Raw, Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free Chocolate Almond "Cheesecake"


Yum!! I am completely enamored with these rich, chocolatey little desserts. They were a Christmas experiment, and I'm so thrilled to share them with you. These little cuties are gluten free, soy free, vegan, free of refined sugar, paleo-friendly, and raw. Whew! Did you catch that??

Use quality ingredients, like real maple syrup and fancy cocoa powder. You'll be glad you did.

You'll Need:
For the Crust
1 C. Almond Meal
1/3 C. Cocoa Powder
3 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
1 tsp. Vanilla
Pinch of Salt

For the Filling
2 C. Raw Cashews {soaked several hours or overnight in fresh water}
1/2 C. Maple Syrup
1/2 C. Water
1/2 C. Cocoa Powder
1/2 C. Coconut Oil
1/3 C. Almond Butter
1/2 tsp. Salt

To Make:
For the Crust
Combine the ingredients in your food processor or by hand, with a fork.
Press the resulting "dough" into the bottom of a pie plate, spring form pan, or individual serving cups, such as half-pint mason jars or custard dishes.
Set aside.

For the Filling
Drain and rinse soaked cashews, and add them to the bowl of your food processor.
Add maple syrup and water, and process for several minutes until very smooth and creamy. Pause to scrape down the sides occasionally.
Add cocoa powder, coconut oil, almond butter, and salt, and process again to thoroughly combine.
Spoon or pipe the mixture over top of your prepared crust, then store in the refrigerator for several hours to cool and set.

Notes:
I have found that I most enjoy this dessert straight from the fridge. It tastes best cold, to me, and is almost too rich when it has warmed up a bit.

I filled eleven half-pint jars with roughly one Tbsp. of the crust mixture per jar, and then divided the filling equally between the jars. The jars wound up being just over 1/2 full, which, to me, is more than satisfying for something so chocolate-laden. For larger portions, you might want to reduce the number of jars you use.



Shared on... Allergy Free Wednesday, Gluten Free Fridays, Wellness Weekends, Raw Foods Thursdays

10 comments:

  1. Do you know why having raw cashews is so important for soaking? I have have 2-3 lbs. of roasted unsalted cashews sitting around right now.

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    1. I'm not sure, Chanel. I would venture a guess that roasting takes away some of the moisture and maybe the natural oils, making them less likely to process into a smooth, creamy consistency? Of course you could try soaking a small amount to see what happens...

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    2. Soaking nuts activates the nutrients and softens the nut.

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    3. Roasting kills some of the natural enzymes, which makes them less digestible. And soaking also brings out nutrients in nuts and seeds. . . think of what happens when you put a seed in water, say, in your garden: it starts to grow! Same thing happens with raw nuts & seeds. You get more protein and more vitamins when you soak them, and they are more digestible. And of course the texture is better for blending! :)

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    4. Aha! This all makes perfect sense. I'm still learning about all of this raw stuff. Thanks for teaching us, everyone :)

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  2. Amen to this recipe! Wow it looks heavenly!! Love Love your goodies!
    Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :)

    Be sure to check out the winning entry this week for our Better Batter Giveaway! The winner will be announced Thursday evening!


    See you there!

    Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com

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  3. Wow, what a gorgeous recipe! I love cheesecake, love chocolate--so I think this one is for me! And welcome to Wellness Weekend! So glad you linked up (and with such a spectacular entry, too--wowzah). :D

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  4. Oh my goodness, this looks INSANELY delicious!!! I have almond pulp in the fridge leftover from making almond milk, and I'm wondering if I can incorporate that into the crust...subbing almond meal. I'll let you know how it turns out!

    Would you be interested in linking this amazing recipe up to Raw Foods Thursdays? It's just perfect for our weekly event!http://www.glutenfreecat.com/2013/01/raw-foods-thursdays-11713/

    Heather

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    Replies
    1. Hi there, Heather! I'm really curious to see how your experiment with the almond pulp turns out. Will you update me if/when you give it a go?? And yes--I'd love to link up! Thanks for the invite :)

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    2. Thanks so much for linking up! (I just tried to comment but had some difficulties. So forgive me if I'm repeating myself!) I loved your filling! But I experimented with almond pulp and it was too mushy. I should have dehydrated the pulp first or just used your recipe! Next time I will! But it's always fun to experiment, right? I'm featuring your recipe at RFT tomorrow! Thanks again for joining in the fun!

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