Author Notes: I love this kind of dessert, one that could easily be served to my vegan sister-in-law and my gluten-free nephew with no compromises made to those of us without any dietary restrictions. Made using a food processor and a high-speed blender, it’s easy to make, even if you don’t have an oven (it’s raw!).
The genesis of the recipe began on a train from Prague to České Budějovice – my husband and I (both omnivores) ate an amazing raw, vegan mocha “cheesecake” from MyRaw Cafe in Prague. I vowed right away that I would recreate it to the best of my ability as soon as we got home to the USA.
Credit is due to Ani Phyo and her amazing 3-ingredient crust technique that I learned from her book Ani’s Raw Food Desserts, published by Da Capo Lifelong Books in 2009. My crust here has quite a few more ingredients, but her magic ratio of almond meal to dates keeps it all together. —Diana Pappas
Serves: 8
Ingredients
For the crust:
-
1
cup almond meal
-
1/2
cup soft, pitted medjool dates
-
1/2
teaspoon sea salt
-
1/3
cup cacao nibs
-
2
teaspoons cacao powder
-
1
teaspoon coconut oil
For the filling:
-
1
ripe avocado
-
1/2
frozen banana
-
1/2
cup raw cashews
-
1
pinch cinnamon
-
2
tablespoons cacao powder
-
1/2
teaspoon arrowroot powder (optional)
-
1/2
cup strong coffee (at room temperature)
-
1/2
cup real maple syrup
-
1/2
teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
- Add all crust ingredients except for the coconut oil into the food processor fitted with an S-blade. Process until ingredients resemble coarse sand.
- Add the coconut oil and process just until the ingredients come together.
- Tip contents of food processor into a pie plate. Using your fingertips, press the mixture down and work up the sides to form the crust, about 1/4 inch in thickness. Set aside.
- In a high-speed blender, blend all filling ingredients until contents are silky and smooth. Scrape out the filling onto the crust and smooth out the surface.
- Resist the urge to eat the “cheesecake” right away – it needs to set! Let it chill overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
/5f35f7ed-7ad3-4021-85a4-65851ff61ea2--DSCF0319.jpg "Mocha \"Cheesecake\" for Everybody 2")
Photo by Diana Pappas
