– vegan – gluten free – grain free – refined sugar free – oil free –
Easier and healthier no-bake blueberry cheesecake. Starting with an irresistible walnut crust, a melt-in-your-mouth cheesecake base with a hint of lemon and topped with a sweet blueberry sauce. A completely raw option as well as both a large cheesecake or individual mini cheesecakes options are included. If you choose to make a large cheesecake, I recommend using nothing larger than an 8″ springform pan and doubling the ingredients for the cheesecake base.
Cooking essentials:
A muffin pan
Cupcake liners
A small saucepan
A food processor (or blender, but I recommend using a food processor)
See below for a breakdown of nutritional information and substitutions.
Serves 12
Vita Pura Health
Yields 12 servings
Vegan, GF and refined sugar free no-bake blueberry cheesecake.
45 minPrep Time
45 minTotal Time
Ingredients
- 2 cups walnuts
- 2 cups almond flour
- 7 medjool dates, pitted
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- About 3 tbsp water
- 2 1/2 cups cashews, soaked overnight or boiled for 20 minutes
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 3 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- A food processor (or blender, but I recommend a food processor)
- A muffin pan
- Cupcake liners
- A small saucepan
Instructions
- Crust: add all ingredients for the crust to your food processor (a blender will also work). Blend until you have a uniform dough; some small unblended pieces are totally fine. Add a little more water if necessary.
- Place your cupcake liners in your greased muffin pan (greasing the pan prevents the liners from sticking). Drop roughly 2 tbsp of dough into each liner and use your fingers to press dough evenly into the liner in a flat layer.
- Base: add all ingredients for the base to your food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add roughly 2 tbsp to each liner, making sure there is a small amount of space left in the liner for the blueberry sauce. Transfer to the freezer while preparing the sauce.
- Blueberry sauce**: in a small saucepan on medium heat, add all ingredients for the sauce. Bring to a simmer for about 1 minute then take off the heat. Allow to cool then spoon on top of your cheesecake.
- Transfer cheesecake back to the freezer for about 3-4 hours (or overnight) to allow the cheesecake to solidify. I recommend thawing for 15-20 minutes at room temperature before serving. This recipe makes 12 cheesecake cups.
Notes
*If you are making one large cheesecake, I recommend doubling the base ingredients and blueberry sauce ingredients.
**To keep this cheesecake completely raw, skip this step and add raw blueberries directly on top of cheesecake.
All substitutions are listed in the following text.
Prep time does not include freeze time or soak time for cashews.
For the crust, you will need:
- Walnuts: improves both brain and heart health due to their high omega-3 fatty acid content. A 1/4 cup of walnuts has 2.3 grams (206% DV) of omega-3, as well as 3.8 grams of protein, 1.7 grams of fiber, 47% of your daily recommended manganese and 44% of your copper. Even more impressive, walnuts naturally contain ellagic acid, an antioxidant often administered to cancer patients for its cancer-fighting properties. Substitutions: pecans will also work.
- Almond flour: a healthy, gluten-free and grain-free alternative to grain-based flours. It is void of refined carbs and lower calories. Therefore, it is also a great alternative for those trying to lose weight. Substitutions: I have not tried any other flour as a substitution.
- Medjool dates, pitted: a naturally sweet fruit that tastes like caramel and has the consistency of caramel when blended with coconut milk. Like most fruit, dates are a healthy source of carbs and fiber and can fix your sweet tooth without breaking your diet.
- Sea salt: a natural alternative to table salt, which is more heavily processed and contains additives.
- Cinnamon: great anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants. Adding cinnamon to your meals is a simple way to prevent the risk of heart disease and lower blood sugar levels.
- Water
For the cheesecake base:
- Cashews: a good source of healthy fats and minerals, including copper, magnesium, zinc, iron and biotin. The best thing about cashews, and most other nuts, is they are nutrient dense, so you only need about a handful’s worth to get all their benefits. For this recipe, you will want to soak the cashews overnight or in boiling water for at least 20 minutes. The longer the cashews are soaked, the creamier the cheesecake will be.
- Coconut milk: a good source of healthy fats and a great alternative to cow’s milk, which contains unnecessary added sugar and causes inflammation. For this recipe, full-fat coconut milk is best, but lite coconut milk will also work.
- Pure maple syrup: although high in sugar, is loaded with 24 antioxidants that help protect against free radical damage. It also contains anti-inflammatory properties that help to protect against chronic diseases, brain inflammation, intestinal inflammation, and nerve inflammation. Therefore, pure maple syrup is a great natural sweetener when used in moderation. Fake maple syrup is made with high fructose corn syrup and provides zero health benefits. Substitutions: agave nectar.
- Fresh lemon juice: always opt for fresh lemons compared to bottled lemon juice, which contains additives and preservatives to keep its color. Fresh lemon juice has a brighter, stronger flavor, so you will need much less of it to get the same effect as bottled juice. The juice of one lemon has 25% of your daily vitamin C intake. The high acidity of citrus fruits also makes them beneficial for digestion and weight loss.
- Vanilla extract: I recommend choosing a higher quality vanilla extract, as cheap vanilla extract often has artificial flavors and caramel coloring that disrupts digestive health. Stay away from extract that has propylene glycol, which is essentially just antifreeze. Pure vanilla extract is actually a great antioxidant and can reduce inflammation.
For the blueberry sauce:
- Blueberries: loaded with cancer-preventing antioxidants. 1 cup of blueberries also has about 28% of your daily recommended manganese, 32% of your vitamin K, 19% of your vitamin C and 9% of your copper.
- Pure maple syrup
- Fresh lemon juice