Vegan Berry Cheesecake
GLUTEN FREE · VEGAN · PALEO · NO BAKE
This recipe starts with a confession: this is, sadly, not quite a perfect stand-in for the sheer delight that is a classic cheesecake. It is, nevertheless, a tasty, tangy and creamy cake that is absolutely reminiscent of cheesecake, and is very welcome when you are craving this particular treat but are avoiding its components.
I recommend making this the day before, keeping in mind that the nuts will also need overnight soaking. The more time you have for freezing and chilling, the better it will set, and the better it will hold its shape when you remove it from the cake tin.
When it comes to the texture, of both the base and the filling, the smoother you would like it, the longer you should blend for. If you prefer a chunkier base with pieces of almond, for instance, then don’t overblend the base ingredients. The more you blend, the smoother the textures, and the easier on the gut!
The Ingredients
Almonds
Ground almonds make a great gluten-free flour alternative, though it is heavier, and so it very suitable for a cheesecake base. You can grind the blanched almonds in a blender or food processor, and can grind them down to almond meal, or even more to a fine flour.
Almonds are highly nutritious, high in healthy fats and Vitamin E, and are a source of plant protein.
Salt
Desiccated Coconut
Lemon Zest
Medjool Dates
Dates are a great natural sweetener, and their stickiness helps to bind the other ingredients to form the base. You can use other dates if you can’t find Medjools, but they really are the best if you can get your hands on them, as they are larger and ‘juicier’.
Dates provide the sweetness you want, but with lots of healthy fibre, vitamins and minerals.
Cashew Nuts
Cashew nuts have a very unique buttery, sweet and salty taste, making them ideal for use in cooking and baking, rather than just eating them plain. When soaked and blended, they also make an excellent vegan cream replacement.
They are a great source of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, including zinc, phosphorus, copper, selenium and magnesium, making them a health-supporting nutritional powerhouse.
Coconut Oil
A source of healthy fat, it helps slow the absorption of sugars, thus stabilising blood sugar - important for healing.
Coconut oil is also high in lauric acid, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, which are valuable when fighting a flare, as they are helpful for fighting pathogens. For more on coconut oil, read this.
Lemon Juice
From a lemon, not a bottle please! This helps create the cheesecake ‘tanginess’.
Maple Syrup
Another good natural sugar alternative, and very versatile, it also mixes in well with the other filling ingredients.
Water
Vanilla
You can use the seeds from a vanilla pod if you have it, or vanilla extract/essence as an alternative.
Berries
You can use any berries you like, or combine them. I opted for blueberries as they are my favourite.
VEGAN BERRY CHEESECAKE
Ingredients
- 2 cups blanched almonds, soaked overnight
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup desiccated coconut
- 1 tsp grated lemon zest
- 8 medjool dates, soaked for 1 hour
- 2 1/2 cups raw cashew nuts, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 6 Tbsp water, more if needed
- Seeds from 1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Berries of your choice (I opted for blueberries for the tangy contrast to the 'cream cheese').
Instructions
- Line a 23cm (loose-bottomed) cake tin with non-stick baking paper.
- For the base, put the almonds, salt, coconut, and lemon zest into a food processor and blend until combined.
- Add the dates and blend until it forms a sticky mixture.
- Press the mixture into the base of the tin, cover with foil and freeze for at least 1 hour.
- For the filling, put the cashews into a food processor. Add the coconut oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, water and vanilla seeds/essence. Blend until smooth and very thick. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more water, one tsp at a time.
- Pour the cashew mixture over the base and freeze overnight until solid.
- Transfer to the fridge a good few hours before you want to eat it.
- Once the surface has softened slightly, place your chosen fruit topping. If you try to do this while it is still frozen solid, the fruit will just slide off.
- Remove from the tin just before serving.
Notes:
· Ideally make this the day before, so you have ample time for freezing and chilling, to ensure optimum setting.