Description
This Baked Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake will make your mouth water! It’s super creamy and delicious, with a rich chocolate flavor and a tasty gluten-free chocolate crust.
Ingredients
Scale
For the crust
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 1½ cups (148g) blanched almond flour
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 3 tablespoons cacao powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
For the filling
- 1½ cups raw cashews, soaked in water for 4 hours to soften, drain and rinse before using
- 1 cup vegan coconut yogurt, I like using plain Culina Yogurt, but any that is thick and tangy will work!
- ¾ cup canned coconut milk
- ⅓ cup (111g) pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup bittersweet chocolate, about 80%, melted
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from the juice of one large lemon
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
- 3 tablespoons cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
For the raspberry topping (optional)
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
Instructions
For the crust
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan with coconut oil and place on a baking sheet.
- In a food processor or high-powered blender, combine the pecans, almond flour, coconut sugar, cacao powder, and sea salt. Pulse slightly to break up the pecans. Stream in the melted coconut oil and then pulse again until the mixture is well moistened and sticks together when pressed between your fingertips. Scrape down the sides of the container or use the tamper as necessary.
- Press the crust evenly along the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let cool while you make the filling.
For the cheesecake filling
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325º.
- In a high-powered blender or a food processor (I use my Vitamix), blend the soaked cashews, coconut milk, coconut yogurt, maple syrup, melted chocolate, fresh lemon juice, arrowroot starch, cacao powder, vanilla extract, and sea salt. Scrape down the sides of the container or use the tamper as necessary to get a super smooth consistency. It will take about 3 to 5 minutes of blending to get it super smooth and creamy.
- Taste the mixture and adjust to your tastes (add more maple syrup for sweetness, lemon juice for tanginess, or cacao powder for more chocolate flavor). Pour the filling into the cooled crust and tap the pan hard on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Bake for 40 to 55 minutes, or until mostly set. The cheesecake should jiggle slightly in the center when it’s ready, but not be too wet and jiggly. Try not to disturb the cheesecake for the first 40 minutes.
- When the cheesecake is just shy of set, turn off the oven, leaving the cheesecake inside. Leave the oven door open a few inches and let the cheesecake cool inside of the slightly ajar oven. Remove from the oven after about an hour.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour to chill all the way through.
For the raspberry topping & to serve
- When you’re about ready to serve, combine the raspberries and coconut sugar in a bowl. Let the raspberries macerate for about 10 minutes. Just before serving, top the cheesecake with the raspberries. It’s also great served with coconut whipped cream or any other fruit that you prefer.
- Store the cheesecake tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.