Happy Canada day everyone! We really do live in the best country. I am having a very low key weekend as we prepare to head to Basscoast in 2 weeks. This long weekend has seen me work out with friends, and lounge by the pool with Shane. I have also had time to experiment with some recipes!
I hadn’t made a raw dessert in a while, but was inspired to do so when I had a carton of full fat coconut milk to use up. We grew a cauliflower that was so massive, I made a cauliflower curry, but only used 1/4 of this massive cauliflower! Anyway, I had coconut milk left over, so I made this delicious raw cheesecake. The texture is amazing, and the cake is full of vitamins and healthy fats. My parents love it! So you can totally bring this to any Summer BBQ for a healthy twist!
Lots of recipes for raw desserts use raw cashews, but I have become the queen of using up old ingredients/substituting, so you can use other nuts as well. The base of this recipe could be 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, but instead I used 1/2 cup almond meal, 1/2 cup roasted cashews, and 1/2 cup walnuts. I have a pretty strong blender, so it all worked out. Feel free to experiment with whatever ingredients you have! You can also substitute maple syrup for any liquid sweetener, like honey or agave. Give it a shot!
This cake has 3 layers. A “crust layer” made of dates and nuts, a “base layer” made of nuts, maple syrup and coconut, and a “coulis layer” made with blackberries, coconut milk, and coconut oil. You can also use whatever fruit you want for the coulis layer. I use both a food processor and my vitamix for the recipe, but the lack of baking the cake makes up for the increased dishes!
Recipe:
Crust:
1 cup dates
1 cup walnuts (I used 1/2 cup walnuts, 1/2 cup flaked coconut)
Pinch salt
tsp vanilla
Cake base (cheesecake):
1 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked in hot water if you don’t have a powerful blender) *you can also use other nuts like walnuts, just make sure they’re a soft, fatty nut (macadamia, etc.)
2/3 cup full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
Juice and zest of one lemon (zest makes it lemon-y flavoured)
1 tsp vanilla
salt to taste (I add at least 1/2 tsp)
1/2 cup maple syrup
Coulis layer
1 1/2 cup blackberries (or any berry)
3 tbsp full fat coconut milk
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
pinch salt
Steps:
1.) In a food processor, process dates until they’re chopped up. Add vanilla, salt, and walnuts (or any other nut). In a small cake tin, press mixture to form a crust, set aside. I like to use a cake tin where the sides unclip, but any will do.
2.) In a blender, add 1 1/2 cup nuts (soaked in hot water if you don’t have a high powered blender), coconut milk, coconut oil, lemon, salt, vanilla, and maple syrup. Blend on high until the ingredients are creamy. Pour the mixture into the cake tin, overtop of the date/nut crust.
3.) Add berries, coconut oil, coconut milk, and a pinch of salt to your blender. Whiz until creamy. Pour overtop of the cheesecake base.
4.) Once your cheesecake is assembled, place in the freezer for at least 4 hours to set.
5.) Once cake is set, you can leave it in the freezer to serve. If you do this, it will be like ice cream cake. I prefer keeping it in the fridge, because the cake is softer, like cheesecake. Whatever you do, keep it cold!
Enjoy!
Kendall Creates 