Raw Plant-based Lemon Cheesecake with Strawberry-Vanilla Compote

This wholesome, no bake, plant-based cheesecake is absolutely everything dreams are made of.

I’ve been experimenting with vegan cheesecakes over the years.. (eating them and making them) and they are definitely not all the same. Some are better than others for various reasons - some taste too coconut-oily or nutty, or are just too rich or aren’t rich enough! I’ve had 2 cheesecakes while dining within the past year that have had me dreaming of making my own that is just as good. The first was a vanilla cheesecake from The Vegan Picnic in San Francisco.. and the second was a cheesecake from The Haunt in Savannah. Both rich, delicious, and memorable. The one downside of quality vegan cheesecakes (pre-made) is they often come with a decent price. Worth every penny though, considering the cost of quality ingredients and time, care, and expertise put into preparing. However, with my own creative touch I knew I could master my own vegan cheesecake - for the cost of one prepared slice I could make my own cake! So that’s exactly what I did.. and I finally found the perfect recipe (taken from Oh She Glows Every Day Cookbook), which also is raw, easy to prepare, and made with the healthiest most basic ingredients (no refined sugars or anything I personally wouldn’t eat on its own!). The only part of this that isn’t technically raw is the compote (for a raw alternative, just blend the strawberries and do not cook them). I plan to experiment more in the future to make different flavored cakes and different bases for the crust now that I’ve got it all down pat. For now though - this one is my obsession and my fav! Who doesn’t love lemons? You can mix up the compote topping flavor too if you’d like. Promise this is SO delicious… just try it!

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 ½ cup raw almonds

¼ cup unsweetened coconut shreds (even if you don’t really like coconut add them - they don’t add a heavy or noticeable flavor profile)

½ cup pitted dates

1 tablespoon coconut oil

Pinch of sea salt

1 teaspoon water

Filling:

1 ½ cup raw cashews, softened (soaked for at least a few hours, or flash soaked in hot water for 30-60 mins)

1 tablespoon lemon zest

½ cup lemon juice

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup coconut oil

Pinch of sea salt

Strawberry-vanilla compote:

2 ½ cups fresh strawberries (or thawed frozen ones)

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon arrowroot powder

1 vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Fresh fruit for garnish

Directions:

Soak the cashews, overnight, or in hot water for 30-60 minutes.

Grease a pan or dish for the cheesecake. I used a cake slice silicone mold which lets you portion and pop each slice out easily (couldn’t tell you where it’s from since it was a thrift store find!) but you can use any type of cake pan, springform pan, casserole dish, or even individual cupcake liners or silicone molds depending on if you want a whole cake or individual portions.

Make the crust by blending all the crust ingredients in a food processor until well combined. It should have a consistency of firm cookie dough when it’s well blended. If it isn’t as firm or combined, blend longer until it is. Press a thin layer of crust dough in your pan or each of the molds and leave about ⅓-½ of the dough behind for later.

Make the filling by blending all of the filling ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. It should be a very smooth and creamy consistency - not gritty or chunky. Keep blending until it’s as smooth as you can get it. Pour the filling over the crust in your pan or molds. Sprinkle crumbs of the remaining crust dough over top of the cake. If the cake is too liquidy you can wait and add these crumbs later on.

Cover the cake(s) and put in the freezer overnight or for at least 6 hours until firm.

Make the compote by blending everything in the food processor and transferring to a medium pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and stir every now and then for up to 10 minutes until thick. I waited to make the compote until the cake was ready to serve, so the warm compote would soften and melt the cheesecake a bit, but you can also let the compote cool and store in a jar in the fridge to serve with the cake later on (it’s delicious warm or cold). If you’re on the fence about making the compote or not (I was, because I was thinking it wasn’t necessary at first!) the cheesecake is 100% times more amazing paired with it so do it! (Yes it’s tasty on it’s own too, but the compote compliments the lemon so so well and I promise it’s quick and easy to make!)

Once cake is fully firm, remove from freezer and thaw for 10-15 minutes before serving! If you’re not planning on serving the entire cake at once, using individual molds can be very convenient for defrosting one serving at a time. Top with the extra crust crumbs, if you haven’t already, and drizzle compote on top with some fresh fruit. Enjoy!