Vegan Berry Cheesecake

Serves 12

Making my own version of a vegan cheesecake has been on my to-do list for what feels like FOREVER (anyone else Bookmark a ton of stuff and never actually get around to making it?!). Well, I’m super excited that I finally got around to experimenting and it really didn’t disappoint! If you (like me, and probably the majority of the whole world in fairness) have ever been sceptical of a cashew-based vegan dessert, then don’t be! I can absolutely say that this cake is delicious in it’s own right and not just a good vegan alternative. It was easy to make (just blitz all of the ingredients in a blender) but looks like a real showstopper. It is great for entertaining as it can be made in advance and stored in the freezer. I added some Superfood powders to really up the natural colour, but you can easily achieve this look without them too.

On a side note — as with all ‘treats’, this should be eaten in moderation as part of a balanced diet. Just because something is vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free, it doesn’t mean that it should be eaten all day errr-day! It still has quite a high sugar and fat content, even if they are coming from good sources of organic dates, fruits and nuts.

INGREDIENTS

For the base:

· 150g Brazil Nuts
· 120g Medjoool Dates
· 1½ tbsp Hazelnut Butter (any nut butter works well though)
· 1 tsp vanilla extract
· A pinch of Himalayan Salt

For the filling:

· 180g soaked Cashew Nuts (either soaked in cold water overnight or for a quick soak in boiling water for an hour)
· 80g Coconut Oil — melted
· Zest and Juice from 2 Lemons
· 150ml Coconut Milk (full fat from a can, not the drinkable kind in a carton)
· 120ml Maple Syrup
· 50g Raspberries
· 50g Blueberries
· Optional Superfood Powders — ½ tsp Pink Pitaya Powder and ½ tsp Blue Butterly Pea Flower Powder.

METHOD

· Add all of the ingredients for the base and blitz in a high-speed blender until you form a crumble that actually sticks together when you pinch it.
· Depending on how you want to present it, either separate into 12 individual silicone muffin cases or spread across one push-up fluted tart tin.
· Press down the base firmly and put in the freezer to firm up while you make the filling.
· Add all of filling ingredients apart from the fruit to the blender and mix until very smooth. For the coconut milk, if there is the ‘cream’ bit on the top of it, then use that because it makes a richer texture, but if it is already all mixed together, just add it in as is.
· Taste and adjust sweetener or lemon juice as needed.
· This is where I divide the mixture into two.
· One half I blend again with raspberries and the other I blend with blueberries.
· If you have any superfood powders, add ½ tsp to each fruit mixture. For the raspberry mixture, I added Pitaya Powder and for the blueberry mixture I added Butterfly Pea Flower Powder, but Goji or Acai Berry powders work nicely too.
· If making one big cake, then pour in both mixtures and swirl together using a spoon. Or divide the fillings evenly among the muffin cases.
· Tap a few times to release any air bubbles, and freeze until hard — about 4–6 hours.
· Once ready to eat, if you made a big cake then remove from the freezer for 10 minutes before serving to soften slightly. If you made individual little cakes, then they should soften in a minute or two.

Nutritional Information

Calories — 268
Fat — 28g
Carbohydrates — 28g
Protein — 7g
Fibre — 4g
Vitamin C — 10%