Raw Caramel Pecan Cheesecake
A rich "turtles-inspired" raw vegan cheesecake filled with caramel, chocolate, and pecans in a beautiful and easy to whip up dessert. Gluten-free and lush.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 5" cake
- Category: Cake
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Crust:
- ½ cup pecans
- 1 soft medjool date, pitted
- ½ tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tbsp coconut oil
Filling:
- ½ cup raw cashews, pre-soaked and strained*
- 6 tbsp maple syrup (room temp)
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 2 tbsp almond milk (room temp)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, liquefied
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp almond extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Caramel:
- ½ cup soft medjool dates, pitted
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp carob powder (optional)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp salt
Toppings:
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- 2-3 tbsp chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions
- Process all crust ingredients in a food processor into a sticky crumbly mixture. Transfer into a 5" springform pan and press down into a flat even crust. Freeze while working on the next layer.
- Make sure all filling ingredients are at room temp. Blend everything in a high power blender into a smooth uniform consistency. Transfer the mixture into the prepared crust. Freeze for 30 mins (or an hour).
- To make the caramel sauce, make sure all ingredients are at room temp. Blend everything into a smooth consistency in a power blender. Carefully spoon this mixture over the top of the cake until it fills out evenly. Gently smooth out the top. Sprinkle with toppings and freeze for 5-6 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, thaw out for a few minutes, 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).
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.