Strawberry Chocolate Raw Vegan Cheesecake No Nuts!
I promise…this will be the last substitution raw “cheesecake” for a little while. But after the pineapple question, I had to try another one. This raw “cheesecake” turned out so well I wanted to share it with you! Fair warning, there is one more in the series but I have to take a little time off and make some savory recipes before I post that one!
If you have been following along, I am doing a series on replacing cashews in raw desserts. The first replacement was pine nuts and worked beautifully in this raw Lemon Thyme “Cheesecake”. The second attempt used no nuts, just coconut. I made the Pineapple Coconut “Cheesecake” and though the flavor was outstanding, it did require some freezing to set up. I learned that pineapples contain a substance called bromelain, it could have been the prime suspect in preventing the “cheesecake” from setting up. I just had to make another one, with the coconut but without the pineapple to see how it turned out.
I had tons of strawberries in on hand so they became the obvious choice. I jazzed it up with a chocolate crust and some chocolate ganache on the top. The results? Another delightful raw “cheesecake” but once again, even though it was much more firm than the pineapple, it still didn’t set up like the raw nut “cheesecakes”. A quick pop in the freezer before you slice takes care of the problem.
My conclusion? You can use coconut as a substitution, just know that you will lose some of the setting ability. The taste is clean and fresh, perfect for a spring day.
Equipment Needed:
Raw Strawberry Chocolate Raw Vegan Cheesecake
SERVES 8-12
Crust
- 4 dates, soaked until soft
- 1 1/2 cups dried unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon agave or liquid sweetener of choice
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, softened
- Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse until well combined.
- Pat firmly into 7-inch spring form pan. I use this one: Spring Form
Filling
- 3 cups flesh from young Thai coconut (I used 4 but it may take 5)
- 1/3 cup coconut water
- 1 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup agave or liquid sweetener of choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 cups diced strawberries
- 1/2 cup unsweetened, dried coconut (optional)
- Chocolate Ganache (recipe here: Chocolate Ganache)
- Place coconut flesh, coconut water, coconut oil, agave and vanilla in high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.
- By hand, stir in the strawberries.
- Pour filling over crust, top with optional coconut and ganache. Chill for 6-8 hours or overnight.
- Pop in the freezer for 1/2 hour before slicing to firm a little further.
Tatiana wrote on September 23, 2013
This looks absolutely fantastic. I have been looking for a raw strawberry cream cake or pie type dessert, and this looks perfect. I didn’t want the flavor of cheesecake (just the creaminess), and from the look of the ingredient list I think this would be perfect.
By the way, yours is officially my favorite raw food blog. You have SO many great recipes, professional level photography and presentation, and excellent writing. I’m so glad I finally found it. The one main raw food recipe site that shows up on just about every google search for raw food recipes (I will not name names) has extremely annoying and over-the-top SEO, and I cannot stand to read it. This is so much better! Please don’t change a thing. 🙂
Susan wrote on September 23, 2013
Tatiana: How nice and uplifting for you to say! I honestly appreciate that from the bottom of my heart! Best to you!
Alma Roberts wrote on July 6, 2013
Hi, Susan! My mouth is watering with this recipe. I am starting to learn how to make raw desserts and one thing I have noticed is the use of dates in many of them. What else would be a great substitute, as I do not like the taste of them and my husband is allergic? Thank you!
Susan wrote on July 7, 2013
You could try any raw liquid sweetener but you might have to adjust some of the ingredients. Cheers!
Cynthia wrote on June 14, 2013
Your cheesecake is beautiful! Could I use the fresh coconuts found at a Mexican produce market, or is that not the same thing? They are round, and you can see the “eyes”, so they don’t look the same, but am hoping….???
Susan wrote on June 14, 2013
If it is a hard shell coconut (brown shell) it is not the same thing and will not work. 🙂
Jan W wrote on May 25, 2013
I was wondering about using the Coconut Cream Concentrate from Tropical Traditions in place of the young coconuts? If anybody tries it, please let me know!
carol Prichard wrote on April 27, 2013
coconuts are my passionate at the moment. I recently tried to make cocnut oil using the fermentation method but got stuck at step 6. But my best discovery was the fresh coconut milk. I am adding it to my raw desserts ice creams and smoothies.
Susan do you think I could just add the coconut cream instead of the young flesh. I think it would set better.
Your presentation is fantastic. I am often referring customers to your website as the one of the best.
Thankyou
carol
Shannon wrote on April 22, 2013
I think your “cheesecakes” all look amazing and I want to try one, but the thing that I can’t get around is my impression that often with vegan desserts it seems as if there is a huge amount of oil or added sweeteners and that seems quite unhealthy to me. I know dates and agave are rather high in calories, so the cup of oil just puts me off the idea of making this.
What do you think this dessert in particular yields in fat/calories per serving versus a typical cheesecake?
Susan wrote on April 22, 2013
The first thing that you need to notate is that the serving sizes are much smaller than with a regular cheesecake. They are so nutritionally dense, a small amount really satiates. Second, this is a dessert and should be viewed as one. Most desserts don’t have an entire cup of coconut oil but because this is a substitution recipe, it was needed for set-up. Many, many traditional recipes easily call for one cup of butter and I can tell you, the nutritional benefits of coconut oil far outweigh any benefits you get from butter. Are there any? Next, there are no refined ingredients, such as granulated sugar which is completely nutritional void. When making these desserts, I am not striving for low cal, low fat. I am striving to bring you nutrients in a way that you can enjoy. These recipes use healthy fats and also nutrient rich ingredients. Traditional cheesecakes don’t have any nutritional benefit.
Jurga wrote on April 21, 2013
Hello! I just made this cake and lots of filling is still left… Could you please recomend any other recipe where I can use it? Thank you!
Susan wrote on April 21, 2013
If you use the cake pan that I recommend, there shouldn’t be left overs. You can make another one or just eat it like a parfait, or how ever you want.
Eva wrote on April 17, 2013
Hi Susan! If I use caswes, are the rest of the ingredientes all the same? Should I use 3 cups soaked cashews then? Thank you! 🙂
Susan wrote on April 21, 2013
I haven’t made this with cashews. Changing from coconut to cashews will throw off other ratios so you will have to experiment.
Susan wrote on April 14, 2013
Because of health concerns, I no longer use Irish Moss in anything. You can read why here: http://www.rawmazing.com/irish-moss-health-concerns/