Initially, I was intimidated by the fact that the “cheese” in this cheesecake was not cheese at all. Cashews, Meyer lemon juice, honey, and coconut oil? It sounds crazy, but it’s not. It’s non-dairy goodness secretly hidden in beautiful cheesecake-form.
If you have dietary restrictions or are just looking for a conversation-starting dish to bring to a holiday party, this vegan cheesecake is right up your alley.
Let’s get cookin’!
Raw Meyer Lemon and Raspberry Chai Cheesecake
Recipe adapted from Roost Blog
FOR THE CRUST
2 cups raw almonds soaked overnight
1/2 cup pitted dates (about 7 or 8). If the dates are dry, soak them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes
1/4 cup non-sweetened coconut flakes
Place almonds and dates in a food processor and mix until chopped and well incorporated. Cover the bottom of a 9-inch springform cake pan with wax paper, then with coconut flakes. Pour the almond mixture on top of the coconut flakes, spread out and mold into the cake pan.
FOR THE FILLING
3 cups raw cashews soaked for three hours
3/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
3/4 cup raw honey (Regular honey works if you don’t want to go 100% raw!)
3/4 cup raw coconut oil (No need to warm, just use it straight out of the jar)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
To make the cheese, blend the cashews, lemon, honey, coconut oil, vanilla, and sea salt. Blend until smooth and adjust to taste. For best results, use a powerful, high-speed blender! Pour mixture on top of the “crust” and carefully tap the pan no the counter to release any air bubbles.
FOR THE TOPPING
1 bag frozen raspberries
Chai spice to taste
Honey or dates to sweeten to taste
1/4 cup apple cider or orange juice, if your mixture appears too thick
Place honey, berries, and cider or juice in a high-speed blender and process until smooth. Pour over “cheese” mixture.
Place the pan in the freezer for at least three hours or overnight. Before serving, place on counter to thaw slightly. Best served semi frozen, soft enough to run a serrated knife through.
Do you have a favorite raw or vegan recipe? Dish!
11 loves 
I’m a raw foodist, so I think it’s absolutely fabulous you decided to post a raw recipe! Raw cheesecakes are notorious for their deliciousness. :)
This looks awesome! I would love to see some more vegan recipes. Perhaps I will send some in :)
Please do, Mindy! We’re always on the lookout for fun recipes to test and feature — you can e-mail blog@modcloth.com to reach our Blog Team, or chat with us through the comments as well. Obviously, we check both! :)
I saw this posted on their twitter account and was going to share it with you but I see you’ve already read it! No fun! :)
BTW – you’re still their featured video. :D
OK I luv cheescake.and this looks very tasty. But, Is this really good? :)
This looks so good! And its vegan so I can actually eat it! Yay Modcloth!
But, it’s not vegan. It does have honey in it which is not vegan. I subbed the honey with a simple syrup infused with rosemary. It worked well!
It is very good! I was lucky enough to have a slice. The crust is like granola. This “cheesecake” is da bomb.
This was as YUM as it looks!!!!
I had a sliver and could have easily eaten half the cake! I couldn’t get over the raspberry topping.. As an omnivore who’s recently been tasting a lot of vegan foods, this was truly madly deeply delicious.
Ah I’m jealous you got to try some! I think I’ll try it this week but with agave nectar or maple syrup instead of honey (not vegan!).
Also a raw foodie. I’ve made raw “cheesecakes” before, oh so yummy! However I use agave instead of honey, since honey isn’t technically vegan. FULL of protein and good fats!!!
hey I did it! I ‘cooked’ it. Was yummy, although for the first layer I had to double to amount, because it was too sticky to spread evenly and I used blueberries. But really a great cake! Thanks for posting!
I don’t like cheesecake but I like the looks of this MMM