A Merry Christmas Raw Peppermint "Cheese"cake!

I hope everyone is having a very Merry Christmas! Now that I'm finally finished with grad school I can use my extra time to start posting more recipes again. Hopefully this "cheese"cake will make up for the recipes I've been neglecting to post!

Being dairy-free, I used Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips as a topping. Even though I used to love regular chocolate, these chocolate chips taste even better!

This recipe does require some prep work with the cashews. In order to get that creamy cheesecake texture, they must be soaked in water before blending. I soaked them overnight, but at least 4 hours should work just as well. After they are done soaking, rinse them before blending with your other ingredients.




Raw Peppermint Cheesecake
Yield: About 10 slices
Adapted from Purely Twins

Ingredients

BOTTOM LAYER
1 cup cashews (soaked and rinsed)
1/2 cup raw beets (chopped)
2 tsp peppermint extract
3 tablespoons raw honey**
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup coconut manna (softened)*
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)

TOP LAYER
1 cup cashews (soaked and rinsed)
1/2 medium banana (or 1 small one)
3 tablespoons raw honey**
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup coconut manna*

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
Enjoy Life chocolate chips
Unsweetened coconut flakes

*If you do not have coconut manna, you could make your own coconut butter by blending unsweetened coconut flakes for about 3-5 minutes until they turn into a smooth buttery texture.
**If you prefer, pure maple syrup can be substituted for honey.

Directions

FOR THE BOTTOM LAYER
1) Place soaked and well-rinsed cashews, chopped beets, peppermint extract, honey, and water into a food processor or blender. Blend until well-mixed.

2) Add the coconut manna and blend until smooth. This process may take several minutes; Continue blending until the texture looks like a regular cheesecake.

3) Finish the bottom layer by adding the melted coconut oil and blend until completely mixed in.

4) Pour into a 6 inch circular pan lined with parchment or wax paper.

5) Place in the freezer until semi-firm while you make the top layer.

FOR THE TOP LAYER
6) Place soaked and well-rinsed cashews, banana, honey, and water into a food processor or blender. Blend until well-mixed.

7) Add the coconut manna and blend until you have that creamy cheesecake texture again.

8) When the bottom layer has frozen enough to be semi-firm, pour the top layer and spread evenly.

9) Place the finished "cheese"cake back in the freezer for at least a few hours to set.

10) To serve: Remove from the freezer 15-30 minutes prior to slicing and serving your "cheese"cake. If you would like, add some of the suggested toppings of Enjoy Life chocolate chips and/or unsweetened coconut flakes (Or any other toppings you enjoy!).

-Brought to you from Erin's Kitchen

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