And I'm sorry, for all two of you who read this. ;)
This summer has been extremely busy! Between my family moving and working two jobs, I've barely had time to sleep. But cliches aside, it's been a blast, too. I'm still loving my job at Dutch Bros. Coffee, and I've met some truly amazing and inspiring people there in the short month that we've been open.
It's also been a very hot summer, which is typical for Arizona, but I've been feeling extra-hot lately. All this desert heat calls for some dessert chill, and today's recipe, which I've whipped up for my swim team kids, serves that purpose perfectly. It's light, refreshing, and cool. Did I mention that it's also good for you? Oh, well it is.
My recipe is a little different than most traditional raw desserts. Instead of processing my nuts, I used raw cashew meal, which still works to thicken the filling nicely and makes for an excellent crust, too. For me, it was cheaper than buying whole cashews as well as faster to make the recipe.
No-Bake Vegan Triple-Berry Cheesecake
Crust
1/2 cup raw walnuts, crushed
3/4 cup raw cashew meal
1 T coconut oil
1 t agave nectar
Filling
1 1/2 cups mixed berries (I used equal parts fresh strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries)
1 T lime juice
3 T agave nectar
1/2 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup cashew meal
In a blender or food processor, combine berries, lime juice, and agave and puree until smooth. Add the cashew meal and coconut oil and blend until the mixture becomes well incorporated and has a whipped-like, silky texture.
For the crust, crush the walnuts into small pieces (the same way you might for a crumble topping) using a rolling pin or other heavy object. Combine with the dry cashew meal, oil, and nectar. Gently stir until moistened. Dump crust mixture into a square, 9x9 glass baking dish and press out with your hands or a spoon. Be sure to cover the entire bottom of the dish!
Once the crust is prepared, simply pour the filling over the top, tap the dish on the counter to remove any bubbles, and add any fresh berries to decorate. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving so the filling can set. You can also freeze this recipe for faster setting, just let it defrost for 20-30 minutes prior!