Strawberries & Cream Cheesecake

Cake! Of the raw strawberries and cream kind! Oh me, oh my! I’ve been making raw cheesecakes for my local cafe and this baby + my raspberry variation (same recipe as below, I just change the berry type…shhh!) usually sell out the day I deliver them. I’ve been promising to share the recipe for a while now, so here it is…enjoy and feel free to mix it up with your own flavour combos!

Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan

Serves 10

Base:
1½ cups pitted Medjool dates (soaked in warm water for 10 mins)

1½ cups of mixed raw almonds & macadamias

Filling:
3 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight then drained

½ cup of lemon juice

⅔ cup coconut oil, melted

1¼ cup full-fat coconut milk

1 cup maple syrup

1 vanilla bean

2 cups of fresh or frozen strawberries (or raspberries!)

1 additional tablespoon of maple syrup

Directions:

1. For the base; Pulse drained dates in food processor until the dates form a paste
2. Pour nuts into the food processor bowl & pulse until finely chopped & mixture comes together and forms a ball
3. Press crust tightly into the bottom of a springform pan & place in the freezer
4. For the filling; Combine cashews, lemon juice, coconut oil, coconut milk & maple syrup in an high-speed blender & blend until very smooth
5. Scrape the seeds from your vanilla bean into the blender & blend on low speed
6. Pour the filling into the crust and return to the freezer while you make the fruit topping
7. Blend strawberries & additional tablespoon of  maple syrup in food processor & process until smooth
8. Pour over cashew layer of the cheesecake & gently spread it across the top with spatula
9. Freeze until solid, at least 4 hours. Let thaw for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
10. Enjoy!

Cashew nuts – The delicately flavored cashew nut is the perfect replacement for the ‘cheese’ in raw vegan cheesecakes. When soaked and blended, they produce a creamy and silky taste and texture…the necessary requirements for any good cheesecake. Cashew nuts are packed with energy, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins that are essential for good health. And hey, if we can have cake and good health in one bite, we’ll take it!