Raw Lemon Cheesecake is creamy and luscious with a hint of tart sourness from the lemons. The base is a gluten free mix of almonds and coconut and the silky vegan filling is made with lemons, cashew butter and sweetened with stevia.

I created this recipe to celebrate the one-year blogiversary of Out To Lunch Creations, my first blog! 

Health Benefits of Stevia

Stevia is a very sweet herb that is ground into a powder to create a zero calories and zero glycemic index sweetener that doesn’t affect blood sugar levels. Studies have even shown the stevia leaf to have beneficial effects improving cellular insulin sensitivity and reducing the risk of type II diabetes and high blood pressure [Natural News]. Stevia is much sweeter than sugar – roughly 1 cup of sugar can be substituted for just 1 teaspoon of stevia. As I mentioned in my Vanilla Almond Protein Truffles post, you should only buy stevia that is green because otherwise it has been very highly processed to look white.

To learn more about stevia powder and other alternatives, check out my cookbook Healthy Dairy Free Desserts.

Stevia can have a bitter taste if you use too much or use it to sweeten something that is already bitter, like chocolate. Every brand is a little different so you may have to do some experimenting. My favorite stevia powder is from Upaya Naturals because it is certified organic and uses the whole leaf. Stevia can be found in the health food store in the dietary supplement section.

Raw Lemon Cheesecake is really easy to make because there is no cooking required and you can taste and adjust the flavours as you go.When you are making the raw lemon cheesecake filling, make sure you don’t over process it. When over processed, the filling begins to separate and loses its smoothness. It is also important that all of the ingredients going into the food processor are at room temperature, otherwise, the coconut oil may solidify which will create a lumpy raw lemon cheesecake filling.

Raw Lemon Cheesecake

(raw vegan, sugar-free, paleo, gluten free)

Prep time: 15 minutes

Chill time: 2 hours

Serving size: 6 personal cheesecakes or 24 mini cheesecakes

Ingredients:

• Zest from 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon, 4 Tbsp at room temperature
• 1 cup raw cashew butter, at room temperature
• 1/8 tsp stevia
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 Tbsp almond milk, at room temperature
• ¼ tsp vanilla

Raw Lemon Cheesecake Crust

• 1/2 cup almonds, raw
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
• 1/8 tsp stevia
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

Directions:

1. Place the almonds in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
2. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the shredded coconut, stevia and salt.
3. Add the coconut oil and stir until mixed.
4. Press the mixture into the bottom of 6 lined baking cups or 24 lined mini baking cups and freeze until the filling is ready.
5. In a medium sized bowl, zest one lemon. Set aside 1 Tbsp of zest for garnish.
6. Place the remaining zest, the juice from the lemon, cashew butter, stevia, coconut oil and almond milk in a food processor and process until just mixed, do not over process.
7. Remove the chilled crust from the freezer and evenly divide the raw lemon cheesecake filling among the shells and top with the lemon zest garnish. Place back in the freezer and chill for 2 hours to set.
8. Enjoy Raw Lemon Cheesecake straight out of the freezer or place the tarts in the fridge for 30 minutes to soften.

What your favourite kind of cheesecake? Leave a comment and let me know!

Download my Guide to Natural Sugar Substitutes HERE.