My First Raw Cheesecake! Raspberry, Coconut and Chocolate :)

I have been waiting for the right time to make my first raw cheesecake, and what better occasion than Christmas!? Not only can i make my first one but i can introduce more raw foods into my families life by showing them how simple and tasty raw foods can still be. I was so excited to bring a raw desert to the Christmas table with relatives joining us for Christmas lunch! The cheesecake itself looked like Christmas with the red raspberries and white coconut, i felt so festive just making to :) Many raw cheesecakes use quite a lot of cashews which can be expensive, the recipe we found was in one of mums 'BudOrganic' magazines by a Swedish raw desert chef who specialises in nut free deserts and considers her deserts to be medicine for both the body and soul! It sure is :)

Open Your Heart CheesecakeThis one based on dates, pumpkin seeds and coconut and was called an 'Open Your Heart' Cheesecake...

Recipe from Budorganics

Open Your Heart Cheesecake

Cookie Dough Base
1/2 cup dates, pitted and soaked 10 minutes
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
1 tablespoon maca powder
1 tablespoon coconut flour
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil (cold pressed if possible)

Place the pumpkin seeds in a food processor (or coffee grinder) and process until the seeds resemble a flour.

Add the rest of the ingredients and process until the mixture sticks together as a dough. Press the dough into a spring-form pan using the back of a spoon or your hands.

Your cookie dough base :)

Raspberry Filling 
500g frozen raspberries (1.5 cups thawed and save some for decoration)
1 1/2 cups of shredded coconut
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup or sweetener of your choice (e.g. agave nectar)
1/2 cup of water

Thaw frozen raspberries to room temperature to enable incorporation with the coconut oil.

Mmm Raspberries...

Place the coconut into a processor and make into a flour. Add all ingredients EXCEPT the coconut oil and process until smooth. Add the coconut oil and process a further 30 seconds more then spread evenly over cookie dough base :)

Raspberry Filling

Chocolate Cream Filling
1/2 cup of dates, pitted and soaked for 10 minutes
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
pinch of salt
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup of water


Place the coconut into a processor and make into a flour. Melt the coconut oil in a double saucepan or sit the jar of coconut oil in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes until the coconut becomes clear.
Add the coconut, cacao, coconut flour, vanilla, salt, dates and water to the processor and process until combined.

 Add the melted coconut oil and process until incorporated.

Chocolate filling :)

Put mixture into a pastry/icing bag with an open star tip. You can place the chocolate in the fridge to harden but i piped it around the cake right away and it held its shape nicely.

Piping on the Chocolate

So happy with the result! 

The recipe also had Raw Chocolate Ornament for decoration which i didn't put on, but i have added the ornament recipe too :)

1/4 cup virgin coconut oil
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons agave nectar

Melt coconut oil in a double saucepan as above. Add cacao and agave stirring by hand. Pour melted chocolate in a sqeeze bottle and put in the fridge to harden a little (it is not suppose to be runny). Test the chocolate and make ornament shapes on a plate or tray lined with grease proof paper. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes and carefully remove the ornaments from the paper. The tighter they are the easier they are to remove. When you have decorated the cake with the chocolate filling carefully press some ornaments into the filling :)

And the result... it was a success! It didn't quite match my cousins white chocolate berry cheesecake with cream cheese but i had many comments that it was very yummy and tasted like Cherry Ripe! only it is raw and healthy :)

So with a bowl of new raw cheesecake, my cousins cheesecake, fruit salad and a touch of pavlova... i think we were all quite satisfied for a hearty Christmas desert ;) 

Merry Christmas!! xox

Rockin Raw

Xox