ingredients until smooth. I taste the filling and sometimes add a little more lemon juice or coconut milk if needed.
Divide filling among muffin tins. I like to put a little zest or fruit on top to make them extra pretty. Cover and freeze for several hours! Take out about 8-10 minutes before serving. I use a knife to pop them out of the tin if I didn’t use parchment paper. Cheesecakes need to be eaten pretty quickly since this is a semi-frozen dessert. They last about 10 days in the freezer. YUM!
