Dec 20, 2018
What’s ultra rich, uber creamy, and ultimately refreshing? This perfectly pink Vegan Peppermint Cheesecake, of course!
And to top things off, I’ve made it vegan, raw, sugar free, and gluten free too. Oh yes, my friend, this is the PERFECT secretly good-for-you treat to make for the holidays. Or a party. Or birthday. Or any day for that matter 😉
Thanks to Edward & Sons® for sponsoring this post, and thank YOU for supporting the brands that keep Desserts With Benefits going! All opinions are mine and mine alone.
I’ve always been super impressed by vegan cheesecakes. Your fork will sink through a thick layer of goodness, you’ll take a bite of said goodness, and ask yourself, “How is this vegan??”
Typical cheesecake is made with cream cheese, eggs, and a whole lotta sugar. When I used to work at a bakery, we had some recipes that called for heavy cream and sour cream too. While cheesecake is usually a guilty pleasure for most, some can’t enjoy it because of dairy allergies or a vegan diet. But just because you’re dairy free and/or vegan doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the good stuff!
Enter, this Raw Vegan Peppermint Cheesecake.
You can skip the cream cheese altogether by making a “cheezecake” base made of walnuts and Let’s Do Organic® Heavy Coconut Cream.
For a nice pink color, I added a few tablespoons of beet juice to the filling. For extra flavor and pretty vanilla bean speckles, I used homemade vanilla paste instead of vanilla extract (but you can totally use vanilla extract too).
This no-bake Raw Vegan Peppermint Cheesecake is creamy without the cream cheese and fluffy without the eggs!
It’s also super easy to make. Everything is made in a blender and then all you gotta do is let it chill in the fridge. No need for the oven or a water bath.
This deliciously rich and creamy Vegan Peppermint Cheesecake is sugar free, gluten free, and super easy to make!
What are ya waiting for??
Healthy Raw Vegan Peppermint Cheesecake
This deliciously rich and creamy no-bake Raw Vegan Peppermint Cheesecake is creamy without the cream cheese, fluffy without the eggs, and secretly sugar free and gluten free too!
Chocolate Base:
- 2 cups (8oz) Walnuts
- 1 packed cup (~24) Dates
- ¼ cup Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
- ¼ tsp Salt
For the Chocolate Base:
-
In a food processor or high-speed blender (I used my Vitamix), add the walnuts and dates. Grind until it comes together and yields a moist crumble.
-
Add the cocoa powder and salt and grind again. It’s ready when you can pinch it together and it stays together in a “dough.”
-
Press the mixture into a 9” springform pan.
For the Cheesecake Filling:
-
In a food processor or high-speed blender, add the walnuts and melted cacao butter. Blend until smooth.
-
Add the coconut cream, beet juice, vanilla paste, stevia extract, peppermint flavor, and salt. Blend until completely smooth.
-
Pour over the crust. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air pockets. Refrigerate overnight.
-
Slice, serve, and enjoy!
- You can substitute the walnuts for another nut if you like! Cashews, almonds, macadamia nuts, etc.
- I topped my cheesecake slices with a little bit of melted cacao butter. Feel free to use that, vegan dark chocolate, or even vegan white chocolate!
The Let’s Do Organic® Heavy Coconut Cream is the key ingredient here — it’s a solid when cold and a nice “scoopable” texture at room temperature. So when it comes time to serve this dessert, you’re in charge of the texture. Want it firm? Serve it straight from the fridge. Want is slightly softer? Let it sit out on the counter for ~15 minutes or so to soften.
Enjoy!
.
With love and good eats,
.
– Jess
.
PS: Make sure to check the Instagram later today — I’ll be hosting a special holiday giveaway that you don’t wanna miss! 😉
.
