If you follow my Instagram picture blog; there are two self-evident truths. The first is I love breakfast. I live for breakfast. I could eat breakfast-like foods at every meal, every day and die a happy gal.  The second truth is I love dessert. So yes, giving up dairy, refined sugar and gluten wasn’t a walk in the park.  I often find myself nostalgically trying to recreate my favorite desserts, while adhering to my new eating habits.  Cheesecake was among the top 5. Maybe even top 3. I loved a good cheesecake, because who doesn’t? I started researching raw cheesecakes and from the amalgam of online recipes I customized and developed my own. Adding and taking as I see fit, I tried to blend in the best possible flavors. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Serves 8

For the Cheesecake Crust:

• 1 + 1/2 cup of almonds
• 2 cups of pitted Medjool or Noor dates
• 1 cup of dried coconut slices
• 1 spoon of coconut manna or coconut oil (manna is harder to find)

*The coconut manna or oil act as a really nice binder, bringing this deliciously chewy crust together.

For the Cheesecake Filling:

• 2 cups of raw cashews
• Juice of 1 large lemon or 2 small ones
• 1 tablespoon of lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla
• 4-5 dates for sweetness OR 2-3 tablespoons agave OR maple syrup
• 1 + 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries

The raw cashews need to be soaked for at least 3-4 hours in water before going into your blender or food processor. For best results, soak overnight. After all, we are trying to make deliciously smooth cashew cream. I used a bullet express meal mixer for both; the crust and the filling. That said, am sure a high powered blender would work just as well. And finally, the cake should rest in the freezer for at least 6-8 hours to allow it to set nicely. I made it in a conventional spring pan and removed it from the freezer 3 hours before serving so that it could thaw. For the finale, garnish with fresh blueberries before serving! This dessert is perfect for the spring/summer, and best of all; you can make it ahead of time which makes it perfect for entertaining.