RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE "CHEESECAKE"

Back in January, I made a raw vegan cheesecake, per my birthday list. The recipe I used from This Rawsome Vegan Life is genius. Combining little other than nuts, dates, coconut oil, lemon juice,  and a small amount of maple syrup, you get a gorgeous, nutritious dessert that tastes exactly like the real deal. It seems like it's too good be true, but somehow it's not.

Ever since the first cheesecake, I've wanted to make another one, but kept this on the backburner as I pursued other culinary endeavors like these cupcakes and this delicious falafel. Finally I was able to make one on Tuesday.

Based on how well the last one turned out, I knew I wanted to make one with my own spin. Cue a vegan cheesecake a la raspberry and chocolate. For this one I added cocoa powder to the crust, cut the lemon juice in half (replacing the other half with raspberries), and added a chocolate drizzle. I'm not saying you have to make this one, but you do need to experience the magic of a raw vegan cheesecake at some point soon. It might be a little life changing... just saying.

RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Crust:
1/2 cup dates
1 1/2 cups nuts (I used 1 cup of walnuts and 1/2 cup of almonds)
2 tablespoons (or more) of cocoa powder

Cheesecake:

3 cups cashews (I soaked them in warm water for 2 hours)

3/8 cup lemon juice
3/8 cup raspberries (+  extra for garnishing, I used frozen)

2/3 cup maple syrup

3/4 cup melted coconut oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Drizzle:
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2-4 tablespoons cocoa powder (to taste)
2-4 tablespoons maple syrup (to taste)

Cover the inside of a cake pan with wax paper (I used a 9-inch springform pan for this again, although I'd like to get a 7 or 8-inch springform pan for a slightly thicker cake). Pulse all crust ingredients in a food processor/blender until you get a sticky mixture that you can pat down into the bottom of the cake pan to cover it completely. Set in fridge/freezer to chill. 

Blend all cheesecake ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Pour onto the frozen crust in the cake pan and set in the freezer until it has the firmness you'd like (it was about 45 minutes on this one for me).

While the cake is in the freezer make the chocolate drizzle by stirring all ingredients together. Once the cake is firm, pop it out of the pan. Peel off the wax paper and liberally drizzle it with the chocolate.

Slice and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from This Rawsome Vegan Life