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
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup dates pitted
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup flax seeds*
- 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 3-6 hours so they become very 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-power blender (or a food processor), place oats, flax seeds, cocoa powder, and sea salt. Pulse until there are no whole seeds and the mixture resembles sand, about 30-45 seconds. Add the drained dates to the blender and process 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. Place 1 tablespoon of chocolate dough in the bottom of each muffin cup (lined with muffin liners) or into small bowls and press into the edges. Set aside.
- 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 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-power blender (or a food processor) and blend for about 5-7 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 every cheesecake and swirl it in. Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle it 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.
When you are in a hurry, use strawberry jam instead of making this sauce.
Notes
Storage: The cheesecakes will last in the freezer for 6 months in a sealed container.
*Flax seeds: If you do not have a high-power blender, grind the flax seeds first.
Oats: Rolled oats or quick oats can be used.
Dry Crust: If the crust is crumbly, add 2 teaspoon of water and pulse again.
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 bowls.
Strawberry sauce: If the strawberry sauce is watery, keep boiling until it is thick like applesauce.
Vegan strawberry cheesecake: To make these vegan, replace the honey with maple syrup.
A good quality blender or food processor is key to making this recipe.
Scroll up to see step-by-step photos of making this recipe in my kitchen.
Nutrition
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