Chocolate Papaya Cheesecake
A deliciously rich and creamy raw vegan chocolate and papaya cheesecake that is sure to wow! Gluten-free and refined sugar-free recipe.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6" cake
- Category: Cake
- Method: Raw, No-Bake
- Cuisine: Vegan, Dessert
Ingredients
Crust:
- ¾ cup cashews (raw or dry roasted, unsalted)
- 3 soft medjool dates, pitted
- 1 tbsp dark maple syrup*
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp raw cacao powder
Papaya Filling Layer:
- 1 cup cashews, pre-soaked and strained**
- 200 gr rough chopped, peeled, and de-seeded RIPE papaya (roughly between 1 ½ to 1 ⅔ cups)
- 6 tbsp dark maple syrup
- 5 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:
- 1 cup of the papaya filling
- 1 tbsp dark maple syrup
- 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
- 2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- ⅛ tsp salt
Optional Toppings:
- a few handfuls of cacao nibs and vegan dark chocolate chips
Instructions
1. Process all ingredients into a fine moist sticky crumble in a food processor. Transfer to a 6″ springform pan and press down into an even crust along the base. Freeze while working on the next step.
2. For the filling, make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before getting started***. Blend all papaya cheesecake filling ingredients into a completely smooth and creamy mixture in a power blender. Remove all except for 1 cup of this mixture from the blender into a separate bowl and set aside.
3. Add all chocolate cheesecake layer ingredients to the 1 cup of papaya mixture in the blender and process until smooth.
4. Using separate spoons for each mixture, begin by spooning out a few tbsp of the papaya mixture into the center of the prepared cheesecake crust in the pan. Then spoon a few tbsp of the chocolate mixture into the center of the papaya mixture you just added to the pan. Then spoon a bit more papaya mixture into the pan, then chocolate, etc. alternating in this way until you run out of mixture. Don't worry if things aren't perfectly even as you go, the "tiger stripes" should still come out pretty in the end.
5. Once all the mixture is in, tap the pan on the counter a few times to smooth out and level the mixture in the pan. Then use a spoon or a skewer to lightly swirl just the very top of the mixture to blend the top of the cake just a little and create some pretty swirls. Be careful not to over-mix so as not to lose the "tiger stripes" underneath. Sprinkle chocolate chips and cacao nibs around the edges.
6. Freeze the cake for 5-6 hours or overnight to set. Thaw out for 5-10 mins on the counter before serving, slice and enjoy! Keep leftovers frozen.****
Notes
*Maple syrup isn’t considered a raw sweetener, so if you wish to keep this recipe more fully raw, use a raw sweetener of your choice, like raw agave, etc.
**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.
***This is very important so that ingredients blend properly. If anything going into the blender is too cold it can make the mixture firm up prematurely. Conversely, you don't want any of the ingredients to be hot either. Room temperature is just right.
****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.