Strawberry Mini Cashew Cheesecakes
Creamy rich cheesecakes made from soaked cashews with a delicious chocolate crust; add strawberries and a chocolate drizzle for an incredible treat!
Servings: 14 mini cheesecakes
Equipment
- 1 muffin pan or small bowls
- cupcake cake liners
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup dates pitted
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup ground flaxseeds
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Filling:
- 2 cups cashews soaked 3-6 hours
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- ¼ cup honey liquid or melted
- ¼ cup milk almond, soy, cow, or oat
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Topping:
- 1 cup strawberries chopped (fresh or frozen)
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ cup dairy-free chocolate chips
Instructions
- Soak Cashews: Cover the cashews in water and let them soak for 2-6 hours so they become soft. Then drain. Soak dates: After the cashews have soaked, place the dates in boiling hot water for 5 to 10 minutes to become soft. Once they are soft, drain the water in a sieve.
- Make chocolate base: In a high-powered blender (or a food processor), place oats, ground flaxseeds, cocoa powder, and sea salt. Pulse until the mixture resembles sand, about 30-45 seconds. Add the drained dates to the blender and blend for about 20-30 seconds until a thick chocolate dough forms. If the mixture needs to be more thoroughly mixed, dump out the dough and use your hands to knead it. Line a muffin tray with paper liners. Place 1 tablespoon of chocolate dough in the bottom of each muffin cup. Press the dough into the corners and make it somewhat even.
- Strawberry sauce: Place the strawberries, water, and honey into a small pot over medium heat; boil for 10 minutes, whisking on and off until everything is thick and bubbly. Let this mixture cool slightly.
- To make the filling: Place the drained cashews, coconut oil, sea salt, vanilla, lemon juice, honey, and milk into a high-powered blender (or a food processor) and blend for about 5-10 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until it is completely smooth and silky.
- Assemble: Pour cashew cream over the chocolate crust. Add a little strawberry sauce over each cheesecake and swirl it in. Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle them over the cheesecakes. Place the pan in the freezer for 2 hours to set. Keep cheesecakes stored in the freezer. Remove the cheesecakes from the freezer 10 minutes before eating.
You should have enough dough to make 14 (make some in small bowls if you do not have a second muffin pan. When I don't have paper cupcake liners, I like to also make these in small glass bowls or jars instead; they look pretty like that.
When you are in a hurry, use strawberry jam instead of making this sauce.
Notes
Scroll up to see step-by-step photos of making this recipe in my kitchen.
A high-powered blender or food processor is key to making this recipe, as it makes the cashew cream super creamy.
Flaxseeds: If you only have whole flaxseeds, grind your flaxseeds in a coffee grinder or a high-powered blender to make them ground flaxseeds.
Crumbly crust: If the crust is crumbly, it can be from the dates not being gooey enough; add 2 tablespoons of water and pulse again.
Strawberry sauce: If the strawberry sauce is watery, keep boiling until it is thick like applesauce.
Vegan strawberry cheesecakes: To make these vegan, replace the honey with maple syrup, and be sure to use vegan chocolate chips.
Quantity: There is enough crust and batter to make these cheesecakes in a 12-cup muffin pan, and there is some left. I just put the remaining crust and batter in 2 small custard bowls.
Storage: The cheesecakes will last in the freezer for 6 months in a sealed container.
Nutrition
Serving: 1mini cheesecake | Calories: 299kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 89mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 9IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg