This recipe is delicious, rich, creamy and decadent. I made it in readiness for Valentine’s Day, which, as it happens, is also my birthday. Full of goodness, nutritious and delicious, it worked wonderfully – the delicate chocolate soft layer on the top just gave it that extra edge. Mmmmm, just so good ! However, I shall let you be the judge of it. If you’re nuts over raspberries and love chocolate, then this one’s going to hit the mark !!! So let’s get going.
Serves around 12 portions
BASE
- 10 plain digestive biscuits (or vegan Graham crackers – both Pangea (http://www.veganstore.com) and Food Fight (http://www.foodfightgrocery.com) carry them
- 1 cup raw almonds
- ½ cup pitted dates
- 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil (I used Biona Organic)
- 6-8 raspberries
FILLING INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups pre-soaked raw cashew nuts
- 1 cup pre-soaked raw almonds
- ½ cup agave or maple syrup
- 3 cups raspberries (I used slightly thawed frozen ones)
- ¼ cup cold water
- 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
TOPPING
- ½ cup dark chocolate
- 1½ tbsp virgin coconut oil
Extra raspberries for decoration
METHOD
First pre-soak the cashew nuts and almonds for your filling in spring water for a couple of hours. Then grease an 8” spring form pan, and line the base with grease-proof paper (this helps to prevent scratching your pan with a knife, when cutting the portions).
Next, place your nuts into a blender and process until broken down, but not into powdered crumbs (my pic does not show the almonds so much, as I knew that my young daughter would be sampling it too – but it’s great when you leave the nuts in small pieces, so that they show themselves off at the base when you slice into the magic of it). Now place the nuts in a bowl, and set aside for a few moments.
Next, process your biscuits into crumbs, and add them with the almond pieces into a bowl.
Now it’s date time ! Process your pitted dates in the processor until they form a paste. Then add in the berries and the coconut oil.
Now, add your nuts and biscuit crumbs to the processor and process for 5 seconds – you need only pulse it for 3 seconds just to mix it – we don’t want a paste here. Then transfer the mixture into your tin base, pressing it down as evenly as you can. Now let’s go make the filling.
METHOD FOR THE FILLING
Very easy – just give your processor a clean-up, add the nuts, and process into crumbs. Then add the remaining ingredients, and process until smooth – taste for sweetness.
Spoon this mixture onto your biscuit base, and even out with your spatula.
Finally, heat your chocolate and coconut in the microwave, or else place in a heatproof glass container, which you sit in a small casserole or saucepan filled with enough boiling hot water to cover half the container. Leave the container standing in the hot water until the chocolate has melted, then carefully bring it out and mix the chocolate with a teaspoon. Allow to settle for a couple of minutes so that it is not too hot, and then pour over the top of your cheesecake – you could do a random zig-zag design (as I did), or else just make circular motions as you pour it.
Last touch is the rasberries. Make sure that you decorate them as befits your liking.
Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours before taking out and cutting it – it cuts beautifully after a day. Enjoy !
All recipes, content & design © Miriam Sorrell www.mouthwateringvegan.com 2010
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This is a wonderful treat, and I will be making this this weekend. This is so sweet of you. Happy Valentines day to you too.
Barbara Hi there and thanks so much for your wonderful comment. It is people like you that make the cooking & creating experience worthwhile. Thanks for wishing me a Happy Valentine’s Day ! Best wishes to you always and let me know how the cheesecake goes as and when. Cheers.
Thanks for posting this. I can’t wait to try it! 🙂
Wow, this looks so delicious, can’t wait to try it! Thanks so much Mirian for your delicious, creative recipes, x
I want one now! 😉 sounds amazing. Thnk you so much for the recipe
Hi there Nina and welcome here. Thanks so much for popping by with your comment. Do let me know how it goes when you make it and you’re welcome. Cheers to you.
Lucy Hi there and welcome here. Thanks so much for your comment and compliment – I can’t wait to receive your feedback on this – I do hope you are going to love this. Cheers and Best to you !
Elicia Hi there and welcome here. Many thanks indeed for popping by my way with your comment – I do so look forward to your comment and feedback on this recipe as and when – meantime cheers and best to you !
My sister has requested this for Valentine’s Day! She is in search of the perfect ‘cheesecake’. I shall report back with her comments!!
Hi there Sandra and welcome here – I am so glad that you will be making this cheesecake – it’s delicious. Please also show your sister my Chocoholic’s Cheesecake – it’s perfection through and through, here is the link http://www.mouthwateringvegan.com/2011/12/10/the-best-ever-chocoholics-cheesecake/ Meantime hope you enjoy this as much as we and our friends did. Let me know how it goes (please make this a day in advance as it will cut better). Cheers to you in the meantime.
It looks delicious! 🙂 But i’m wondering if you didn’t miss tofu in filling ingredients list, Miriam? HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! 😉
Hi there Kristina, thanks for popping by with your comment – this cheesecake is not made with any tofu at all, it’s an all nut one – hope you enjoy it as and when you make it. Cheers and thanks for the Birthday wishes – how kind of you !
Hi Miriam,
Thank you for such a delicious looking and sounding “cheesecake”. I’m going to make it tomorrow and wanted to clarify something before starting. From the instructions, it seems like no soaking of the almonds and cashews is required before grinding them. Is this correct? Thanks!
Mara Hi there and welcome here. Many thanks for dropping by with your comment, forgive me but my admin forgot to add that the nuts are to be soaked if possible beforehand (have just added that now). I hope you make and enjoy this recipe. Best to you.
Hi again,
I made the cheesecake and some of my family had it with me yesterday to celebrate my birthday belatedly. (My birthday is also Valentine’s Day). It was a hit with people who think I’m crazy being a vegan! I like the ease in making it, although I had a problem getting the crust made. It kept pushing out away from the blades and it took quite a while to blend completely. It seemed dry and crumbly when the cake was cut.
In your pictures, the crust seems more moist than when I made it. But it didn’t detract from the taste. I also found that the food processor didn’t make it smooth enough. So I transferred it to the Vitamix.
It doesn’t taste much like a real cheesecake, but it had a nice flavor. I have a recipe for a cheesecake that really tastes like a cheesecake, but this is healthier because there’s no soy in it. The other recipe calls for the vegan cream cheese and the vegan sour cream. Will definitely make this again!
Thanks!
Mara
Mara Hi there and thanks with popping by with your detailed comment, I appreciate it. I think that next time, just add a little more coconut oil to the crust, that might do the job and it will be a little more moist for you. One must remember that this ‘cheesecake’ is nut based. In vegan cooking cashews come the closest to a non-soya cream cheese filling – but for what it is it works well – very difficult to find another name for it since the base and idea of it is the same. Feel free to try out my other cheesecakes on my blog – the chocoholic one is quite delicious too ! Best to you.
Tried it and loved it! I did it with strawberry instead for rapsberry and only loved it! Sure I’ll do it often 🙂 Thnx very much for your recipes! They’re very easy to make and soo delicious! Thnx again! 🙂
Stella Hi there and welcome here. Thanks for dropping by with your comment – yes, this also works just as well with strawberries. Am delighted you like my recipes and look forward to your future comments on my blog. Cheers to you in the meantime Stella.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! We made it few weeks ago and my husband thought it is probably the best cake he has ever eaten and today we made another one. Super tasty! Ah but we made little change – we put it in freezer, so it was cold and crunchy. And it keeps fresh then.
Irene Hi there and welcome here. So grateful to you for popping by here with your comment and feedback. I am delighted that you love this cheesecake and it’s great that your husband thinks it’s the best cake he has ever eaten – how wonderful ! Yes, it is tasty indeed. I think putting it in the freezer a little is an awesome idea and becomes something of a semi-freddo !!! I sure look forward to your future comments on my blog ! The Chocoholic’s Cheesecake is rather awesome too if you wish to try that at some point. Cheers to you !
Thank you, once again for an amazing recipe! I tried this using vegan chocolate and coconut cookies in the base and mango and strawberries in the filling. It is mango season here in Costa Rica so I have to make use of what we have here. It was really yummy!! I love all of your recipes so thank you for sharing them!! XO
Hi there dear Sara and thanks for visiting my blog with your wonderful comment. I am very pleased that you have made and enjoyed my Berry Cheesecake. Great idea to use up what you have too, adds to the culinary pleasure of it all. I look forward to your future comments on my blog. Cheers !
Wow, that looks amazing! Going to make too. So glad I have found your site 🙂
Angela
Angela Hi there and welcome here. Thanks for dropping by here with your comment and I hope you enjoy this ‘Cheesecake’ – let me know how it goes. Cheers !
Hello Miriam, I finally made your “cheesecake” and I’m telling you, it should be banned, LOL My birthday is tomorrow so I made it and tasted it already and can’t wait till tomorrow to serve it to my non vegan friends/family. It is awesome, my first raw cake btw. Thank you so much for recipe, chocolate one is next on my to try list.
Sylvia
Sylvia Hi there and welcome here. I am delighted that you tried out the ‘cheesecake’ and how wonderful that you love it so. I hope your non-vegan friends and family enjoy it too ! Let me know how it goes for them too if you get a moment ! Well done, you have done yourself proud – enjoy your birthday and I look forward to your future comments on my blog here. Cheers !
Hi Miriam, thank you. I am planning to make this for my Birthday tomorrow. Finally got all the ingredients together. It’s my first Birthday as a vegan and I am looking forward to tasting this. I’ll come back and let you know how it goes 🙂
Angela
Would it be possible for you to give a more exact number of almonds, cashews and dades that you use? I live in Sweden, and we don´t really measure in “cups” so I find myself wondering “small cup, large cup…teacup???” 😉
Next week we celebrate midsummer, and i would really like to make this cake for the occasion.
Hi Camilla, here is a chart link I am sending you will help you to convert things clearer for you – here goes, hope all works out well. http://www.dutchovendude.com/cooking-measurement.shtml
Best to you !
Great, thanks Miriam! All the best from Sweden 🙂
Thanks Camilla, you are welcome.
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Thanks for the link.
This looks wonderful 🙂 yum! would there be anything i could substitute the coconut oil for? i’m allergic 🙁
Hi there Lizi, you could substitute it with any melted vegan/dairy-free margarine/butter. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
lovely lovely 🙂 thanks so much! will be trying it through the week!
Do so Lizi and enjoy, let me know how it goes ! 🙂