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Prep time
45 minutes
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Makes
6” cheesecake
Author Notes
This is seriously the easiest dessert with the biggest payoff. Just make sure to plan ahead and soak the cashews overnight. But what makes this cashew cheesecake different from others is the toasted coconut in the crust and the melted butter in the filling. These two ingredients give the cheesecake a buttery, baked flavor and rich & creamy texture missing from most raw, vegan & gluten-free cheesecakes. I recommend the white miso, which imparts the distinct tang and culture of cream cheese. The great part about this recipe (which I encourage) is that you can customize and add flavors. I’ve made this base recipe into dark chocolate blackberry, key lime, lemon lavender, chocolate caramel, cookies & cream, cranberry orange, etc. just adjust flavorings or add toppings. —jonajim
Ingredients
- Crust
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3/4 cup
almonds (118g)
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8 - 12
medjool dates, pitted
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1/4 cup
coconut, preferably toasted (14g)
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2 teaspoons
vegan butter or coconut oil (10mL)
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1 splash
vanilla
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1 pinch
sea salt
- Filling
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2 cups
raw & unsalted cashews, soaked overnight then drained & rinsed (300g)
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1/2 cup
coconut milk (118mL)
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1/3 cup
hunny, maple syrup or agave (79mL)
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1/4 cup
coconut oil (59mL)
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1 - 2 tablespoons
lemon juice (15-30mL)
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2 teaspoons
vanilla (10mL)
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1 pinch
sea salt
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2 tablespoons
vegan butter, melted (28g)
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1-3 teaspoons
shiro or white miso, optional
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Tangy Cranberry Sauce (if you’re making the cranberry variation)
Directions
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Cover the cashews with boiling water, and store overnight in the refrigerator to soak. If you’re making the cranberry variation, make my Tangy Cranberry Sauce recipe. Then you can purée it if you want a thinner sauce.
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Process all the crust ingredients until mostly processed and to your liking. I prefer some coarse nuts and coconut. The mix should come together when pressed. If it’s too dry add medjool dates; if it’s too wet add almonds or coconut. Press into a lined & greased 6” springform pan. Set aside.
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Combine all ingredients in blender and emulsify starting on low to break up the cashews and increasing until on high - until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute total in a Vitamix). Pour into lined 6” springform pan with crust already prepared in the bottom. Tap on counter to remove some air bubbles, but don’t go crazy with it. Freeze until set (usually in a couple of hours or overnight).
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A few hours before you’re ready to serve, remove the frozen cheesecake from the mold. Sometimes it releases easily, but you may have to warm the sides of the pan a little. Set onto a plate and defrost in the refrigerator for a couple of hours - just make sure the middle is defrosted before serving (you can check with a toothpick or knife inserted into the center). Enjoy!
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