The middle of February is already here. For some, this means celebrating Galentine's Day or Valentine’s Day. For others, it's becoming a time to remind ourselves to practice more self-love. For me, it's always been about LOVE, plain and simple. It doesn't have to be romantic love or any particular sort of love. When I was a child, and we would all bring miniature paper valentines to school... you likely know the ones that came in a box and were branded to appeal to kids. I think for many kids it caused more angst than anything and sometimes felt like a popularity contest. My most memorable moments of Valentine's Days past? My mom making a special breakfast for my sisters and I on those school mornings and having a homemade card or note in my lunch saying "we love you so much!", from Mom and Dad.
Truly this treat is great anytime of year, but for me they do conjure up images of Valentine's Day breakfasts that involved red fresh fruit and lots of love from my Mom. So make them for someone you love, make them for yourself, or make them for someone you don't know that well... we could all use a little extra love.
If you or anyone you know can’t consume diary (like my husband), then you probably miss cheesecake. That's definitely the case with him. In fact, cheesecake was one of his absolute favorites that he can no longer consume. He also loves berries, so I developed this recipe just for him. When I served it last year around this time, many of our family and friends who aren't dairy free loved it as well, so I knew I had to share it with you this year.
These little cuties have a really creamy consistency thanks to the cashews. Soaking cashews in water overnight ensures they are tender enough for smooth blending with some other amazing ingredients.
My favorite thing about these recipe? How EASY it is:
Press-in Crust
Blender does the work for you
No baking required
Make ahead (these freeze beautifully for up to 3 weeks!)
Delicious for anyone but safe for your Vegan, Paleo, and Keto friends
Bonus: If you top these with my Quick Balsamic Caramel Sauce, they look and taste really sophisticated. I would also recommend some fresh raspberries as this sends them right over the top!
So add cashews, dates, and pecans to your shopping list now! You’re going to want to make these!
And Y'all?.... Sending lots & lots of LOVE to you always.
No Bake Mini Berry Cheesecakes with Quick Balsamic Caramel Sauce
(Dairy Free, Egg Free)
Yield: 12 mini cheesecakes
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 ¾ c pecan halves or pieces, toasted
1 c dates, pitted (about 9 large dates)
2 ½ T coconut oil, melted
Filling:
⅔ c coconut cream
4 T maple syrup
2 ½ T lemon juice
½ t vanilla extract
2 c strawberries, tops removed
2 ½ c cashews, soaked (whole, halves, or pieces are okay)
pinch of sea salt
Sauce:
Process:
Cover cashews in water and soak them for 5 hours - overnight. If you’re short on time cover them in boiling water for one hour.
Toast pecans in a skillet for 4 - 5 minutes over medium low heat. Toss them occasionally to allow for even toasting. This step is optional as you can also use raw pecans, but toasted pecans improve the flavor of the crust.
Process pecans and pitted dates in your food processor until the mixture resembles small crumbs and easily clumps together when you press it between your fingers. Add in the coconut oil and pulse several times to be sure it’s well distributed.
Press the crust mixture into a muffin or cupcake pan. Use your fingertips or a small glass to press down firmly on each crust so that it is well-packed. Place the muffin pan in the freezer while you complete the next steps.
Add the filling ingredients to your high powered blender in the order listed, and then blend until smooth and creamy.
Pour the mixture over the mini crusts and freeze for a minimum of 1 hour prior to consuming.
Store them in the freezer until just before you consume them, allowing these to thaw for 15 - 25 minutes prior to enjoying for optimal texture. You will be able to pop them out of the muffin slots individually, with a thin knife, or by flipping the entire pan over.
You can store these in the freezer for up to 3 weeks! Once they are completely frozen, you can remove them from the muffin pan and store them in an airtight container.
Garnish with fresh raspberries and my Quick Balsamic Caramel Sauce, if desired.
Notes:
To make this recipe Keto, use Lakanto maple style syrup in the filling. For the crust you will use ½ c whole golden flaxseeds in place of the dates. You can use ground flaxseed meal if you prefer, but it’s not necessary since the seeds will be ground in your food processor with the pecans.
To make this recipe Vegan, do not use the caramel sauce, or make the suggested substitution on that recipe.
A special note on coconut cream: If you can not find canned coconut cream easily, use a can of full fat coconut milk. Place in your refrigerator upside down overnight. This will cause the more liquid watery portion to separate from the fat solids. Turn it right side up, open it, and drain off most of the liquid. Use mostly the solid portion as a substitute for coconut cream.
vegan paleo dairy free egg free ketogenic vegetarian gluten free