It’s hard to believe how quickly this summer is flying by! It has truly been a great one so far. We have been able to get out of the city a few times and are really trying to take advantage of the beautiful weather. We are also soaking in that special time together before your first baby is born and everything changes.

Other than the growing baby inside of me, I have had one thing on my mind lately….CHEESECAKE! On really hot days it’s hard to imagine baking an amazing cake in a sweltering kitchen. That’s why I thought it was time to try my first raw dessert. What I love about this cheesecake recipe is that it is completely grain and gluten free, as well as vegan so does not contain any dairy at all. You might be wondering what ingredient could possibly imitate the flavour of a decadent cheesecake….well cashews of course!! Over the past few years I have learnt that there are a variety of nuts that when prepared properly can make a GREAT substitute to cheese and dairy products. If you are a true cheesecake lover and have any doubts you should definitely give this a try to see how delicious it is!

Crust

– 3/4 cup of raw cashews
– 2/3 cup shredded coconut
– 1/2 cup of chopped mejool dates
– 3 tbs water
– 2 tbs pure maple syrup
– 1/4 cup raw cacao powder

Using a food processor mix all ingredients together until relatively smooth. Press the mixture into an 8″ pan or pie plate until spread out evenly and flat.

Filling

– 1 1/4 cup of raw cashews
– 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice
– 1/4 cup of coconut sugar
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 1/2 cup of melted virgin coconut oil

Place all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. If you find that the mixture is too thick to blend at times add small bits of water at a time to thin it out slightly. Once complete, pour the mixture into the pie dish and disperse evenly on top of the crust.

Sauce

– 2 cups of diced fresh strawberries
– 4 chopped mejool dates
– 1 tbs of pure maple syrup
– Juice from 1/2 a lemon

Place all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Pour on top of the cashew cream filling to cover the entire top of the cake.

Finally, place the complete cake in the freeze for about 3-4 hours. Let sit in the refrigerator for another hour and enjoy!!!

*Recipe adapted from www.sweetlyraw.com