Description
This Strawberry Orange Cheesecake with Coconut Crust is not just beautiful, but it’s bright in flavor and absolutely delicious! The lemony coconut macaroon crust is perfect with the strawberry and orange flavors. You’re going to adore this gluten-free, paleo and vegan cheesecake.
Ingredients
Scale
For the coconut crust
- ¼ cup (24g) almond flour
- 1 cup (80g) unsweetened shredded coconut
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup (78g) maple syrup
- ¼ cup (60g) coconut butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice + zest of one lemon
For the filling
- 2 cups raw cashews, soaked in cold water for at least four hours or preferably overnight
- ¼ cup canned full-fat coconut milk, shaken
- ¼ cup cacao butter, or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- ⅓ cup (104g) maple syrup
- ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon goji berries, soak in hot water for 10 minutes to soften
- ½ cup fresh strawberries
- ½ cup freeze-dried strawberries, for flavor and color
For the toppings
- Candied orange slices
- Fresh strawberries
- Fresh orange slices
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Grease a 6” springform pan with coconut oil, or line an 6” cake pan with strips of parchment paper for easy removal, and grease well with coconut oil. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the almond flour, shredded coconut, salt, maple syrup, melted coconut butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest until thoroughly combined. Press evenly into the bottom of the pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until it’s golden brown on around the edges. Set aside to let cool while you prepare the filling.
- In a food processor or high-powered blender (I used my Vitamix, but most powerful blenders should do the job), combine all of the filling ingredients except for the strawberries and freeze-dried strawberries and blend for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is silky smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides as necessary.
- Pour 2/3 of the filling into the prepared pan over the coconut crust. Smooth out the top and tap the pan hard against the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Add the fresh strawberries and freeze dried strawberries, if using, to the remaining batter and blend to incorporate. Spread over the orange layer.
- Place in the freezer to set for at least 3 hours or until completely firm before slicing and serving. Garnish as desired before serving.
- Serve frozen or let them thaw at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving. I recommend running your knife under hot water to warm it up before cutting the cheesecake with the still-hot (dried) knife. Store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Keywords: strawberry, orange, cheesecake, vegan, gluten-free