Creamy Raw Vegan, STRAWBERRY Cheesecake

In my opinion, nothing "takes the cheesecake" like strawberry cheesecake.  Though this recipe was written to be a "triple-berry" cheesecake, I prefer to use all strawberries because their sweet and slightly tart flavor complements the raw vegan creamy cheesecake filling in this recipe perfectly  This is the first raw cheesecake I've made in all of my years of raw food experimentation, and I have to say... it was well worth the effort!  Enjoy ; ) 


Creamy Raw Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust-
1 c. raw pecans (raw or soaked to release enzyme inhibitors and then dried)
1/4 c. unsweetened shredded dried coconut
1/4 c. raw cane sugar or raw palm sugar
a pinch of sea salt
1/4 c. raisins
4 pitted medjool dates

Filling-
1 c. raw cashews, soaked for 1-12 hours, drained and rinsed
1/2 c. young coconut meat
1/2 c. fresh lemon juice
1/2 c. light agave syrup
1/4 c. packed dates, plus 1/8 c. water
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1/2 c. virgin coconut oil, melted
1 T. non-GMO soy lecithin powder

Topping-
About 2 cups of strawberries, sliced any which way you like

YIELD:  ONE 6- OR 7-INCH CAKE (8 Servings)

Directions:  

1.  To make the crust, place the pecans, coconut, sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted with the S blade.  Process until finely ground.  Add the raisins and dates and process until the coarse crumbs begin to stick together.  Press into a 6- or 7-inch spring-form pan (or a pie plate if you'd prefer). 

2.  To make the filling, place the cashews, coconut meat, lemon juice, agave syrup, dates mixed with water, and salt in a blender and process until very smooth.  Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the blener jar with a rubber spatula.  Add the coconut oil and optional soy lecithin powder and process until blended.  Pour the filling into the crust and spread it evenly with a small offset spatula. 

3.  Arrange the strawberries on top of the cheesecake and press them in slightly.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. 

 * Adapted from the Triple Berry Cheesecake recipe in Raw for Dessert by Jennifer Cornbleet.


TIPS:
-  Earthshiftproducts.com is an excellent place to find raw coconut sugar, truly raw agave (there are many charlatans sold in stores), shredded raw coconut, truly raw cashews, natural salts, and more. 
-  Many raw desserts freeze well, so make a double batch for an effort-less treat later!