This Vegan cheesecake is the perfect holiday or any-time celebration surprise! The base is made with cashew nuts so it’s rich and creamy. The crust is made with macadamia nuts but you could also substitute almonds or pecans. The swirl is gorgeous so follow my instructions and don’t overdo it or it becomes an eyesore. You will be the hostess with the mostess if you serve this for any event! There is a learning curve, so be gentle with yourself. It may seem labor intensive but once you’ve done it, you’ve got it. I can whip one of these up in less than 1 hour. I’m so excited for you to try this one!!
Raw Chocolate Peppermint Swirl Cheesecake
Equipment
- Springform pan and food processor (vitamix can replace food processor but food processor is ideal)
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients
I used Macadamia nuts but you can do almonds or pecans as well.I will give you an option to use coconut flakes in the crust, but it’s optional.
- 1 ¼ cup nuts,almonds or macadamia or pecans as well
- ¾ cup coconut flakes (optional) If you use coconut flakes then reduce nuts to 1 cup.
- 1 Tablespoon organic cacao powder optional for a chocolate crust or just keep it macadamia
- ¼ cup cacao nibs
- 4 oz date paste or 10-14 large dates pitted these get blended in the food processor
- 1 Tablespoon liquid vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Filling Ingredients
- 3 cups soaked cashews (soak at least 2 hours or overnight)
- 2 cups almond milk unsweetened vanilla, or coconut or cashew nut milk
- 1 ½ ounces cacao powder or about 3 heaping Tablespoons
- 2 Tablespoons honey not for strict gut repair or coconut nectar, or monk fruit
- ½ dropper full of Sweet leaf stevia vanilla cream flavor (if you don’t have this, simply increase your other sweeteners above until desire sweetness. The cashews are naturally sweet so you don’t need much)
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/8 tbsp or 3 drops teaspoon peppermint essential oil or to taste. It depends on the strength of the essential oil you are using. A little usually goes a long way so taste-test it.
- 2 Tablespoons liquid vanilla
- 1 teaspoon chlorella powder
- 1 teaspoon spirulina powder OR you could use 2 teaspoons of Healthforce Nutritionals VitaMineral Green.
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 Tablespoons lecithin
- 1 cup coconut oil or cacao butter,melted
Instructions
Crust Preparation
- Make date paste first. Pit the dates and blend them in a food processor until they create a ball of paste.
- Next add the nuts, cacao, optional coconut flakes, nibs, salt, and vanilla. Blend well.
- Take this crust and press it into the bottom of your springform pan and place it in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Filling Preparations
- Keep the green powders and Peppermint oil aside, do not add yet. Blend all other ingredients in food processor (or Vitamix) Except the coconut oil or cacao butter And the lecithin.
- After things are creamy, add the coconut oil or cacao butter (make sure they aren’t too cold or too hot or it will curdle and look weird. If this happens, just reheat everything and blend again and it will be fixed) and lecithin and blend again until well incorporated.
- Next divide the filling into two batches. I kept one in the Vitamix and added the other to the clean food processor. If you don’t have both, then set one aside in a bowl while you clean and reuse the equipment for the other one.
- Add the green powders and peppermint oil to one. Add 3 Tablespoons of cacao powder and 1 tablespoon of liquid vanilla to the other. Blend them both separately.
- Now you are going to swirl these in your springform pan. Remove crust pan from the freezer. Begin by adding a little chocolate filling and then the green filling. Plopping them on top of the previous glop. Alternate until your Vitamix and food processor are all scraped clean. Next take a chopstick and gently swirl it around the filling to make it look swirled. Don't overdo.
- Place in refrigerator to set. It will need about 4 hours.
- Remove from springform pan, cut, and serve. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days (if it lasts that long) or freezer for up to 1 month.
- Sprinkle the top with cacao nibs and a few mint leaves for garnish
