If there’s one thing our food-filled Instagram feeds taught us this year, it’s that veganism isn’t just for vegans anymore. This is particularly true of ‘free-from’ desserts, and our favorite is this creamy, crunchy and surprisingly light chocolate cheesecake recipe – made with just six raw whole food ingredients. There’s something really wonderful about enjoying a dessert that nourishes the body as well as the palate – you could say it’s like having your cake and eating it too.
Ingredients
1. 2 cups roasted almonds (salted or plain)
2. 6-8 large medjool dates
3. 2 cans coconut milk (chilled in refrigerator for at least 3 hours)
4. 1-1.5 cups macadamia nuts soaked in water, or one ripe avocado
5. 2-3 heaped tbsp. plain cocoa or cacao
6. Maple, agave syrup or honey (to taste)
7. Blend almonds for seven seconds. Stir, and blend again until evenly chopped into small pieces. Pour into a mixing bowl.
Instructions:
1. Remove pits from medjool dates. Roughly break into pieces and blend until it turns into a smooth, toffee-like consistency. Add to mixing bowl.
2. Using clean hands, fully combine dates and almonds. Press into the base of a pie case/cake tin/cupcake pan, approximately one to two centimeters thick.
3. Remove coconut tins from refrigerator, and scoop out the solid flesh into the blender. Make sure you’re not mixing it with the liquid coconut milk.
4. Add cocoa, soaked macadamia nuts (or avocado), and blend until smooth. Pour over date and almond base, and chill until mixture is solid.
5. *If using avocado, make sure the fruit is completely ripe. If not, it won’t blend smoothly and the mixture will be chunky.
