Valentine's Raw Vegan Pitaya Cheesecake
Author: 
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2
 
This heart shaped Raw Vegan Pitaya Cheesecake is perfect for Valentine's Day, birthdays, and other special occasions. A buttery shortbread crust topped with a silky, melt in your mouth pitaya filling.
Ingredients
For the shortbread base:
  • ¼ cup coconut flour
  • ⅛ cup ground almonds
  • A small handful of cashews (approx. 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp)
  • 1 tbsp light agave/maple syrup/coconut nectar
  • Pinch vanilla powder
  • Pinch Himalayan pink salt (if coarse grind)
  • 1.5 tsp almond milk
For the cheesecake filling:
  • ½ cup pre-soaked cashews (soaked for at least 8 hours or overnight)
  • 100g organic virgin young Thai coconut meat (I use Mighty Bee)
  • ¼ cup almond milk
  • ¼ cup coconut oil (melted)
  • 25g cacao butter (melted)
  • 3 tbsp light agave/maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp Hybrid Herbs Pitaya Powder
  • 1 tsp freeze dried raspberry powder (optional)
  • 1 tsp non-alcoholic rose water (optional - I use Steenbergs)
  • ¼ tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract (I use Ndali)
  • Pinch fine Himalayan pink salt
Optional toppings:
Instructions
  1. Start by greasing and lining your heart shaped cake tin with greaseproof non-stick paper. Set to one side until needed.
  2. Combine all of the ingredients for your shortbread base in the bowl of your food processor and pulse until it only just comes together into crumbs. Pour the shortbread into your cake tin and gently press down with your fingertips to form the base. You want to be gentle but firm enough so that the crumbs form a solid base but not so firm that it becomes too dense. Place the base into the freezer whilst you prepare your filling.
  3. Next add all of the ingredients for your filling into a high speed blender. Pulse a few times before blending until smooth. Remove your base from the freezer and pour in your filling. Place the cheesecake into the fridge for 3 hours or until set.
  4. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge and carefully release from the springform tin. Gently peel away the layers of paper that you lined your tin with and place your cheesecake onto a plate.
  5. Drizzle with melted raw chocolate right away and top with freeze dried raspberries and a fresh rose bud if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
*Prep time includes a 3 hour setting time
***All cup measurements used are UK cup measurements and so 1 cup = 250ml.
Recipe by Greens of the Stone Age at https://greensofthestoneage.com/valentines-raw-vegan-pitaya-cheesecake/