Raw Vegan Blackberry Lemon Cheesecake

 

So eating healthier has given me a sweet tooth. I used to only ever crave salty things, but now after dinner, I'm usually dying for something sweet.

 

I honestly have never ever been a dessert person.

 

Anyways, I need some healthy dessert options around, so I don't slip up, so here's my first attempt! It turned out pretty tasty imo. Its nice and tart, and so so creamy. You'd swear it was full of dairy, sugary goodness.

Raw Vegan Blackberry Lemon Cheesecake

 

Crust
1 cup walnuts (can sub pecans or almonds)
1 cup dates (soaked in hot water for 5-10 mins)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
pinch of sea salt

 

Filling
1 1/2 cups cashews (soaked overnight)
6 tbsp melted coconut oil
2/3 cup full fat coconut milk
4 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 cup blackberries (I used frozen, but thawed them out first)

 

Start by making your crust. Grind up the nuts in your food processor. Then add the dates, coconut & salt. You want to be able to pinch the dough together with your fingers and have it hold its shape. Press the crust into the bottom of a springform pan. I lined the bottom of mine with a circle of parchment paper to just make sure I could pop it out easily, but I'm not sure I needed to. Stick the pan in the freezer to harden up while you make the filling.

 

For the filling... its super complicated. You're literally going to blend it alllll up until its smooth in your blender. Can you handle that? Hard right? I don't even have a fancy blender either. No vitamix needed. I have a $80 Oster from Sears and it worked perfectly. So blend it all until its creamy and smooth. Then pour it out into the springform pan, and put the whole thing back in the freezer for about 2 hrs, until its hard. If you want, you can add some decorations before you set it, or even some after. I dehydrated some lemon slices, and sprinkled on some lemon zest and coconut flakes.
I also had some blackberry jam in the fridge, so I melted it down and blended it out to make a dark purple drizzle for the top. The possibilities are endless. Get creative! 

 

To serve just let it thaw on the counter for about 20mins, and voila! Delicious dairy-free, gluten-free and sugar-free cheesecake!