Seeing fresh cranberries at the shops never ceases to make me excited. A clear sign of autumn, and of the delicious autumnal things to come...
In this simple raw cheesecake I paired the cranberries with orange (because they go so well together), warm spices (especially in the crust -- reminiscent of gingerbread!), and a hint of pistachios. And it turned out incredibly flavorful. Sweet, tart, and warmly spiced. And such a pretty and speckled light coral color.
The list of ingredients might seem longer than usual on this one (compared to many of my other raw cakes), but they're all simple ingredients to find and mostly spices you probably already have in your cupboard :)
The recipe makes a small 5" cake, but it can easily be scaled up to a 6" or 9" or scaled down to a smaller 4" cake as needed. To see how to size the cake up or down, see the downloadable raw cake multiplication helper section below the recipe.
If you need any further tips, tricks, and how-to's on raw and no-bake desserts, you might find Unconventional Treats a helpful guide.
PrintRaw Cranberry Orange Cheesecake
This raw cranberry orange cheesecake is a flavorful and festive dessert, full of warm spices and a delicious and refreshing cranberry orange flavor. Vegan, gluten-free, paleo.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 5" cake
- Category: Cake
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Vegan Dessert
Ingredients
Crust:
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 soft medjool date, pitted
- ½ tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tbsp coconut oil, softened or liquefied
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger (spice)
- ⅛ tsp allspice
Filling:
- ¾ cup raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained*
- ½ cup fresh cranberries, at room temp**
- 5 tbsp maple syrup
- zest of 1 small orange
- 4 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 4 tbsp coconut oil, softened or liquefied
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ginger (spice)
- ⅛ tsp salt
Optional Toppings:
- additional fresh cranberries (sliced in half), sliced pistachios
Instructions
- Process all crust ingredients into a fine sticky crumble in a food processor. Transfer to a 5" springform pan and press down into an even crust along the base. Freeze while working on the next step.
- Blend all filling ingredients into a smooth creamy mixture in a power blender. Transfer the mixture into the pan over the prepared crust. Decorate with toppings of your choice.
- Freeze for 5-6 hours or overnight to allow the cake to set. Thaw out lightly (10 mins or so), slice and enjoy!***
Notes
* To pre-soak nuts: place in a glass bowl, cover with water, and leave to soak for 4 hours (or overnight in the fridge). Then strain and discard the water. For a quick pre-soak, cover with boiled water and soak for 15 mins, then strain and discard water. (Note: this technique doesn’t preserve the nutrition of the recipe as well as the traditional soaking technique above). Additional Note: the purpose of soaking the nuts is to re-hydrate them and plump them up for blending into a smooth, cheesecake-like consistency. Proper soaking techniques also maximize nutrition and digestibility. If you’re interested in learning more about nut soaking and other dessert prep tips and tricks, I delve into these subjects in detail in my book Unconventional Treats.
** The cranberries need to be at room temp as otherwise they can make the mixture harden and seize up inside the blender, preventing it from blending into a creamy smooth consistency. All ingredients for the filling should be room temp for this reason, but I highlighted the cranberries especially since fresh cranberries tend to be refrigerated or frozen.
*** Storage notes: treat this cake like ice cream. Keep it cake frozen at all times until ready to eat, and freeze any leftovers. If left too long at room temperature it will begin to melt back into the consistency it was in the blender.
Rae says
I made your lemon ginger chia cake today and it was delicious! It was so pretty, and I loved how it turned out - it was even a hit with my sceptical guests!
I am planning to make this cranberry orange one this week to take to a party (‘tis the season, after all!) - but I’m not sure I have enough cashews left for both the crust and the filling. Would this cake work well with the almond crust?
Audrey says
Hi Rae. So sorry I didn't see your comment earlier. But yes, an almond crust would work just fine here :)
I'm so glad the other cake went over well as well. Thank you for sharing.
richa shukla says
can this be made without cashews?
Audrey says
Hi Richa. Not without playing around with the flavors a lot, so I wouldn't recommend it. But I do have lots of cashew-free cakes like this on my recipes page: nconventionalbaker.com/all-recipes/ (there's a cashew-free tab you can click to filter recipes out).
Kallie says
I made this today and its setting in the freezer now.
I tasted as I went, and it was delicous. I added a tiny squeeze of lemon and a touch more vanilla, cinnamon and ginger.... but otherwise followed exactly.
I doubled the recipe to fit my 6 inch - and it fitted perfectly
I can't wait to serve it up this evening.
Audrey says
Hi Kallie, that's wonderful. Thank you for the lovely feedback. Enjoy it! :)
Manon says
Dear Audrey,
Thank you for your yummy looking recipes. Am looking forward to try this Cranberry orange one.
Just a quick question. It is ok the to Use frozen cranberries, as long as they are at room temperature ?
Thank you very much for your comment?.
Audrey says
Hi Manon, yes absolutely. So long as they're room temp, you're good to go. The only thing is you won't be able to cut them up in half for decorating, since they'll be a bit more mushy after defrosting, but it's no biggie. Just sprinkle the whole thing with pistachios and you're good to go, or leave the cake plain or decorate any other way that inspires you :)
Caico says
BeUTIFULLY done! This looks so delicious. I look forward to taking the time to make this. The menu lists this as using rose water, but I don't see rose water listed anywhere in the recipe or ingredient list. before I make it, will you please confirm if rose water should be used in this recipe?
Audrey says
Hi Caico, this cake doesn't have any rose water in it. I do have another cranberry cheesecake with rose water there -- perhaps you're thinking of this one? https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/raw-cranberry-cheesecake-cakelets/
Ashley says
Sounds so delish! I love cranberry and orange together - especially with Fall/Winter spices!
Audrey says
Me too, Ashley. It's such a lovely pairing.
Marc Bell says
Audrey, what beautiful photographs you have taken, superb.
Oh yes, the cake looks okay too. No, seriously the cake looks absolutely
delicious and I will be baking this one for sure.
Audrey says
Thank you so much, Marc :) Your comment made me smile!