A raw blueberry cheesecake tart—perfect for making cheesecake bars.
All I can say is: LIFE. It’s unpredictable, exhilarating, funny, painful, and reminds me that I am alive. I am therefore a bit backed up posting here, and I have so many recipes I’d love to share. And yet, this was a last minute recipe.
My coconut flour cookbook came out last month, but I don’t want to turn on the oven right now (it’s summer in my part of the world, for real, in Seattle—yes, you read that correctly), so I’m going to hold on to a few recipes for a bit later. That means it’s raw dessert time.
Here’s a simple raw cheesecake recipe using cashews and fresh blueberries. I found myself wanting cheesecake snack bars that were ice-box cold, and I also had a huge box of blueberries. This recipe is fairly easy; it just requires time and a food processor or high-speed blender.
There’s three layers to this baby: crust layer, followed by the cheesecake layer, and finally the blueberries. I have a feeling any berry will top well, and I’m eager to try raspberries and blackberries. Or let it go topless.
Let me know if you try any variations—like maybe using another cookie dough for the crust, or using one of my pie crusts. Raw or otherwise. Enjoy! {sparklers in hand}
Blueberry Cheesecake Bars {dairy-free}
If you’re not up for a tart or bars, you can make individual cheesecakes using a muffin or cupcake baking pan, or use a square pan, pie dish, or anything in between. I used an 11 inch x 7 inch (28 cm x 18 cm) non-stick tart pan, and if you want to make it really easy to remove the bars, I suggest lining your pan with parchment paper.
For the crust, I used a slight variation on my ginger snap cookie recipe for the crust and left it unbaked, but if you’re not into raw cookie dough you can bake it for about 8 minutes at 350ºF (180ºC, or gas mark 4) to firm it up a bit.
Soaking the cashews: Place the cashews in a bowl and fill with water until the cashews are fully covered. Let them sit at room temperature for at least 3 hours, then drain and rinse.
Crust
- 2 cups (192 g) blanched almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/3 cup (115 g) honey (or maple syrup)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (56 g), melted (or ghee or coconut oil)
Cheesecake Layer
- 1 1/2 cups (195 g) raw cashews (soaked for at least 3 hours)
- 1/3 cup (73 grams) coconut oil
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (or lime juice)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup (115 g) honey (or maple syrup )
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (145 g) blueberries, stemmed and brushed clean
Method
- For the crust: In a mixing bowl, blend the flour, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Then add the honey and butter and mix until well-blended.
- Prepare a pan with parchment paper if it’s a non-stick surface, and using your fingers, press the crust into the pan using parchment paper on top of the dough.
- For the cheesecake layer: place all the ingredients, except the blueberries, in a food processor or high-speed blender and pulse or blend until the layer is very creamy in consistency. I usually process this layer for at least a minute or two. Feel free to add a tablespoon or so of water if it’s too thick for your taste.
- Pour or spread the cheesecake layer over the crust and even it out by shuffling the pan and using a spatula or knife.
- Scatter the blueberries across the cheesecake layer and freeze the cheesecake for at least 4 hours.
- Slice and serve. If completely frozen, thaw for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature. Store covered in the freezer.
Makes 10 bars
Thank you for this! My daughter can’t do almond flour – but coconut. Do you know what the measurements should be for this replacement?
I guess you mean for the crust—replace the almond flour with a ground seed flour such as pumpkin, or use ground cashew or other nut that she can handle. The measurements are the same (2 cups). Caveat: I haven’t tested this yet. I wouldn’t replace with just coconut flour, it’s too dry on it’s own with just coconut flour (try a crust from my new cookbook if you’re looking for a crust that uses some coconut flour).
Will do and thank you!!
These look amazing and so easy! thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome!
Beautiful pictures, can’t wait to try it! So many recipes….so little time.
Thanks, Jodi! Yes, I need more time too!
This is my favourite scd dessert recipe! Thank you so much. Here’s my pic of my second attempt…
https://twitter.com/melissa56555453/status/536612130402086912
That looks great! Enjoy!
Making this tonight! I just wanted to tell you I LOVE YOUR SITE!! I’ve made a few recipes and they all taste amazing! Because of this website I have done a 95% scd diet while pregnant. So thank you 🙂
Aw, thanks!
Looks amazing… Is this cake meant to be eaten only frozen?
no, eat it any way you like – thawed, frozen, but do eat it cold. Cheers!