The holidays are filled with Christmas joy, Christmas trees, Christmas presents…and heavy, rich Christmas sweets. But why not mix the treat of Christmas with wellness too? I decided to give it a shot with my vegan date cheesecake. It turned out to be fairly simple, and satisfyingly sweet, without putting you in a sugar coma.

I felt that dates, vanilla, and a little pumpkin pie spice in the crust would give this cheesecake a subtle holiday twist, while at the same time make it friendly for any time of the year.

This cheesecake is full of plant-based protein, with almonds in the crust and cashews in the filling. I use coconut oil, cream and shavings in this recipe, because you can never have enough coconut. Coconuts have anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic, and anti-viral properties. Additionally, coconuts improve digestion, are rich in fiber, and and cuts down fat in the abdominal cavity. Dates are full of vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber, and give the cake the perfect richness you need for a guilt-free dessert. Lastly, I use monk fruit sweetener, which is a great natural alternative to sugar. It is safe for diabetics and has no side effects. Due to the dates, coconut, pumpkin pie spice (which you can substitute with cinnamon), and monk fruit sweetener, there’s no need for artificial sweeteners or refined sugar! Goodbye holiday weight, goodbye a low immune system.

This cake shouldn’t take more than an hour, as long as you don’t forget to soak the cashews for a few hours! (But I did just learn a little trick…if you forget to soak the cashews, or run out of time, you can boil them for at least 30 minutes and get a similar effect.)

Start your new year right and enjoy a healthy sweet treat 🙂

Crust:

• 1 cup almonds
• 1 cup almond meal (or blend almonds in blender until almost flour texture)
• 10 dates (soaked in hot water) *save the date water
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (can substitute with cinnamon)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil

I like a little crunch to my crust, so I took a cup of almonds and chopped them up in the blender. I then added the smoother almond meal. You can get this already made at the store, or you can take another cup of almonds and blend them separately until they take on an almost flour-like texture. If you’d rather not have a texturized crust, you may skip the first step and grind up two cups of almonds to make the almond meal. Next, add the soaked dates, spice, and coconut oil and blend everything together until it feels sticky. If your crust feels too dry, you can add the water the dates soaked in teaspoon by teaspoon. Lastly, press the crust into a 12-inch cake pan lined with wax paper.

Filling:

• 3 cups cashews (soaked 2-4 hours)
• 1/2 cup date water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 – 2/3 cup monk fruit sweetener
• 1/4 cup coconut oil

1. Soak cashews 2-4 hours (or try the 30-minute boiling of cashews trick).
2. Add cashews, date water (from when prepared for crust), vanilla extract, and coconut oil to blender. Blend well until texture is smooth.
3. Now I gave you two different measurements for the monk fruit sweetener so you can play around with it. I added 2/3 to my cheesecake, which was a little sweet for me, but not too sweet for my guinea pigs. I suggest you test out the smaller amount first, then add more to your liking. Blend the sweetener in with the other ingredients, and then you’re done.
4. Pour the filling over the crust and smooth it over with a spatula. Put the cake in the freezer to harden while preparing the frosting.

Date Frosting:

• 1 cup of dates (pressed down into measuring cup) – soaked in hot water
• 1 pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup of canned coconut milk *I suggest canned because the coconut cream separates at the top, which is the right texture for the frosting (can also substitute with coconut cream)
• coconut shavings *optional

1. Begin by blending the soaked dates until they become smooth.
2. Spoon out the creamy part of the coconut milk that separates at the top. There should be about a cup. (It needs to be from a can to work!) You may also try this recipe with coconut cream to attempt a similar texture. Add to the dates in the blender.
3. Add the cinnamon, sea salt, and vanilla extract. Blend all together until a frosting texture is produced.
4. Frost the cheesecake. You may sprinkle coconut shavings on the top for extra taste and decoration. I thought they looked like snow, which was appropriate for the season.
5. Put the cheesecake back in the freezer to cool the frosting. When you’re ready to eat it, take it out to defrost. Enjoy!