Ready for our Raw Vegan Berries Cheesecake? The perfect dessert for a dinner date, a party, really for everyone… And it’s also gluten-free!

Welcome to our plant-based recipes collection – the fruit (veggies and desserts) of the collaboration between Simona & Orsola (ottimoblog.com and appetibilis.net) | Here happily edited and translated by Orsola 😀

It is called raw because the ingredients are raw – obviously – and the prepping doesn’t go over 42 °C. This allows the ingredients to retain all their organoleptic and healthy qualities.

It is made cashews, red berries on a base of nuts and seeds, so very substantial. And that’s why we opted for a smaller size, since you really need one slice to be happy, especially if you serve it after dinner.

Recipe for the Raw Vegan Berries Cheesecake

For “raw” dessert debutantes, as a rule of thumb: 

• make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before starting. 
• And prep this cake well in advance, it needs to set for few hours in the freezer.

But let’s see how it’s done!

[servings: 4 | time: 3 h (30 min soaking | 30 min prepping | 2 h freezer) | difficulty: medium-easy]

*| Please note: the info and directions provided for the recipe are indicative: the end result may vary from person to person |*

Ingredients

For the base:

• 60 g almonds (or Brazil nuts)
• 50 g raisins and dried apricots (50/50)
• A teaspoonful of bourbon vanilla powder
• A pinch of salt

For the cream :

• 150 g cashews
• 50 ml coconut oil (¼ cup) deodorised
• ½ a teaspoon of bourbon vanilla powder
• 50 g maple syrup (or agave)
• 2 drops of lemon essential oil (or the grated zest of half an organic lemon)
• 100 g frozen red berries
• A bunch of fresh berries for decoration (optional)

Tools

• 12 cm hinged cake pan
• Baking paper
• Cake acetate roll (this is a transparent sheet for baking that you place inside the ring/pan to prevent the cream from sticking)
• Blender (a powerful one, no immersion)

Directions

1. Let’s start by soaking the cashews for at least 30 minutes. 
2. Then, prep the cake pan with a sheet of baking paper on the bottom and some acetate on the side.
3. Time to prep the BASE by blending all the ingredients at high speed for a few seconds so that the mixture turns out sticky (not too smooth).
4. Pour it into the bottom of the cake pan and press it down with a spoon, levelling it out as much as possible.
   • Place the cake pan in the refrigerator while you prepare the cream.
5. Let’s move to the CREAM. Start by melting the coconut oil in a Bain Marie (mind the temperature of the water) and measure the 50 ml. Keep aside.
6. In the blender, combine the cashews, frozen berries, maple syrup, and lemon essential oil (or zest). Pulse frequently to achieve the most creamy consistency possible.
7. At this point, pick the melted coconut oil, turn the blender back on and add it a little at a time. Blend a few seconds at medium speed and pour the mixture into the cake pan.
8. Place the pan in the freezer for a couple of hours (minimum).
   • Just take it out half an hour before serving.

Notes and variations

• By blending soaked cashews you’ll get an unreally silky creamy-cheese.
• Coconut oil melt easily already around 25 °C, so – to stay “raw” – keep the water bath warm.
• Here’s a photogenic twist: layer the base with some cream, then top it with fresh berries and cover with the remaining cream. When you cut the slice, you’ll have a gorgeous section of fruit to enjoy!

Version with agar-agar

For a better stability (especially in warm weather), agar-agar can be added. 

Here’s how to proceed. 

• 100 g water and 
• ½ teaspoon agar agar (powder).

1. Pour the water (at room temperature) in a small saucepan, in it dissolve the agar agar and place the pan on the heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a fork (or small whisk).
2. Remove from the heat, while continuing to stir (beware that the agar agar tends to set immediately) add a tablespoon of cream to the saucepan to reduce the temperature, and mix.
3. At this point you can incorporate the mix to the cream, stand-by in the blender glass. Blizz for a few seconds at medium speed and pour the mixture into the cake pan.
4. Place the cake in the refrigerator until the cream has set. This may take few hours.
5. By using agar agar, the cake is no longer “raw”, but it’ll give you a peace of mind for the end result. Once you’ve got the hang of working with temperatures, you’ll be ready to take it to the next level.

Interesting Links

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Simona Scarone

Cucina, corsi, oli essenziali.
Insegno a cucinare in modo sano, testo e invento ricette “plant based” anche in video.
Scrivo racconti di cucina e non solo.

Cuisine, cooking lessons, essential oils.
I teach healthy cooking, test and create “plant based” recipes, also on video.
I write about food, and other stories.