Vegan Lemon Coconut Cheesecake With Nutmeg

Holy Mother. Why haven’t I done this before?

I'm talking about this delicious raw cheesecake. I've done raw cakes before, but never have they tasted anything like this. One bite of this vegan cheesecake and you'll never look at cheesecake the same way again. It's made with all natural ingredients, requires no baking and the citrus flavour makes it the ideal cooling dessert for warm weather days. Trust me, wether you're vegan or not, you will fall in love with this cake. In fact, if there is one dish I would have to make for someone to prove to them vegan food isn't boring, it would be this recipe.

And the best part: it's fairly easy to make. The only thing that can be a bit tricky is that you need a pretty powerful machine to get the cashews into the right consistency (even if you soak them overnight). I used a normal blender and it did the trick, though I think it would have been easier/faster with a Vitamix or any equally strong kitchen equipment.

Of course, it's super healthy too. Each bite is loaded up on incredible health-giving vitamins and nutrients which will fill you up quickly and for long (aka you won't inhale the entire cake in one go!). The ingredients are also easy to digest so there's none of the usual bloated feeling after indulging. The main component of the recipe is the coconut oil, as it helps bind the ingredients together and gives the cake that softness, smoothness, velvety, delicious, mouth watering, delighting....oh sorry, did I loose my train of though?! I think you get the idea.

Why everyone is loco about coco, and you should be too

There's a lot of confusion around why coconut oil is apparently so healthy for us. "Isn't it fully of saturated fats?", is the first question I usually hear. The difference is the following: while the "bad" fats from plant and animal sources are long-chain triglycerides (LCT's), the "good" fat such as the one from coconuts comes in the form of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT's). MCT's can be digested and utilised more easily by the body, meaning they require less energy and enzymes to be broken down. This is why they are a great choice for athletic people looking to stimulate their metabolism and get an immediate energy boost.

Vegan Lemon Coconut Cheesecake with Nutmeg

Ingredients

For the crust

½ hazelnuts

½ cup almonds

½ cup pitted medjool dates

¼ cup shredded coconut

For the filling

2 cups raw cashews (preferably soaked overnight)

1 cup shredded coconut

1 lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup maple syrup

3 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp nutmeg

3 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Line a 16cm round springform with baking paper.

Blend all ingredients for the crust until well combined (Depending on the machine you use, this will take longer or shorter. If it doesn't mix well, add a tiny bit of liquid.)

Press the mix into the form and put in the freezer.

Blend the ingredients for the filling until smooth. Pour the mix onto the base layer and leave to freeze for minimum 5 hours, but preferably overnight.