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.
Jeannette wrote on April 14, 2013
Susan, have you tried Irish Moss to set a no nut cheesecake? I have yet to use it myself but I know it forms a thickening gel and is very nourishing.
Melanie wrote on April 12, 2013
You have a beautiful website Susan. I haven’t done full on raw for well over a year now, but Id love to try this. (I could just imagine eating it now with these photographs)!
Quite rare to find young coconuts in the UK, but I happened upon them in China town in central london at Xmas. I must get into town and get some because I must taste what Im seeing here! One of the loveliest combos : sweet strawberries , deep chocolate ganache and something creamy! A lovely summer tea treat.
Susan wrote on April 12, 2013
Glad you found them! Enjoy!
yosra wrote on April 11, 2013
YUMMYY!!!!!!
Susan wrote on April 12, 2013
Very!
Solomiya wrote on April 10, 2013
Aahh! This cheesecake looks absolutely amazing! I must purchase young coconut ASAP in order to try this recipe. :))
Thank you so much for sharing. God bless!
Claudette wrote on April 10, 2013
My wonderful pal Shannon made this strawberry creation for me last night and it is wonderful. I’ve shared tastes with 5 of my coconut-loving colleagues today, and the concensus is… Awesome!
Susan wrote on April 10, 2013
So glad you liked it!
Christina wrote on April 9, 2013
That is so beautiful! I can’t wait until I can eat desserts again (responsibly this time). I called the ONLY Asian store in town and they do not carry coconuts. She had no idea what I was talking about (young Thai coconuts). Cannot locate organic ones in the vicinity. There is meat available online through a company that sells the meat, but the shipping is outrageous!
Susan wrote on April 9, 2013
Faith..,. you are going to scare people… 🙂 You don’t need a machete to open them You can see how to easily open a young coconut here: http://www.rawmazing.com/raw-food-all-about-young-coconuts/
Faith wrote on April 9, 2013
Brenda, I’m thinking you are talking about how to get the meat out of a mature coconut where it’s hardened. Susan is using ‘young coconuts’ which have a gelatinous scoopable flesh, you have to buy these fresh at whole foods or asian groceries, and need a machete to open them!!! but they are worth the effort.
thanks Susan for jumping on the ‘no nut’ horse and coming up with some great new recipes. This strawberry cheesecake is a work of art!!
Lisa wrote on April 9, 2013
I’m really excited for this strawberry version! I have the pineapple one in my freezer as we “speak.” Going by the “batter” it’s delicious!
After doing the raw food thing for several years, I have developed a sensitivity to cashews. I can not eat even ONE bite of a cashew cheezecake!!! No one needs to eat that many nuts anyways, right?!?!
Thank you!!!