ALL-AMERICAN PALEO CHEESECAKE

Pull out all the stops with a red, white and blue cheesecake for Memorial Day. Juicy ripe raspberries give us the red and luscious blueberries offer up their anthocyanin goodness and blue hue. What I love about blueberries is they have so much anti-oxidants in them, they make your blood flow beautifully and your eyes bright white.

Best of all, this cake is easy-to-make, no baking required, and completely Paleo! Cashews stand in for the cream cheese. You can make it smaller and deeper in an 8-inch pan or larger with less depth, depending on the size pan you choose. If you’re serving a large crowd, it’s easier to slice when the diameter is larger.

Prep time: 40 min active, 20 minutes inactive

Yield: 12 to 16 slices


Equipment: 8-inch or 10-inch springform pan

Ingredients


Nut crust for an 8-inch pan

• 1 cup almonds/hazelnuts/walnuts, use one or in any combination
• ¾ cup dates
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

• 2 cup almonds/hazelnuts/walnuts, use one or in any combination
• 1 ¼ cup dates
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Filling

• 4 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions


To make the crust

1. Put nuts and salt in the food processor and pulse to a coarse meal. If dates are very hard, warm in the microwave to soften them. Coarsely chop by hand. Add to the food processor and pulse until nuts and dates are blended and you can form a small ball in your hand that sticks together.
2. Line the bottom of the springform pan with parchment and spray the sides lightly with coconut oil. Press nut mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of the pan. Set aside.

To make the filling

1. The night before making the cheesecake, soak cashews in water and refrigerate. When you are ready to make the filling, drain the cashews and pour half of them in a powerful blender like a Vitamix™ or a food processor. Add lemon juice, vanilla, coconut oil, and honey and blend well. Add remaining cashews and blend until mixture is creamy and pourable.
2. Divide mixture into 3 even portions, leaving one of the three portions in the blender/food processor. Add raspberries and thoroughly blend. Spread raspberry mixture evenly over the crust. Place the pan in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes until it is firm enough to spread the next layer without blending colors.
3. While it is chilling, make the blueberry layer. Add one of the measured cheesecake portions to the blender/food processor, add blueberries, and thoroughly blend. Set aside.
4. Remove from the freezer and add white layer, being careful not to blend colors. Place the pan in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes until it is firm enough to spread the next layer without blending colors.
5. Remove pan from freezer and spread blueberry layer evenly over the white layer being careful not to blend colors.
6. Chill cheesecake in the refrigerator at least 4 hours before cutting or in the freezer for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Carefully remove the springform collar before serving. Serve chilled. Garnish with berries and mint if desired.