Raw blackberry cheesecake with pecan-date crust

by | Aug 19, 2010 | Columns, Featured, High Desert Healing | 4 comments


Blackberry cheesecake


Natasha's raw cherry cheesecakeFacebook is a great place to find foodie inspiration. Recently, my FB friend Natasha Jamison posted photos and a recipe for a raw cherry “cheesecake” and I knew I had to adapt it, using the organic blackberries I had just purchased. There is actually no dairy used – the “cheesecake” is a mainly cashew filling, with vanilla bean, lemon juice and natural sweetener. Yum!! Natasha found the original recipe on a raw foods forum and adapted it herself, so it has gone through several transformations.


Raw blackberry cheesecakespecial equipment needed
VitaMix (you could also do this in a food processor)
8″-9″ springform pan or whatever you have on hand – I used a cookie sheet because I don’t have any pie pans so mine came out much thinner than Natasha’s did; you could also try using muffin tins

crust ~ all organic
2 cups raw pecans
1/2 cup dates, pitted
pinch salt

“cheesecake” filling ~ all organic
3 cups chopped cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour
1/2-3/4 cup lemon juice (I used the juice of 2 lemons which was less than 1/2 cup, and it still tasted great!)
1/2- 1 cup filtered water (as needed)
3/4 cup agave nectar or raw honey (I used honey, and probably only 1/2 cup)
1 vanilla bean
optional: 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt (I used Celtic sea salt)

topping ~ all organic
1 cup blackberries
1/2 cup dates (My blender conked out on me in the end and I had to remove the dates because they were not blending well, but the topping was sweet enough without them)

variations
Substitute pitted cherries, blueberries, raspberries or another fruit for the topping. Substitute any nut for the crust.


directions

  1. To make the crust, process the pecans and dates in the VitaMix or food processor, then press the crust mixture evenly into the pan with your fingers.
  2. To make the cheesecake, blend the cashews (drain and rinse first), lemon, agave (or honey), vanilla bean, salt (if using), and 1/2 cup filtered water. Add more water if needed. Don’t add too much water, or you will get a runny cheesecake and it will get ice crystals when you freeze it. Blend until smooth and thick, like a cake or cookie batter, and adjust to taste.
  3. Pour the mixture onto the crust. Remove air bubbles by tapping the pan on a table.
  4. Cover and place in the freezer until firm (approximately overnight). Remove the whole cake from the pan while frozen and place on a serving platter. Defrost in the refrigerator.
  5. To make the topping, process blackberries in a food processor until blended. Spread on cheesecake and top with a few whole blackberries. You could also complete this step before you freeze the pie. (I made the topping and froze the whole thing.)

Notes:

• Natasha said that the original recipe called for 3/4 cup coconut oil in the filling, which she omitted.

• In case you don’t have a vanilla bean, Natasha says that you can substitute 1 TBSP vanilla extract or 1 TBSP vanilla powder.

• She recommends you cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of your pan to help prevent sticking. I did not use parchment paper but did not have a problem with sticking due to the natural oils from the nut and date crust.

Thank you to Natasha for providing photo inspiration and the recipe on her Facebook page – my raw cheesecake came out absolutely delicious!!

Peace and greens, Julie

Author

  • Earthwalker

    Earthwalker is the username that PT founder Julie Genser created for her online interactions so many years ago when first creating Planet Thrive.

    Julie's (Earthwalker's) life was derailed over twenty years ago when she had a very large organic mercury exposure after she naively used a mouth thermometer to measure the temperature of just-boiled milk while making her very first pizza at home. The mercury instantly expanded into a gas form and exploded out the back of the thermometer right into her face. Unaware that mercury was the third most neurotoxic element on Earth, Julie had no idea she had just received a very high dose of a poisonous substance.

    A series of subsequent toxic exposures over the next few years -- to smoke from two fires (including 9/11), toxic mold, lyme disease, and chemical injuries -- caused catastrophic damage to her health. While figuring out how to survive day-to-day, and often minute-to-minute, she created Planet Thrive to help others avoid some of the misdiagnoses and struggles she had experienced.

    She has clawed her way over many health mountains to get to where she is today. She is excited to bring the latest iteration of Planet Thrive to the chronic illness community.

    In 2019, Julie published her very first cookbook e-book called Low Lectin Lunches (+ Dinners, Too!) after discovering how a low lectin, gluten free diet was helping manage her chronic fascia/muscle pain.

    View all posts

4 Comments

  1. e.i. luminous

    ALRIGHT JULIE !!

    Thanks for posting this recipe — I was waiting for this yumminess. xoxoxo

  2. earthwalker

    You’re welcome Miss Luminous! I will be making this pie again and again, it was so simple, and so delicious. The only negative is that due to all the pure organic ingredients, it was also quite pricey!! The organic vanilla beans are expensive. But since I was able to freeze it, it lasted a really long time.

  3. Scott

    I can personally attest to the magnificence of this cheesecake–it’s incredible. Thanks again for sharing it with me Julie!

  4. Julie Laffin

    uh oh. i see a new addiction on the horizon. J8

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