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Hello friends! With springtime here, I want to share with you the first of many cheesecakes to come. Trust me, I’ve got a collection and they roll with the seasons! Say hello to your best lemony friend… RAW LEMON CHEESECAKE!
I have a problem though. I made this raw lemon cheesecake last week but didn’t ever document it except for a short video snippet for my IG stories. And well, this is all that we’ve got to work with. You’ll just need to trust me. It’s good. And if the pic is any indication, the whole cheesecake was consumed — very quickly might I add! See?? Proof how good it is!
Cashews are my sidekick. They are supposedly good as a mood-booster, have a subtle sweetness about them, and can be found as a key player in many of the things I create in the kitchen, like:
But I digress, back to the lemon cheesecake! This dessert is light but also rich, comprised of macadamia nuts, coconut, cashews, and coconut oil — plus some dates for sweetness! And then of course lemon coursing throughout the main body (and a little turmeric for color).
It can stand on its own but also be paired with a berry compote for some extra umph. So if you’re a fan of lemons or cheesecake, I’d suggest giving this a try. It will change the way you view cheesecake for life.
And if you follow this blog closely, you’ll see more of its cheesecake cousins make an appearance throughout the season ahead!
Raw Vegan Lemon Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- ¼ cup coconut flakes
- 2 cups macadamia nuts
- 8 large medjool dates, pitted
- ½ teaspoon salt (skip if your macadamia nuts are already salted)
Filling
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 6 large medjool dates, pitted, soaked and drained
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
For the crust
- Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan or 8×8 square baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, add coconut flakes and process until it resembles shredded coconut (if using shredded coconut, skip this step).
- Add macademia nuts, dates, and zest and blend together until all ingredients are well incorporated together and form a doughlike consistency.
- Press into pan and set aside while making the filling
For the filling
- Place cashews, coconut milk, dates, melted coconut oil, vanilla, lemon juice, and turmeric into a high-speed blender.
- Blend all the ingredients until completely smooth. Start at a low speed and gradually increase the speed to help with this process to ensure a silky smooth mixture. If this is not blending well, add a little bit more coconut milk to help everything blend.
- Pour over the crust and tap gently on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Place the pan in the fridge and allow to chill overnight (or at least 8 hours)
- When ready to serve, run a knife along the edges of the pan to help loosen the cheesecake, and release the springform pan to slice up servings. If using a square baking pan, lift the parchment paper to assist in slicing and serving squares of the cheesecake.
