Decadent Chocolate Dusted Cheesecake

 Calling all cheesecake lovers! This nut-based, cocoa dusted cheesecake is OMG delicious! Cashews create creaminess, macadamia nuts create richness, and almonds create a naturally sweet flavor. Add that creamy “cheese” to a sweet and slightly salty pecan crust, and you have a recipe that will swoon even the hardest to impress cheesecake aficionados.

Decadent Chocolate Dusted Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust

 2 cups pecans

 8 dates (pitted)

 2 tsp vanilla extract

 ¼ tsp salt (optional)

Filling

 ½ cup macadamia nuts (soaked in water 4–6 hours)

 ½ cup raw cashews (soaked in water 4–6 hours)

 ½ cup blanched almonds (soaked in water 4–6 hours)

 1 tbsp lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed)

 ½ cup coconut cream (just the cream, not the water)

 ½ cup date paste (link in directions)

 1 tsp cacao powder (+1 tsp as desired, to dust the cheesecake, Fair Trade or Direct Trade)

Directions

1

Make the crust: Add all crust ingredients to a food processor and blend until mealy. Press the crust into a 9-inch pie crust.

2

Add the macadamia nuts, cashews, almonds, lemon juice, coconut cream, date paste, and salt, if using, to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust flavor or sweetness as needed.

3

Scoop the cheese filling into the pie crust and tap a few times to release any air bubbles. Cover loosely with an eco-friendly wrap of your choice and refrigerate until it’s set, about 4–6 hours.

4

Once the cheesecake is set, dust the top with cocoa powder.

Chef's Notes

Substitutions
If you can’t find one of the nuts above then substitute with more of another. For example, if you don’t have macadamia nuts, add another ½ cup of cashews.

Nut-free
Use sunflower seeds in place of the nuts (to equal 1 ½ cups).

Prep Ahead
Make the crust ahead of time and place in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.

Add more delicious nutrition
Add organic strawberries, raspberries, or pomegranate seeds on top.

Storage
This cheesecake will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

https://foodrevolution.org/recipes/decadent-chocolate-dusted-cheesecake/