B loves cheesecake, so usually I’ll make him one with the classic strawberry topping at least once each year. Cheesecake has never been my favorite, even when I ate dairy, I’d rather take an Ethel Cake any day! Traditional cheesecake is just way too rich for my taste.
Since giving up grains, refined sugar and dairy –the 3 main ingredients in traditional cheesecake– I decided to come up with an RHR approved version of this classic dessert. This healthier version isn’t as rich as the real thing, so I actually like it a lot more!
So how do you make cheesecake without cream cheese? Great question…
The magic comes from soaked, raw cashews. Once blended, with tasty real food flavors, it becomes rich and creamy. Just like magic
1 tablespoon raw honey
1 packet active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
¾ tablespoon blanched almond flour
½ cup coconut palm sugar
3 tablespoons coconut palm sugar
½ cup arrowroot starch
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups raw cashews
Juice from 1 Lemon
¼ cup water
3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 crack of sea salt
2 tablespoons raw honey
3 cups strawberries, sliced (divided)
5 Dates, pitted
Juice from 1 Lemon
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8inch pie pan with coconut oil.
Combine the honey, yeast and warm water in a cup. Gently mix until combined. Set aside for 5 minutes, until foamy.
In a food processor, combine the almond flour, coconut palm sugar, coconut flour, arrowroot starch and salt. Pulse until well combined.
Evenly spread dough into the prepared pie pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely.
Soak the cashews in warm water for 10 minutes. Discard the soaking water.
In a food processor, combine the cashews, lemon zest and juice, water, oil, vanilla extract, salt and honey. Continue to blend until smooth and creamy.
Spread the filling over your cooled crust. Chill for 20 minutes before adding the strawberry topping.
Arrange 1½ cups of the sliced strawberries over the top of the cheesecake filling.
In a food processor, combine the remaining strawberries, dates and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
Pour the strawberry sauce evenly over the arranges strawberries. Chill for 20 minutes before serving and store in the fridge. Enjoy!
Calories: 236
Fat: 13g
Carbohydrates: 24g
Sodium: 42mg
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 5g
Sugar: 6g