One of the visiting teachers Megan is leaving Perth, so us yogis congregated together to have a going away celebration, of course it was a perfect opportunity for me to make something decadent. I decided to go for a lemon cheesecake. The torrential downpour recently meant my lemon tree was in fine form, and when life gives you lemons... you make CHEESECAKE!
For raw cheesecake bases I normally go for a nut one. You can't go wrong with a basic almond and date base which holds together quite nicely.
For the 'cheesecake' itself I mostly use cashews. It blends beautifully together giving it a creamy and velvety texture. However if you want to avoid nuts use avocado.
Dates are my go to sweeteners, you can make date paste simply by blending or mashing dates up together. For cakes I will usually use maple syrup or coconut nectar. I avoid agave since it has an extremely high fructose content due to the heating process it goes through.
For the 'cheesecake' itself I mostly use cashews. It blends beautifully together giving it a creamy and velvety texture. However if you want to avoid nuts use avocado.
Dates are my go to sweeteners, you can make date paste simply by blending or mashing dates up together. For cakes I will usually use maple syrup or coconut nectar. I avoid agave since it has an extremely high fructose content due to the heating process it goes through.
Raw cheesecakes are extremely simple to make. All you need a good blender. I blitz everything together in my thermomix and of course there's no cooking time, just throw it in the fridge and it's ready to go! The ingredients and the quantity I use is a guideline, you can always add and subtract according to taste, that's the beauty about raw. In this recipe I had made a cashew nut milk which I added to the mix, you can substitute almond milk or simple more cashews. I had some leftover so I thought I'd throw it all in.
The lecithin is a thickener, you can purchase this from most health food stores. However if you wish to exclude it then add more coconut oil. Always add it at the end though after everything has been blended. Sometimes I put blueberries at the base, today I didn't, so that's always an option.
The result is a beautiful creamy melt in your mouth cake that's not too sweet, but full of flavour!
The lecithin is a thickener, you can purchase this from most health food stores. However if you wish to exclude it then add more coconut oil. Always add it at the end though after everything has been blended. Sometimes I put blueberries at the base, today I didn't, so that's always an option.
The result is a beautiful creamy melt in your mouth cake that's not too sweet, but full of flavour!
Raw Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
Base
1 cup almonds (soaked overnight)
6 medijool dates
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp celtic sea salt
Filling
1 1/2 cups cashew
1/2 cup cashew milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 TBS lecithin
1/2 cup coconut oil
Topping
1 cup blueberries
1/2 whole lemon rind
1/2 tsp coconut nectar
1. Combine all the ingredients for the base together and blend on med until the nuts are broken down, you might have to scrape down the sides several times. The crust should be able to hold together. Be careful it doesn't get blended too much otherwise it will go into a nut butter mixture
2. Coat a 10" springform with a thin layer of coconut oil and press the base mix lightly into the bottom (I normally leave it in the fridge for 30min just to let it set a bit)
3. Combine the cake filling ingredients together except for the coconut oil and lecithin (they both go in last!) and blend on high until it becomes creamy and smooth, adjust any ingredients according to taste
2. Coat a 10" springform with a thin layer of coconut oil and press the base mix lightly into the bottom (I normally leave it in the fridge for 30min just to let it set a bit)
3. Combine the cake filling ingredients together except for the coconut oil and lecithin (they both go in last!) and blend on high until it becomes creamy and smooth, adjust any ingredients according to taste
4. When satisfied with the consistency add the coconut oil and the lecithin until well incorporated. You should end up with a thick creamy mixture
5. Pour filling into springform pan
6. Place in freezer to set for 1-2 hours
7. Zest rind from 1/2 lemon and marinate in a coconut nectar
8. Garnish with the zest and blueberries
* I always soak my nuts before use, this helps to activate the enzymes and also makes for easier digestion, note that if nuts have just been soaked and not fully dried, the base may turn out mushier so adjust accordingly
* If it ends up being not as solid just pop it in the fridge for half an hour before serving
5. Pour filling into springform pan
6. Place in freezer to set for 1-2 hours
7. Zest rind from 1/2 lemon and marinate in a coconut nectar
8. Garnish with the zest and blueberries
* I always soak my nuts before use, this helps to activate the enzymes and also makes for easier digestion, note that if nuts have just been soaked and not fully dried, the base may turn out mushier so adjust accordingly
* If it ends up being not as solid just pop it in the fridge for half an hour before serving
