Apple Cranberry “Cheesecake”
Needing to come up with a menu for a raw food dessert class that I recently taught, I decided to whip up a “cheesecake” recipe. It was actually pretty easy. And taste? The class was blown away. The crust is almonds and dates, and the base of the “cheesecake” is cashews! Don’t worry, I added apples and dried cranberries for that hit of fruit. The result? A healthy, tasty dessert that will be completely at home on your Thanksgiving or Holiday table. The consensus of the class is that non-raw people would never guess that this is raw, vegan or healthy!
Don’t be intimidated by this one, one serving is equivalent to only eating 1/4 C cashews and 1/8 C of almonds! Cashews are a good source of protein, fiber and also potassium, B vitamin, foliate, magnesium, phosphorous, selenium and copper.
Apple Cranberry "Cheesecake"
SERVES 8
Crust
- 1 cup almonds
- 4 dates, soaked until soft with pit removed
Topping
- 3 apples, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1/4 cup agave (or liquid sweetener of your choice)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons coconut butter
- 1/3 cup crust
Filling
- 2 cups cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup coconut butter (softened in dehydrator)
- 1/4 cup agave (or liquid sweetener of your choice)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Read Through This Recipe Before Beginning
- 2 hours before: Combine apples, agave and cinnamon. Place on non-stick dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 116 for 2 hours, stirring once during dehydration.
- Make crust: Place almonds in food processor. Process until finely ground. Add dates, process until well mixed. Set aside 1/3 cup of the crust. Press remaining into spring form pan. I used a 6″ for this recipe. You may have extra crust. Place in refrigerator.
- Make Filling: Combine all ingredients in food processor. Process until smooth. This will take a bit. Pat over crust and return to refrigerator.
- Finish Topping: Combine dehydrated apples, dried cranberries, coconut butter and 1/3 cup crust. Press over top of cheesecake. Return to refrigerator and chill for 2 hours before serving. Slice with sharp knife.
christina wrote on December 10, 2009
this looks so great! especially for the holidays. thank you for sharing! however, i really hate coconut and i can taste it in anything (even the oil and butter)…do you have any suggestions as to what i can use in place of the coconut butter? i believe (i might be wrong), but doesn’t the coconut butter/oil help the desserts firm up? i am not sure what could act as the appropriate replacer, but i have found coconut in so many raw dessert recipes and it discourages me from making them so any suggestion at all would be so helpful. thank you so much
Susan wrote on December 10, 2009
Yes, it is what makes the cheesecake set up. I wonder if trying raw white cacao (white chocolate) would do the same thing but I would be really careful what spices I use it with. Wouldn’t with this. Honestly, you don’t taste the coconut in this at all. Especially with all the spices in it. You might want to try it!
Nadia wrote on December 2, 2009
Where do you get raw dried cranberries? Most dried cranberries have sugar added into them.
Susan wrote on December 2, 2009
I either dry my own or get them at the coop. You can find them made with fruit juice. If you are 100%, I would suggest drying your own.
Pam Cook wrote on November 28, 2009
Thanks for this awesome recipe! I made it and it is my favorite raw recipe to date. The thing that makes it is the topping. There is something about the combo of flavors that is brilliant!
Being a cheesecake purist, I used very little spices in the filling (just a pinch of pumpkin pie spice), and added a bit more lemon juice. Still FABULOUS.
This will be a keeper for years to come!!
Antares777 wrote on November 19, 2009
Very nice, Susan!
Deena wrote on November 19, 2009
I’m not able to purchase the coconut butter at this time, will using coconut oil make a big difference?
Susan wrote on November 19, 2009
It will be a little different but should still work.
mindy wrote on November 18, 2009
are they refering to garlic cloves in this recipe?
mindy wrote on November 18, 2009
garlic cloves?
Susan wrote on November 18, 2009
No, the recipe is not referring to garlic cloves, It is referring to the spice, cloves. See Cloves