Raw Blueberry Cheesecake

Perhaps one of the best dairy-free “inventions” ever is nut cheese. And it truly shines in this vegan, raw blueberry cheesecake recipe from Gena Hamshaw’s new cookbook, Choosing Raw: Making Raw Foods Part of the Way You Eat.

Gena says:

If you think authentic cheesecake flavor is impossible without the cheese, think again. Raw cheesecake happens to be one of the most authentic tasting raw desserts, thanks to the magical combination of cashews and coconut oil. This raw blueberry cheesecake is easier to prepare in a high-speed blender than a food processor, but the processor can work if that’s what you have. Just be sure to soak your cashews overnight! If you don’t have cashews, macadamia nuts are a perfect substitute.

Choosing Raw is a “high-raw”, vegan cookbook. Within the 100+ recipes and well-thought out meal plans your will find some meals made with ingredients like cooked quinoa, and Gena does offer optional oven instructions for recipes where a dehydrator is called for, just to keep things real. But the raw blueberry cheesecake recipe below requires no heating at all – in fact, you will have to exercise patience as it chills!

Special Diet Notes: Raw Blueberry Cheesecake

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.

Raw Blueberry Cheesecake

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Recipe reprinted with permission from Choosing Raw, © 2014 by Gena Hamshaw, DaCapo Lifelong. Note that the prep time does not include overnight chilling.

Author: Gena Hamshaw

Serves: 8 to 10 or one 9-inch round cake

Ingredients

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 1⁄2 cups almonds
• Pinch sea salt
• 2 cups pitted Medjool dates

Filling Ingredients:

• 3 cups cashews, soaked in water overnight and drained
• 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2⁄3 cup melted coconut oil
• Seeds of 1 vanilla bean, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1⁄2 cup agave nectar

Topping Ingredients:

• 2 cups blueberries
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar or pure maple syrup

Instructions

1. Place the almonds and sea salt in a food processor and grind roughly. Add the dates and process until the mixture is well processed and sticks together when you squeeze a bit in the palm of your hand.
2. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
3. Use a high-speed blender or food processor (high-speed blender is preferable, but a food processor will work as well) to process all the filling ingredients thoroughly, until they are silky smooth. If you’re working with a processor, you may need to stop often to scrape it down. Pour the mixture over the layer of crust and use an inverted knife to smooth it over.
4. Place the cheesecake in the freezer for an hour, then transfer it to the fridge and let it set overnight.
5. When the cheesecake has set, blend 1 cup of blueberries, the lemon, and the agave nectar in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the remaining whole blueberries. Pour the mixture over the cheesecake (or you can spoon it over individual slices). Serve.
6. Cover and store the cheesecake in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 10. If you freeze the cake, defrost the slices in the fridge for several hours before serving.

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