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.
lora wrote on February 24, 2015
Awesome, as always! You r my inspiration!
How do you think, what other berries or fruits will work instead of strawberries? Bananas? pomegranates? Raspberries? Or maybe oranges? Something seasonal for each season? 😉
Thanks a lot,
Lora
Rebekah @decadentlyfit.com wrote on July 28, 2014
Finally! A vegan cheesecake without nuts. Thank you for sharing this yumtastic creation.
Wendy wrote on May 28, 2014
Hi Susan!
Love your site! How long can this beautiful cheesecake sit out? Do you think it’s possible to create this as a tiered wedding “cake”? I’m used to making nut-based cheesecakes, but I’m worried about how durable this cheesecake is. Would love your feedback!
Thanks for doing what you do!
Wendy
Susan wrote on May 29, 2014
I would test it out. Make a small one and leave it out under the same circumstances you expect and see how it does. It might be a bit too fragile. Cheers!
Miriam wrote on December 16, 2013
Hi, Very exciting recipe, looks delicious! Just a quick question, when you say
3 cups flesh from young Thai coconut (I used 4 but it may take 5)
do you mean 4 cups or 4 coconuts? This is a bit stupid but I have no idea how much flesh you get out of a thai coconut
Thanks
Cynthia wrote on October 11, 2013
Susan have you ever used Stevia as a sweetener? The plant leaves dried are wonderfully sweet. It is also available in liquid form.