Raspberry Cheesecake Bars. [raw & vegan]

I made my own birthday cake this year…is that weird?

This is a pretty straight forward recipe. No tricks or fancy equipment. And quite honestly, one that I truly love. So creamy without any dairy at all. This is definitely a vegan dessert that even picky omnivores would enjoy.

I also love having these bars in the freezer; a quick snack, healthy fats and they thaw in only a few minutes.

Recipe adapted from The Detoxinista.

Another one of my favorites, similar to this, are the chocolate cheesecake bars I made a while back, recipe from the same lovely blog.

crust:

1 1/2 c raw walnuts

8 soft, pitted medjool dates

1 T coconut oil, expeller pressed is best

pinch of salt

Line an 8×8 square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

Process/blend the walnuts until finely ground and crumbly.

Add the remaining ingredients and process until a sticky dough is formed.

Press firmly into the baking dish, evenly. Not up the sides. Only on the bottom.

Refrigerate until the filling is ready.

filling:

2 c raw cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours, drained and rinsed well

1/3 c maple syrup/honey/agave

1 t vanilla extract

2 T lemon juice

1/4 c softened coconut oil

Combine all ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth. This will take a bit of stopping and scraping down the sides. About 5-10 minutes total.

Taste and adjust sweetness if necessary.

Pour filling over your crust and smooth out.

Refrigerate until the topping is ready.

Berry sauce:

1 c berries, strawberries would have been my first choice but black raspberries are in my backyard right now 🙂
For a *raw berry sauce*, use blueberries to avoid the cooking process or make a berry chia jam (seen in previous posts)

3 T maple syrup/honey/agave

Blend berries and sweetener until smooth.

Pour into a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until you have a gentle boil. *Omit this step if using blueberries. Blueberries contain a high amount of natural pectin and will thicken without cooking, within 10-15 minutes of being blended.*

Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Strain if desired, for a smoother sauce.

Let the sauce cool before pouring over the crust.

To create swirls, pour the sauce in a few straight, horizontal lines and then drag a butter knife through the lines vertically. Check my chocolate cheesecake recipe link (^above) for pictures on how to do that.

Freeze for at least 4-6 hours before serving.

Enjoy!