Since I made this cheesecake a few weeks ago, I have not been allowed to make any other flavour. This conversation seems to have been on repeat ever since I made them. What treats would you like this week? Cheesecake. Blueberry? Snickers. Strawberry and cream? Snickers. Pear and caramel? Snickers. Raspberry lime? What part of Snickers are you not hearing....
Ok so maybe I need to stop giving the option and just make something else!
You can't possibly go wrong with a decadent dessert made from caramel, chocolate and nuts
Especially since my lifetime love of caramel is known. Sugar free salted caramel even better. But let's face it, once you try a natural caramel you just can't go back to a sugar laden mass market one. You really can't go past a salty sweetness that's natural, can you?
I have used mesquite in the recipe. This is my only ingredient that you may not have in your pantry. Mesquite is a powder extracted from the pods of the mesquite plant, native to southwestern United States and South America. The pods have traditionally been used ground into a flour or as a low GI sweetener. It has a very high mineral content, which helps maintain its low GI status. It has a deliciously nutty flavour with a hint of caramel which is why I have used it in this recipe. It has wonderful health benefits with its good levels of calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc as well as being a blood sugar stabiliser. It is however, not a vital ingredient in this recipe if you don't have any in the house. But if you live near a Source Bulk Foods you can buy it by the spoonful so I would recommend you try it as some stage - it's wonderful in smoothies, porridge, mix it through ice cream...I always keep a small amount in the pantry.
If this is your first time making a raw cheesecake, cashews are usually soaked overnight but to be honest I am never that organised! So, I boil the kettle and soak them in hot water for 45 minutes or so. This softens the nuts and allows them to cream better and the cheesecake becomes gorgeously velvety and decadent. I have also used the thickened top of a can of coconut milk. I always leave a tin of coconut milk in the fridge, by chilling it the cream is separated from the water. Take it out of the fridge without shaking it and scoop the delicious thickened cream from the top. The remaining watery liquid can be added to smoothies or to be honest just drunk straight away. This thickened cream is so versatile, you can whip it instead of cream and a whole dessert can be made from it. I have used it quite often through my Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/freyasnourishment/
I have not used dates in the base of this cheesecake purely because there are more than enough in the caramel. You may wish to adjust this, I could have tried less dates and used more nut butter and syrup but I love it as it is. Depending how generous you are with the caramel, there may be leftovers to add to your porridge, to top some chia pudding or it's even perfect just kept in a jar for whenever the fancy takes you.
I have never, ever dipped any leftover caramel into the remaining melted chocolate as a chef's treat.
Nor have I added any peanuts to that spoon. Ever.
INGREDIENTS
Base:
1 1/2 cups pecans (or your choice or nuts)
1/4 cup activated buckwheat (optional - gives a lovely crunch but use extra nuts if you don't have these)
1 tbsp coconut oil
Cheesecake:
2 cups soaked raw cashews
1/2 cup coconut oil softened
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp coconut syrup (or your choice of sweetener)
2 heaped tbsp of thickened cream from the top of a chilled tinned coconut milk
1 tbsp mesquite powder
Pinch vanilla salt
Caramel:
4 dates
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp maple or coconut syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice
Pinch vanilla salt
Water may be needed
Additional ingredients - sugar free chocolate and salted peanuts (I love the kick of salt to cut the sweetness but use unsalted if you prefer)
METHOD
Base:
1. Blend nuts and buckwheat in your food processor together until a flour has formed
2. Add coconut oil and blend until smooth and well mixed
3. Press into a spring form cake tin or I use individual muffin tins
4. Freeze while the cheesecake is being made
Cheesecake:
1. Add all ingredients to your Vitamin or blender - I start with the wet ingredients and work up to the cashews being on top
2. Blend until everything is smooth
3. Spoon over the set bases and freeze for 2 hours for individual cakes or 6 hours for a whole cake
Caramel:
1. Soak your dates in boiling water for 15 minutes to soften - this allows you to use less dates
2. Wipe out the food processor from the base (no need for unnecessary washing up!) then add all caramel ingredients to the bowl and blend until smooth - you may need to add a tablespoon or two of water to help smooth the caramel and bring it together
3.Once smooth, fold through the salted peanuts
4. Remove the set cheesecake from the freezer, top with the caramel as thick or as sparingly as you desire. I doubt you will be able to resist a thick layer!
5. Drizzle over the melted chocolate
Enjoy!
If you try this recipe out we'd love to know! Leave a comment below, tag your picture on Instagram or Facebook and use #freyasnourishment so we can see your creations!
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