Let me tell you at the beginning that I am not vegan or following any sort of diet. I have only recently stepped into the world of raw desserts and I am hooked. If you haven’t eaten a raw dessert or new to the term, these are basically desserts made out of raw, unprocessed ingredients like nuts, fruits and dried fruits. They are mostly vegan, gluten free and do not require baking. Sugar is replaced by natural sweeteners so they are extremely healthy.Yes, you would need to arm your pantry with a few ingredients which are pretty much standard for these kind of treats but I would say they are worth it. So does a raw cheesecake (which is basically without the cream cheese) taste like a regular cheesecake? My honest answer is no! Not to me, a big fan of baked and no-bake cheesecakes. But they taste great! The use of wonderful ingredients would obviously create something delicious. I especially love the textural quality of what a handful of raw ingredients create together. These raw berry cheesecakes are pretty easy to whip up. Plus I made them in little glass jars so they made for a lovely treat on the go.
In other news, my horrid tooth is out. Hurray! A visit to the dentist had always seemed daunting to me even since I was a child. My Mum has horror stories to share with my children about how much I hated the whole experience. But this time, I obviously had no choice. I had put up with that painful wisdom tooth for a very long time and what a relief it was when the wonderful surgeon announced to me that it was gone. Gone and done away with for good! Actually he was amazing! He made me laugh during the entire procedure with his terrible jokes. This experience was like a lesson to me in believing that most of our fears are in our head. They may not even exist or seem as bad when you gather up the courage to face them. You just need to take the first few steps. The rest will follow.
You know what is the best part? I can eat raw cheesecakes and all kinds of nutty things without worry of triggering off that pain in my mouth.
My edible pansies and violas were in full bloom so I had to show them off as well. So many reasons to celebrate! Without feeling guilty:-)
Raw Berry Cheesecakes
Serves 6
For the crust
1 cup almonds
4 dates, pitted
2 tbsp coconut oil, liquified
pinch of salt
For the cheesecake filling
2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for 4-6 hours (preferably overnight)
1 cup frozen mixed berries (if you do not like the seeds in raspberries or blackberries, go for only blueberries and/or strawberries)
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup coconut oil, liquified
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup coconut cream (or milk)
For the coconut cream
1 can coconut cream
2 tbsp pure maple syrup (or as per desired sweetness)
To make the crust: process all the ingredients together until the nuts have become crumbs and the mixture sticks together when you press it. Press into the bottom of 6 serving glasses or jars and place in the fridge.
To make the cheesecake filling : Blend all he ingredients in your high speed blender or food processor and blend until very smooth. Spoon the filling uniformly between the 6 serving glasses on top of the nut-date crust. Place in the refrigerator to set.
To make the whipped coconut cream, use this link. The process is explained really well.
I’m so glad your tooth is out. I really like these easy to assemble desserts. They look perfect. There’s a potluck coming up at work and I know what I’m taking. Thanks Sonali.
That is so sweet of you Ratna! Thank you:-)
Have not tried many of these desserts but I have no doubt it would taste as pretty as it looks. So glad your tooth is out and now the sky is the limit as far as what you can eat!
Yay! Thank you so much Abbe! I hope you give raw desserts a try, they are filled with good stuff.
Good morning dearest Sonali!!!!!!! First of all, I am glad to hear your tooth is OUT! Now you can proceed to have fun and eat with no worries!
OK, you have me intrigued once again. I am neither vegan or vegetarian either, but I do enjoy foods that are minimally processed as a regular part of my regimen, and this LOOKS sensational. All of the ingredients are so good for you and colorful, and lend a great texture to whatever they are used in. With school almost over and me having more time this summer, I think this recipe will be one of the first I will try to celebrate the colors and flavors of ENDLESS SUMMER. Gorgeous as ever my dear ! Anita Rivera
You just make my day every time Anita:-) What a lovely soul you are! So excited for summer on your side and thank you so very much:-)
Such beautiful images combined with such a healthy recipe. Thank you for sharing
Oh thank you so much Eve! I am so glad you liked it:-)
Such incredible loveliness! These cheesecakes look as delicious as they are stunning! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks a bunch lovely!
To tell you the truth, I am not a big fan of raw dessert; though, I will eat definitely ANYTHING that you make for this blog, vegan or not. You make this dessert so beautifully, Sonali. I am in. 🙂
Hoorayyyy for the bad tooth. Bad tooth be gone. 🙂
That is so utterly sweet of you dear Pang! Thank you 🙂
Hurray for the tooth! yeah I have had raw desserts, including cheesecake. Like you said they are good but not cheesy lol. There is the famous raw cashews! These look superb.
Hahaha Evelyne! That’s the missing word. Cheesy! (lol). I think one of the big reasons I am enjoying raw desserts is because I love cashew nuts. Thank you:-)
HI sonali, This recipe sounds great with a nice almond crust. I am glad that u are feeling better.
Thank you so much Shibani!
These look absolutely delicious! Hope you feel better soon!
Thank you so much Yasmin! I am totally fine now:-)
Looks beautiful and very interesting, as I’ve not really tried raw desserts and certainly not raw berry cheesecake! I wish I could try it this instant because your testimonial has me convinced I’d love it. I also love the individual, on-the-go, portioning…everyone wants their own dessert!
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