I’m so excited to bring you this rustic cheesecake. It’s my first foray into nut cheeses and I really cannot believe that I haven’t done this before. Firstly, if you had given me a slice of this cheesecake I would not know that the filling had no cheese in it. There is a lusciousness about it and a textured tanginess that I believed was only possible with cheese. I would never guess that the main ingredient was cashews. To further this point, all week Alex kept asking me what happened to the cashews we had and I kept telling him that they were in the cheesecake he’s been eating all week and two days later he’d ask again. He just could not make this connection. If you then told me that there was no flour in the crunchy, hearty crust, I again would just not believe it. This crust is made of almonds and dates although oats and walnuts or coconut would be exciting alternatives. I feel like I’ve just opened the door to heart healthy possibilities that we should have been eating all along.
I mentioned last week that Darya was coming! I’ll tell you more about her visit next week, but I have to say now that she is just as cool in person as she is online. Her breadth of knowledge about food and nutrition is unparalleled. She even enlightened us a little about my husband’s mysterious potato allergy. She said that it’s common to have sensitivities to plants in the night shade family and then asked if he had sensitivities to the only other two foods I’ve ever seen him a react to– tomatoes and eggplants. While he doesn’t have trouble breathing like he does when potatoes are involved, he definitely breaks into a sweat when he has them and always asks me if anything in the dish was touching potatoes. Darya just knew. Sometimes just naming a thing is a comfort and knowledge leads to understanding. We spent the weekend gallivanting around the city together. I took her to all the cafes and restaurants that were mandatory on a visit to New York, but we have so many more to go to! Then we made a meal together in my crooked kitchen and chatted all evening over whiskey and rosé. I’m so grateful for the experience of connecting so well with someone I feel like I’ve known for years even though we only met this past weekend.
To celebrate I bring you a non-cheese, cheesecake! It sounds a whole lot better than the word nut-cheese. I never knew how versatile nuts could be with the proper preparation or how mixed with certain ingredients (dates, lemon, nutritional yeast) it’s like a food marriage made in heaven–corn and lime, chocolate and coffee, peanut butter and bananas. The best part about this is that it requires no baking, just refrigeration. Perfect for a 4th of July weekend or to cool you down on a hot summer day!
TANGY RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE
INGREDIENTS:
For the Crust:
- 1 cup packed Medjool dates (~ 20 dates or 200 g, pitted before measuring)
- 1 cup raw almonds or walnuts
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- optional: 1/4 tsp sea salt
For the Filling:
- 1 3/4 cups raw cashews (soaked overnight in cool water, or in very hot water for 1-2 hours)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons finely ground chia seeds (white, unless you don’t mind a speckled cake like mine)
- 3 lemons (juice of 3, zest of 1)
- 1/4 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk (or rice milk)
- scant 1/8 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup, agave, or honey if not vegan (use less for a more tart cheesecake)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Optional: 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (for extra tang)
For Optional Flavors:
- 1/4 cup raspberries
DIRECTIONS:
Add dates to a food processor and blend until small bits remain and it forms into a ball. Remove and set aside.
Next add nuts, salt and process into a meal. Then add dates back in and blend until a loose dough forms – it should stick together when you squeeze a bit between your fingers. If it’s too dry, add a few more dates through the spout while processing. If too wet, add more almond or walnut meal.
Divide crust among serving dishes (for mini cheesecakes) or press into a tart pan and carefully press with fingers to distribute. To pack it down, use a small glass or the back of a spoon to and really press it down, allowing some crust to come up the sides. If it sticks, separate the crust and glass with a small piece of parchment paper. Set in fridge or freezer to firm up.
Add all filling ingredients to a blender and mix until very smooth – up to 2-3 minutes. If it won’t come together, add a touch more lemon juice, maple syrup/agave or a splash more almond milk as the liquid should help it blend better.
Scrape down sides as needed and blend until very creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust flavor/sweetness as needed.
Divide filling evenly among the serving dishes (for mini cakes) or add to tart pan. If flavoring with raspberry add them on top now. Tap a few times to release any air bubbles, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set – about 6-8 hours depending on size of dish. Expedite this process by popping them into the freezer for at least 2 hours. NOTE: Slices or pulling from ramekins will be much easier after being in the freezer.
Top with a touch of whipped cream (coconut or regular) and fresh berries, or as is. Buen provecho!
This cheesecake sounds wonderful! I am normally not a fan of cheesecake because it is too rich for me, but one with cashews? Sounds like I want to try this! (I love cashews.) And the crust, I can imagine is deep in flavor too. Your adventures into new ways of cooking/baking are very inspirational to me! Glad you had a great visit with your friend! Happy Summer to you!
Thanks, Jenny for letting me know that you’re enjoying the journey. Heart-healthy does not mean tasteless. I grew up in the 90s of fat free snacks that were full of bad stuff and not whole foods. I don’t think we as a culture really understood how good eating looks. Even my husband who had a lot of allergies growing up (today just the potatoes really) had trouble finding health food stores, usually run by hippies to get healthy alternatives. You may like this cheesecake, but I must warn it still is rich. It tastes so much like the real deal you may not like it 🙂 Definitely worth a shot! Happy summer to you too!
Aw you are so kind! I loved spending time with you, it was fun, beautiful, and delicious. I had the best time I could possibly wish for. I’ll let you know when I’m back in the city so we can meet again.
The cheesecake is wonderful. I love that you are experimenting and tasting new things, and that Alex is enjoying this adventure too.
The feeling is mutual! I’m so glad. Good luck with the restaurant. Your seasonal cherries look like they’ll make the perfect compliment to a duck. Thanks for all of your advice. I cut up the nasturtium stems and put them in a salad and added mustard to the dressing. Alex didn’t even notice!
Nut cheese sounds odd but quite intriguing… definitely worth the experiment, Amanda, your cake looks so enticing.
N xxx
It really is great. I’m just opening the door to the amazing things you can do with plants! I’d send you a piece if I could!
oh, that would be wonderful. How great you’ve found the source of some of the other nightshade reactions, interesting if it were not so cumbersome. To think about loosing tomatoes from my meals… hard.
N xxx
Oh for sure, but he tolerates them pretty well. It’s only when they’re cooked and it’s a high concentration of them, he’ll start to sweat. But it’s not severe. So funny.
Oh, good. So better not cross you … or it’s nightshades for supper! Really funny.
Awww yaaayyyyyy!!!
I’m SO freaking happy you two got to connect in person, how cool is that!!!??!!
And what a great way to celebrate Amanda, with this 100% guilt freaking free cheesecake!
this whole post just made my day, I love seeing bloggers get together and make magic 😀
Thanks, Dana! I love that too. I haven’t actually met any other bloggers in person and this was so unexpected. I’m so glad you love this cake as much as I do. There’s something pretty cool about discovering new ways of eating, guilt free. I imagine cooking with you would be off the hook! Thanks so much for being so supportive and spreading your style and swag over this here blog 🙂 Enjoy your 4th weekend! I’m glad to have a day off!
Sounds so cool, Amanda. I´ve never made an non-cheese cheese cake, but you made me curious. I really love the crust, too, dates and almonds are just wonderful together. Plus you made the perfect 4th of July cake in terms of color, I just realized that staring at the lovely photos. (yes, my brain is that fast ;-))
So great to read how you and Darya had an instant connection – or not so instant if you count online communication 😉 – showing her New York during a weekend must have been quite a trip for the both of you .
Sabine xxx
This is my first one and it’s fabulous. The key is blending the nuts well. I actually didn’t even realize I made flag colors! It was subliminal! The crust is really delicious too. I’m pretty impressed with this whole deal. As for Darya, I am so grateful that she included a visit to me in her visit to NY. It was really special and a testament that online is real life too. 🙂 Be well!
great statement, Amanda! Love that you unpurposefully make a “patriotic” cake 😉
You had me on tangy and then cheesecake plus raspberries which are my favourite fruit. I’m quite intrigued by cheesecake without cheese – how weirdly interesting 🙂
You would like this, MD! It’s not too sweet and it has a rich texture. My favorite is raspberries too! This may be just enough if the beaten path for your liking 😉 I hope you’re doing well. Always a joy to see you.
Thanks Amanda! That could be one of those puddings where I’d want a second slice…
You made me very curious to try this wonderful recipe. Thank you for sharing
Always happy to see you and try to share new things that work. This is definitely a dessert to put in the mix. Happy almost weekend!
What! A cheeseless nutty cheesecake? I want to try too. I’m so glad you got to meet Darya, yes she’s so cool. I’m going to be missing her this summer as I go to her area but she’s over at your area! xx
I think you’d like this, Sofia! It’s really good. Darya and i had fun! We even discussed your post about chickpeas and did the experiment ourselves to put in a salad. Thanks for letting me have her for a summer 😉
I’m so very far behind reading posts and have resorted to deleting some in an effort to get back on track. This post, however, was a “MUST read”, Amanda. Not only did I pin the recipe but I’m considering cleaning this place so that I can prepare and serve your cheesecake to dinner guests. It’s that good! 🙂
My wonderful, unbearably sweet, kind, generous, beautiful eldest daughter (who just finished her medical residency) has a birthday coming up and she is SO allergic to dairy. This is the perfect cake for her. Before she became so terribly allergic to dairy – she loved cheesecake. I cannot wait to make this for her. Thank you Amanda! ♥
And btw – I share your husband’s nightshade allergy, only for me it is bell peppers which I can’t tolerate – and it’s the same – even if they are touching something else in a dish I cannot touch the dish.
Wow! Congratulations on your daughter’s residency. That’s a huge accomplishment. This cake is soooo good and she won’t know the difference. I’ve got an array of dairy free cheeses I’ve been making. I’ll share them soon, as my mom asked about them too. My bday is tomorrow! I haven’t really said anything to anyone. I’m making a bday pie for myself today. If it’s good I’ll post it tomorrow! Thanks so much for spending time on the blog. It’s really touching.
Oh and weird re night shades. I had no idea this was a thing but I’m glad she figured it out.
I’m catching up now on some of your posts I missed and enjoying your healthy-yet-delicious journey. I’ve made nut cheese once for a vegan lasagna (also cashew based) and was amazed at the results. I really like your nut crust here and am a big fan of cheesecake, so I want to try this lovely one. It’s so cool that you met a blogging friend in person! It sounds like you had loads of fun. 🙂
So glad you’re catching up. Thank you, Hannah. I hope you’re well. This cheesecake was phenomenal. I can’t believe it wasn’t real cheese. I’ve been experimenting with cheese sauces, etc and it’s kind of amazing how close these things come to the real thing! Enjoy the summer!