Ahhh… I think I just made your day with this amazing Raw Chocolate Coconut ‘Bounty’ Cake! Am I right? This raw cheesecake is made with amazing clean ingredients, it is gluten free, vegan, paleo and refined-sugar free AND it is still deliciouslygood and good-for-you! Yeah, you’re welcome!
So it’s February (still winter here) and oh man… am I itching for spring…. summer or a tropical vacation. I am teased from every side with vacation photos or the sunny happy life in the southern hemisphere (only one big drawback for Instagram) ;)
And although I don’t really need a vacation, I can’t say I don’t want a vacation. But we still decided against one at this time. Is it really a vacation with a 21 month old? Right? So, it’s ok, no beach, no palm trees, no fresh coconuts…. no problem. I’ve got myself (and you (if you’re in the same boat)) covered!
Basically, if you can’t go to the tropics, let the tropics come to you! That’s pretty much my life motto… I’m the bring-your-own-sunshine kind of a person! :)
RAW CHOCOLATE COCONUT CHEESECAKE
(gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, vegan, wheat-free, soy-free, refined sugar free)
Raw, NO-BAKE Cheesecake recipe! Needs at least 4 hours to set in the refrigerator or overnight. Serves 6-8.
Crust :
1 cup raw almonds
1/4 cup coconut flakes
2/3 cup pitted medjool dates
4 tablespoons of raw cacao
pinch of himalayan pink salt
1-3 tablespoons of warm water
Filling:
3 cups cashews, soaked for 4 hours in the refrigerator or 1 hour in hot water at room temperature
1/4 cup coconut flakes
3/4 cups coconut oil, melted
fresh squeezed lemon juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup agave nectar (or raw honey)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup filtered water
Topping :
1/3 cup dark chocolate squares, melted
Directions:
Make the crust first: In a food processor, pulse all the almonds until a fine grind forms. Add in the coconut flakes, dates, cacao and pinch of salt. Continue mixing and check with your fingers if the mixture sticks between your fingers. (Be sure to turn off the mixer each time you check, and always form a habit of scooping with a spoon first!) If it’s too dry, add in water one tablespoon at a time. Mix again, check again. Once it sticks together and still falls off your fingers – it’s perfect.
Line a round spring form pan with parchment paper at the bottom, and press the mixture into the bottom evenly. Lifting some into the sides to form a taller base on the cake. Set aside.
To make the filling: Soak the cashews for 1 hour in hot water at room temperature or overnight in the fridge, strain well. Add all the ingredients into a food processor again : cashews, warm but not hot coconut oil, coconut flakes, lemon juice, agave nectar, vanilla extract, water. Mix on high until a very smooth mixture forms.
Pour over the crust. Tap the pan gently to let it settle. Drizzle with melted chocolate.Place straight into the freezer for about 4 hours, then to the refrigerator for about 2 hours to defrost before serving. Enjoy.
So I made this Chocolate Coconut ‘Bounty’ Cake as our staycation celebration last Sunday. And it was perfect… the kids had a blast helping to making and eating the cake, obv.
Little Miss Mia here was my supervisor and she kept waiting patiently as I took my photos. All these photos on top were taken with her right next to the cake ~ let’s just say it was a really fun photoshoot! Food photography for me is never boring! ;)
After a while… she was like “ok, mom, that’s enough now, I want to eat this now!” :) (well, that’s just what I translated her “Miiaaa” for :) and then dragging the plate right off my ‘set’ :) and giving me this look (see photo on bottom right)waiting for permission :) She is a cutie I tell you!
Then I let her enjoy it… :)
We call her Baby Boss for a reason. She runs this family now. But with such a big heart, patience and LOVE that I always say to my oldest “you should learn from Mia, she’s teaching us so much about forgiveness and love” :) So yeah, this baby boss deserves all the ‘Bounty’ cake in the world ~ even though she’ll never probably know the taste of a real Bounty bar :) lol
This raw vegan cheesecake pays homage to the Bounty Bar that I used to LOVE in my teenage years!! Sometimes I dream of the perfect choc-coconut combination of flavours and a piece of me dies and goes to heaven while thinking of those bars I used to love…. and you know if I kept eating those bars I probably would die and go to heaven – that’s because that is a lot of sugar! And a lot of other ingredients I don’t like anymore!
Bounty Bar ‘nutrition’ info :
28 grams of sugar in each bar (in my Cut the Sugar research I learned that 15 grams of sugar should be max for a snack bar).
only 2 grams of protein
270 calories
And here are the ingredients :Milk Chocolate 36% and Coconut 22%. Ingredients: Sugar, Desiccated Coconut, Glucose Syrup (Sources include Wheat), Milk Solids, Cocoa Butter, Cocoa Mass, Invert Sugar,Vegetable Fat, Emulsifiers (471, Soy Lecithin), Humectant (Glycerol), Salt, Natural Flavour (Vanilla Extract), Peanuts.
Wow! I’m so happy I’ve found a way to satisfy my sweet-tooth craving for Chocolate and Coconut with healthier pure ingredients! And aren’t you happy you’ve found this recipe so you can also enjoy a healthy ‘bounty’ experience!! :)
