I’m so excited to share this raw citrus pitaya cheesecake recipe! Not only is it GORGEOUS, it is also delicious and so easy to make. Sure to please vegans and non-vegans alike, I promise that no one will guess that this cheesecake is dairy-free or healthy. Your friends and family will be enjoying one of the most amazing cheesecakes of their lives that just happens to be vegan, raw, gluten-free, alkaline forming, and an awesome source of nutrients and healthy fats. And if all that hasn’t convinced you, just look at that colour!
The base is made with dates, desiccated coconut, almonds and fresh lemon zest. I buy my medjool dates in the bulk section of Whole Foods but I’ve also found some great affordable organic dates at Sprouts. Both are always super soft and sticky but not all varieties will be. If yours aren’t, just soak them in hot water for 10 minutes before using 🙂
The creaminess of the cake can be attributed to our use of raw organic cashews. Cashews are so good for us and when soaked overnight, and properly drained and rinsed before using, cashews can be used to form the perfect texture for raw cheesecake. Soaking cashews also initiates the sprouting process, which gets rid of phytic acid and increases the bioavailability of nutrients.
I used one frozen 100g smoothie pack from PitayaPlus which is available all over the US (I found mine at my local Whole Foods). I’m not sure where you can purchase pitaya in Europe, other than when it’s in season and available fresh. If you can’t find it or if the price just isn’t right, you can sub the pitaya for 100g (roughly 1 cup) frozen wild blueberries or raspberries. Even though I like to keep my recipes oil-free, this one does call for a mere one tablespoon of coconut oil which when melted and added to the cream gives the needed texture (so I don’t recommend skipping the oil). Make sure you’re using unrefined cold-pressed or expeller-repressed coconut oil.
PrintRaw Citrus Pitaya Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
Ingredients
- Crust
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- 1 cup dates (soaked for 10 mins in hot water if not sticky enough)
- 1/2 cup raw almonds
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- Cheesecake Batter
- 1 cup raw cashews (soaked, drained and rinsed)
- 100g pitaya (1 pitaya plus smoothie pack) or 1 cup wild blueberries/raspberries
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 1 tbsp unrefined coconut oil, melted
- 3 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
- 3cm vanilla bean (1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1/4 tsp pink himalayan salt
- Topping
- 1/4 cup raw pistachios
Instructions
- Start by making 2 tsp of lemon zest using a grater (make sure you’re using an organic lemon and rinse well before use).
- Add crust ingredients to food processor until sticky.
- Put into a cake form or mold (I used a 9 inch/23 cm silicone mold). Distribute evenly and press down firmly. Top the crust with parchment paper, then use the flat end of a large pot to press down on the middle of the cake to create an uprise at the edges.
- Add the cheezecake batter ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the batter onto the crust. Leave in freezer to set for a minimum of 1 hour.
- Crush pistachios using the flat edge of a ceramic knife or pulse them in the food processor a couple of times. Decorate the edges of the cake with pistachios before serving.
- Allow 10 minutes for the cake to defrost after taking it out of the freezer (it will take a little longer if you used a smaller cake mold).
I used pistachios to garnish the cake but you can use whatever you would like. I hesitated between pistachios and coconut flakes but my contemplation ended when I accidentally dropped a pistachio onto the cake… It was probably a good thing (I tend to overthink these things) but the next time I make this I’ll be using coconut flakes or almond slivers to change it up 🙂
Today is a beautiful day full of opportunity and it feels so great to create and share recipes. Especially when they are so easy – this raw citrus pitaya cheesecake will only take you 30 minutes to make! I hope you decide to make this, and I’m also looking forward to receiving feedback from anyone who tries it with something other than pitaya. I may test it out with blueberries next weekend for fun 🙂
Have a great week!
Emilía
Lisa says
This sounds so amazing!
Nicole McMillen says
The colors are amazing! I really want to try this during the summer… I will kill it I think… maybe… probably not.
I Made Adayasa says
Wow so yummy
My wife will love it . I will show her this post content . She love to cook a different kind of sweet .
Thanks
Best regards
Made Bali island
Emilía Rún says
Thank you so much!!
Erin says
wow that looks so amazing! I will have to see if I can manage it sometime.