Raw Vegan Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Recipe

Divinely blissful un-cheesecake: light but rich, creamy but not sticky

I've been studying up on raw cheese cakes and finally got curious enough to make one. I'm so glad I did - I could eat it every day! Seriously! Calories or not!

Just FYI - this divinely blissful raw vegan cheesecake recipe has LOTS of calories.

I found that most raw cheesecake recipes are similar, but I adapted 2 recipes. Thank you to Let Them Eat Vegan by Kitchen Goddess Dreena Burton, and Sarah Britton at My New Roots.

Total prep & cook time: 30 minutes, not including soaking and freezing

12 Servings

Nutrition Data, 129g Serving: 586 cal, 40g carb, 46g fat, 13mg sodium, 6g fiber, 14g protein, 18g Sugars, low Cholesterol, Sodium. Good source Copper, Manganese. Estimated glycemic load 15

You'll need one 7 - 10 inch springform pan or four mini-cheesecake pans for this recipe. The width of your pan will be inversely proportional to the height of your cheesecake.

Wow! I think I just formulated a new law of physics!

Ingredients for raw cheesecake crust:

• 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts or almonds soaked overnight
• 1/2 cup medjool dates, pitted and halved (10 - 12 dates)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut

Ingredients for raw lemon cashew filling:

• 2 1/4 cups cashews soaked overnight
• 1 cup coconut cream (1 can coconut milk)
• 1/4 cup coconut butter
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (1 healthy lemon)
• 1/4 cup lime juice (1 good sized lime)
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (non alcoholic)
• 1/3 cup agave syrup
• 1 pinch sea salt

Ingredients for blueberry sauce:

• 3 pints blueberries
• 1/4 cup agave syrup
• 1 Tbsp lime juice

Crust Directions:

1. The crust is best made the day before, or at least 3 hours before you start making the filling
2. Drain, rinse and drain hazelnuts or almonds well. With hazelnuts, you need to rub off all the loose bits of skin and rinse them away. Peeling the almonds is optional
3. Add nuts & coconut to food processor and process until crumbly
4. Add dates and vanilla, process until the mixture clumps together
5. Spread the raw crust mix in the pan evenly, pressing down with your fingers or a spatula
6. Cover and freeze the crust in the pan

Filling Directions:

1. Soak cashews 12 hour or overnight
2. Chill 1 can of coconut milk overnight
3. Remove lid from can and separate the coconut cream from the liquid. Save the liquid to add to a smoothie or soup
4. Drain and rinse cashews, add to food processor, process until they turn into a lump of cashew butter
5. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth
6. Taste and adjust ingredients to suit. E.g. you might need more lemon or lime juice or more agave syrup
7. Spoon the filling over the frozen crust, evening it out on top
8. Cover the pan and freeze the cheesecake for 3 hours or more

Blueberry Sauce Directions:

1. Remove cheesecake from the fridge 1 - 2 hours before serving
2. Prepare the blueberry sauce 1 hour or more ahead and refrigerate
3. Add 1 pint of blueberries to a blender with 1/4 cup agave syrup and 1 Tbsp lime juice
4. Blend until all of the little blueberry bits are ground up and the mixture is smooth
5. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve the cheesecake
6. Pour blueberry sauce over each serving, and sprinkle with fresh blueberries

Recipe Tips:

I like soaked hazelnuts for this crust, but hazelnuts are not as easy to find in stores as almonds are. Either one is preferable to soft nuts like walnuts or pecans for a chewier crust to contrast with the soft filling.

You could use any fresh berries to make the sauce, or mango as Dreena Burton has done in her recipe. But I like the taste of the classic combo of blueberry and lemon/lime.