Makes 12–14 Slices
Gluten Free
Vegan Based
This ‘cheesecake’ makes a great plan-ahead dessert and will store happily in the fridge for 4–5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. I prefer to use freshly ground cardamom seeds because their flavour is superior, but you could use 1–2 teaspoons ground cardamom at a pinch. In recipes like these, where the cashews are blended, you can use cashew pieces instead of whole nuts because they’re usually cheaper. Start this recipe the night before to soak the cashews.
Ingredients
Base
- 240g (11/2cups) dried pitted dates, roughly chopped
- 100g (2/3 cup) raw almonds
- 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil, melted
Filling
- 375g (3 cups) raw cashew nuts, soaked overnight in cold water + drained well
- 185ml (¾ cup) virgin coconutoil, melted
- 125ml (½ cup) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 125ml (½ cup) pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- seeds from 20 cardamom pods (or 2 teaspoons ground cardamom)
Topping
- 85g dairy-free dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 60ml (¼ cup) coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons pure maple/brown rice syrup
Method
To make the cheesecake base, line a 28cm x 18cm slice tin with baking paper, overlapping the sides by 2cm. Put the pitted dates, almonds and melted coconut oil into a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Press the mixture into the tin, using the back of a spoon to pack it in firmly.
To make the filling, place all the filling ingredients into a highpowered blender and blend on high until smooth. If you don’t have a high-powered blender, finely grind the cardamom seeds in a mortar and pestle first, before adding to the blender. Pour the mixture over the base and smooth the top. Allow to set in the fridge for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.
To make the chocolate topping, place the dark chocolate into a small heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Add the coconut milk and the maple/brown rice syrup and heat gently until melted. If it starts to look a little split (this can happen because of the coconut milk), whisk to bring it back together into a smooth sauce. When just melted, remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly, before spreading over the cheesecake. Return to the fridge until set. Once set, slice into 12–14 bars, using a sharp knife warmed under running hot water.
