Nutella is the holy grail of all nutty spreads, but because it has milk in it, it's non-vegan. This makes me exceptionally sad. But alas, my nutella cheesecake is here to curb our squishy chocolate and hazelnut cravings! With a hazenut and dark cacao crust, a creamy chocolate filling (dotted with hazelnuts, of course), a dripping dark chocolate shell, a swirl of Coyo chocolate coconut yoghurt, and a sprinkling of all things good in the world (crushed hazelnuts, cacao nibs, dark chocolate, cacao bean dust etc.), no wonder it's so damn attractive - and now you can have your very own!
You could make this recipe as one large cheesecake, but you may have to double the mixture and allow it to set for much longer. I find individual cheesecakes much quicker to set and easier to serve.
INGREDIENTS
CRUST
1 cup of pitted dates, soaked for an hour
1 cup of raw hazelnuts
2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
FILLING
1 1/2 cups of raw cashews, soaked overnight
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1/3 cup of virgin coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup of coconut cream
1/2 cup of natural maple syrup
1/4 cup of raw cacao powder
2 tablespoonsof hazelnuts, roughly chopped
RAW CHOCOLATE SHELL
1 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil
1 1/2 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
2 teaspoons of natural maple syrup
TOPPINGS (OPTIONAL)
1/4 cup of Coyo chocolate coconut yoghurt
2 tablespoons of hazelnuts, crushed
Cacao nibs
METHOD
- After soaking, squeeze the excess moisture from the dates and place them in the bowl of a food processor with the raw hazelnuts and raw cacao powder. Blend until a chunky crumb is formed, that sticks together when you press it between your fingers.
- Grease four ramekins with coconut oil and line the base with a circular segment of parchment paper. Press equal amounts of the hazelnut and date crumb firmly into the base of each ramekin, to form small disc. Place in the freezer to set.
- Make the filling by first draining the soaked cashews, then placing them in the bowl of a food processor with the lemon juice, melted virgin coconut oil, coconut cream, natural maple syrup, and cacao powder. Blend for approximately 5 minutes, pulsing occasionally. You'll know when it's ready because it will become super smooth and creamy, with no lumps or nut pieces. Stir in the chopped hazelnuts with a spoon, then divide evenly between the ramekins. Tap the base on the surface of your bench top to release any bubbles, then place back in the freezer to set. They will be best when left overnight, but 5-6 hours should suffice.
- When ready to serve, make the raw chocolate by melting the virgin coconut oil in a small saucepan over a very low heat, then stirring in the raw cacao powder and natural maple syrup. Divide this chocolate evenly between the ramekins, saving a tablespoon to drizzle over the top. Return to the freezer for a few minutes for the chocolate to harden. Get the cheesecakes out of the ramekins by sitting them in a shallow bowl of hot water - this will loosen the cakes away from the sides, allowing you to tap them upside down onto a chopping board. Arrange on serving plates, and if you desire, pipe the top of the cheesecake with chocolate Coyo coconut yoghurt to give it height. Otherwise simply pile on cacao nibs and crushed hazelnuts, followed by a drizzle of the leftover chocolate mixture.