Strawberry Chocolate Raw Vegan Cheesecake No Nuts!

Susan | April 8, 2013

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:

PRINT THIS

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.

Share Via