I love raw desserts. They are full of good ingredients, do not contain refined sugar and are simply amazingly delicious. Some raw recipes are extremely complicated and difficult. I gave up on preparing the raw gourmet meal recipes. I found they consumed so much of my time, and I was just not very good at preparing them. The desserts, however, are incredible and most are not very difficult to prepare. Everyone I prepare them for is pleasantly surprised and eager for more. In particular, I find the best ones to prepare are the easy cheesecake recipes.

Raw chocolate cheesecake recipes are amazing. They are made using the superfood cacao (which is chocolate in its raw state) and do not contain any dairy products. Here is a great recipe for raw chocolate cheesecake to die for!

Raw Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

Crust
1 cup dried finely shredded coconut
1 cup walnuts or pecans (soaked overnight – this lowers the acid level and makes them more digestible)
pinch of Himalayan sea salt
pinch of stevia
pinch of cayenne
In a food processor, process the coconut until fine. Add remaining ingredients and process to a sticky consistency. Press mixture into the bottom of a 6 or a 9 inch spring form pan.
Put into the freezer to set while you are making the filling.

Filling
1 cup almond milk*
2 cups cashews
1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup carob or cacao powder
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs soy lecithin
1 tsp vanilla extract
big pinch of stevia
pinch of salt

Blend all ingredients except the coconut oil in a blender. Once the batter is completely smooth add the coconut oil and blend again. Pour into the crust and smooth the surface with a spatula. Let the cheesecake set up overnight in the refrigerator or freeze for one hour if serving that day.

* To make the nut milk soak the nuts over night. Blend with water in a 1:2 ratio. Strain through a mesh cloth or cheese cloth. If you do not wish to make the milk, you can purchase almond milk in most supermarkets.

For those of you who do not like chocolate cheesecake, here is one of my very favorite plain cheesecake recipes. Again, simple and delicious.

Plain Cheesecake Recipe

Crust
2 cups raw macadamia nuts
1/2 cup dates, pitted
1/4 cup dried coconut

Filling
3 cups chopped cashews, soaked for at least 1 hour
½ cup lemon or lime juice
¾ cup honey
½ cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
½ cup purified

Topping: Raspberry Sauce
1 bag frozen raspberries
½ cup dates

For the crust, add the macadamia nuts and dates to a food processor and process until pasty consistency. Use a 8 or 9 inch springform pan. To prevent the crust from sticking to the bottom, sprinkle the ¼ cup of coconut onto the bottom of the pan. Press the mixture onto the coconut to form an even layer of crust.

To make the filling, blend the cashews, lemon, honey, gently warmed coconut oil (keep out at room temperature to soften), vanilla, sea salt, and 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth and adjust to taste.

Pour the filling mixture onto the crust. Place the cheesecake in the freezer until firm (about an hour). Remove the whole cake from the pan while frozen and place on a serving platter. Defrost in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

For the raspberry sauce topping, process frozen raspberries and dates in a food processor until well blended.

Caution: do not let the cheesecake defrost too much. It should be slightly frozen in order for it to keep its shape and consistency. If it is too thawed, it will become mushy.

Hope you enjoy these cheesecake recipes as much as I do. Try them and let me know what you think!