The idea for these raw chocolate and clementine mini cheesecakes with a chocolate hazelnut crust has been bumping around inside my head for quite some time now, ever since I tried The Rawtarian’s raw cheesecake recipe a few months ago and was really impressed with how light and creamy the cashew based filling was after blending in my high speed Froothie Optimum 9400 blender.
I was impressed with the consistency, but I thought that flavour wise it could do with some improving, as could the crust recipe: perhaps replacing the macadamia nuts in the crust with hazelnuts, adding some raw cacao (ok, to be honest I used cocoa powder because that’s what I had and I wasn’t making an hour long round trip to go buy some cacao!), some ground cinnamon, a touch of freshly ground nutmeg and a little bit of coconut oil to help bind it all together better.
When it came time to prepare the filling I added a little extra maple syrup (pure Canadian, of course!) to sweeten the cocoa powder, used less vanilla and I replaced the lemon juice used in the original recipe with clementine juice (again, this wasn’t me being clever – it was borne out of accident – I thought I had loads of lemons left in the fridge, but I didn’t – I had loads of clementines and chocolate and orange totally work well together, no?).
I also halved the batch because I’m the only one in my household who will eat such strange foodstuffs, and an entire calorific cashew-based cheesecake recipe is too much cheesecake even for me!
Making little individual cheesecakes in a silicone muffin pan works well too, because it means I can keep these mini freezer cheesecakes stashed in my freezer for up to a week, popping out a serving when I fancy and leaving it to defrost in the fridge for half an hour before eating.
I am so incredibly pleased with my adaptations for this recipe, especially since my previous attempts at making cashew based vegan recipes have been mostly failures (I’m still put off the notion of making cashew cheese after my first attempt turned bright pink, and cashew yogurt, I’ve come to the conclusion, is simply awful!).
This chocolate cashew filling, however, flavoured with orange, is a gorgeous sweet and creamy custard/mousse when prepared in a high speed blender. You need high speed for this – a food processor or ordinary blender just won’t blend and aerate it enough. I might have licked the spoon a few times.
The chocolate hazelnut crust works really well too, just the right amount of sweetness and nobbliness and a touch of coconut oil helps bind it all together well.
The topping adds a nice raw chocolate crunch to the whole thing – a bit like a chocolate coin studded with chopped hazelnuts and orange zest.
And, if having 12 servings of raw chocolate and clementine cheesecake with a chocolate hazelnut crust for me to enjoy all to myself over the festive period wasn’t enough of the happy vibe, the sun came out today.
To be honest, I planned the making of this cheesecake around the sun appearing. My island home lies at 60 degrees North, the same latitude as Oslo, Norway, and the southern tip of Greenland. This time of year we get six hours of daylight. This makes food photography very, very difficult.
This morning my friend Nat who blogs over at Nordic Blackbird (check her out, she’s awesome!) shared a few screenshots of some sunrise/sunset app which aptly describes just how little sun we get this far north, and how it just hovers a little bit above the horizon before disappearing again, if we’re fortunate enough to have a cloudless sky.
A cloudless sky was predicted for some of today, so I made these cheesecakes in advance so I could take advantage of actually having some natural daylight to work with.
Afterwards, we packed up our things and went and had a lazy Sunday family walk at a nearby beach.
These photographs were taken between 12:15 and 1:30 in the afternoon. I can’t think of a better way to spend a lazy Sunday than sitting on a beach with the family throwing smoothed beach stones into an LHD fish box that’s washed up onto shore; a fish box that keeps moving each time a new wave comes in.
Bliss.
And now as I finish typing this blog post, there’s raw chocolate and clementine cheesecake with a chocolate hazelnut crust defrosting in the fridge waiting for me.
Happy Holidays everyone! 🙂
Ps. If you like this recipe you might also like this vegan chocolate cake from Kate at Veggie Desserts. To die for!
Raw Chocolate & Clementine Cheesecake with a Chocolate Hazelnut Crust
Ingredients
for the chocolate hazelnut crust
- 115 grams hazelnuts
- 70 grams dates
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp raw cacao ground
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- pinch Himalayan crystal salt
for the chocolate clementine filling
- 230 grams cashew nuts
- 90 ml clementine juice freshly squeezed
- 100 ml pure maple syrup from Canada
- 90 ml coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 30 grams raw cacao ground
for the chocolate topping
- 85 ml coconut oil
- 4 tbsp raw cacao ground
- 30 ml pure maple syrup from Canada
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
garnish
- hazelnuts chopped
- clementines zest only
Instructions
- Place your cashews in a bowl, cover in cold water and a clean tea towel and leave to soak for 3 to four hours.
- Lightly oil the base and sides of a 12 hole silicone muffin tin with some coconut oil.
- To prepare the crust, place the all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until it forms small knobbly bits. You want it to retain some texture, so don't puree it.
- Weigh out your crust and divide equally in between the 12 muffin holes, pressing it gently but firmly into the bottom. Pop the trays in the fridge while you get on with making the filling.
- To prepare the chocolate filling, drain the cashews well and place them into your high speed blender (I use a Froothie Optimum 9400) along with the other filling ingredients.
- Starting on the low setting, begin to blend the mixture, using the tamper tool to help move it around. Slowly increase the speed of blending and continue to blend until the mixture is thick, creamy and there are no traces of cashew pieces in it. This will take a minute or so.
- Carefully spoon the filling onto the top of the cheesecake bases and smooth over with the back of a spoon.
- Place in the freezer for at least one hour.
- To prepare the topping, combine all the ingredients together in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Quickly spoon a teaspoon of the chocolate topping onto the top of each cheesecake, using a spoon to spread it, Decorate with chopped hazelnuts and orange zest and freeze until needed.
- A half an hour before serving, carefully remove the cheesecakes from the muffin tins and leave to defrost in the refrigerator.
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Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary uses the Froothie Optimum 9400 blender, and the Froothie Optimum 600 slow juicer to make her juices, soups and smoothies. These are affiliate links, meaning if you buy a blender or juicer through them we will earn a small commission. This is not a paid post and all thoughts and opinions are our own.
Mum of three, daydream adventurer, OU Life Sciences graduate, occasional crafter, ex-pat Canadian & quite possibly Britain's most northerly food blogger.
Andrew Petrie says
I love this one and the icing on the cake is just how easy it is – perfect for our next party !
Heather Haigh says
These look gorgeous. I am trying to eat more raw and will certainly have a go at these.
Maya Russell says
A really nice raw recipe which looks delicious. Amazing pictures of the sun so low in the sky for that time of day.
Idaintyit says
they look out of this world! might try making these for valentines
Rebecca Smith says
Mmm these sound absolutely delicious! Yummy! May have to make them
Deb Farina says
I’m so excited I accidentally happened on your site (I was actually searching for something on the Foodie Pro Theme for my own blog). I’m so in love with the combination of chocolate and orange and am a fan of the individual portions. The freezer is my friend and I like having this type of dessert in there when someone drops by. I’m excited to read more of your posts.
Sandi (@sandigtweets) says
These look like bites of heaven..chocolate and orange, yum!
Camilla says
These look absolutely amazing Elizabeth, I’d love to have some in my freezer and don’t think they’d last long in our house!
Elizabeth says
Aw thanks Camilla! 🙂 They didn’t last long in my freezer either. 😉
Linda (Meal Planning Maven) says
What a lovely dessert…I adore the pairing of cacao and oranges!
Elizabeth says
Thanks Linda – it was more error than a deliberate attempt – I didn’t have enough lemons and then I spied the oranges! 😀
justine @ Full Belly SIsters says
They are absolutely stunning!
Elizabeth says
Thanks Justine 🙂
Debi @ Life Currents says
These look amazing! I love desserts like this. Healthy and fun, and you never know it’s healthy because it’s so yummy.
Elizabeth says
Thanks Debi, although they are plant based I don’t know how much healthier they are though – those cashews and coconut oil are seriously calorific!! 🙂
Katerina says
How cute and amazingly delicious these little cheesecakes look!
Elizabeth says
Aw thanks Katerina! 🙂
Divya @ Divya's Culinary Journey says
This is a beautiful dessert! Looks so delicious!
Elizabeth says
Thanks Divya 🙂
Jeanne Horak-Druiff says
Oooh I love the combo of chocolate & clementine! Such a winning flavour at this time of year. The crust on these cheesecakes sounds fantastic, so nutty and spicy, Thanks for sharing!
Elizabeth says
Aw thanks Jeanne, and all the best for the New Year! 🙂
Kacie says
These look absolutely perfect. I am getting fed up of Christmas pudding and fruit cake now that the festive season is well underway, so these would make for a lovely alternative.
Elizabeth says
It’s definitely something a little bit lighter. 🙂
Manila Spoon says
I love the citrus and chocolate combo every time so this is a winner in my book! Looks absolutely amazing!
Elizabeth says
Aw thank you! 🙂
Joanne/WineLady Cooks says
Oh My! Elizabeth these Raw Chocolate Cheesecakes look so delicious. A wonderful holiday treat.
Elizabeth says
Aw thanks Joanne! Wishing you all the best for the New Year! 🙂
Diane says
Raw food is an adventure I have yet to embark upon.(except salad:), Your pics are so good I wish I was sitting down for a visit with you and one of these cuties right now! Yum!! Thanks so much for sharing your daylight schedule up there. Makes me feel better to know I’m really NOT in the darkest corner of the world!
Elizabeth says
Raw food is a fairly new thing to me too, but I do like experimenting. 🙂 Thank you for your lovely comment!
KC the Kitchen Chopper says
Your photos are so beautiful. Of your homeland and your little cheesecakes. Having so little sunshine makes getting your vitamin D difficult as well as your photos! Hope you’re supplementing. 😉
Elizabeth says
I really ought to be supplementing. In fact, I do have some cod liver oil tablets in the cupboard….. runs to check date…. no, they were out of date in July last year but I found some multivitamins. I will start supplementing! 😀 Wishing you all the best for the New Year!
Janette@CulinaryGinger says
Such a delicious dessert with so many great flavor combinations
Elizabeth says
Thanks Janette 🙂
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
I’ll bet I would never know it was raw if you didn’t confess. Looks simply amazing!
Elizabeth says
I don’t think anyone would suspect either, to be honest! 🙂 Who knew raw could be so yummy. 🙂
Daphne says
Love your photos and the recipe looks and sounds really delicious.
Elizabeth says
Thanks Daphne 🙂
Sisley White says
These look so beautiful! You are a wonderful baker and a wonderful photographer.
I think I’ll be making these for NYE x pinned for later x
Elizabeth says
Aw thank you so much for your lovely comment! You’ve made me smile 🙂
Analida's Ethnic Spoon says
The look fantastic and I love the photos! Have a Merry Christmas! I pinned the recipe for later.
Elizabeth says
Aw thanks! Wishing you all the best for 2016! 🙂
MissPond says
I’m not usually one for raw food, it doesn’t do it for me. But you could easily pass these off as normal with how good they look!
Elizabeth says
I’m not either, but I do like to experiment. I tried my first raw cheesecake earlier in the year and was so impressed by it, I just had to make my own!
Thinking Afresh blogger says
Hi, these look great. How long would they keep for?
Elizabeth says
Hi, they should keep for about a week (if you can leave them alone that long!) 😀
Nadia's Healthy Kitchen says
They look delicious! I love raw desserts, especially cashew based desserts – they’re so rich and creamy! Love that you added clementine for a Christmasy feel 🙂
Elizabeth says
Aw thanks Nadia! 🙂 Wishing you a very merry festive season and all the best for 2016! 🙂
Monika @ MY FOOD AND HAPPINESS says
This is exactly my type of dessert! I love the simple, healthy ingredients you are using and I have to say your pics are gorgeous!
Elizabeth says
Aw thank you Monika! It’s so tricky taking food photographs this time of year with such little light – I was just glad the sun came out for awhile!
Katie Bryson says
What great flavours and textures you’ve got going on here Elizabeth – just my kind of dessert! We’re not as far north as you in Whitley Bay but it barely feels like it’s light here either… food photography in these conditions is very limited!
Elizabeth says
Aw thanks Katie! 😀 We’re over the hump now – the days are getting longer again, woohoo!
Maggie says
Yummm………..Raw Chocolate Cheese cake i would love to try this for Christmas!!! Thanks for Sharing Your amazing recipe
Happy Holidays, Happy Christmas,
Elizabeth says
Happy Christmas to you too! 🙂
kate @ veggie desserts says
Wow, I love the sound of these cheesecakes! Lovely flavours. I feel bad now about complaining about the lack of sun in the South West – so bizarre to see it just peep out for such a short time for you!
Elizabeth says
It’s all part of living so far North. We’re over the worst of it now though – the days are getting longer! 😀
Stella says
This will definitely taste good. Have a lovely Christmas.
Elizabeth says
Aw thanks Stella – wishing you a very merry festive season too! 🙂
Diana says
This looks amazing! I have never tried making a raw cheesecake before, but I will give this a try especially that clementines are now in season!
Elizabeth says
Thanks Diana – I’m pretty new at the raw cheesecake thing too, but I’m so surprised at how easy they are to make!
Georgia says
Oh my this looks incredible! I’ve never heard of raw cheesecake before! But I need to make this ASAP! Have a wonderful Christmas!!
Elizabeth says
Wishing you all the best for Christmas and the New Year too! 🙂
CakePants says
These mini cheesecakes look amazing! I can’t believe the rest of your family considers them “strange”…their loss! Also, these photos are gorgeous, and I’m all the more impressed after reading what you wrote about only having 6 hours of daylight to work with. Wow!
Elizabeth says
Thanks 🙂 I did get two of the children to try them. The teenager did like it, but didn’t want a second, and DD loved the crust and topping but wasn’t keen on the filling. I will keep working on them! 🙂
Dom says
wow, that’s so beautiful!… I love that you’ve used raw cocoa… I must get myself one of those sic-fi thermomin thingy’s
Elizabeth says
Aw thanks, well, I didn’t for this particular batch, but I’ve since bought some so raw cacao will go in the next lot! 🙂 Wishing you all the best for Christmas and the New Year, Dom! 🙂
John Adams says
This recipe looks amazing. I an think of little better to combine than raw chocolate and hazlenuts! Enjoy your 12 cakes, your long nights and have a great Christmas!
Elizabeth says
Thanks John, hope you have a fantastic Christmas too and all the best for the New Year! 🙂