It’s no secret I’m a dessert person.  Now I’d love to have a fresh cheesecake on hand all the time but 1- not sure my bod would appreciate that… 2- cheesecakes are a good amount of work to make and 3- there’s only so much shelf life on cheesecake unlike these frozen bars that are perfect to make in bulk so you can grab one when sweet cravings strike.  These vegan cheesecake bars are made with natural ingredients and natural sweeteners.  The base is super chocolately and the filling is creamy.  I love pitaya smoothie bowls and the little swirl of pitaya love on these take them to the next level.  Pitaya, also known as dragonfruit, can be found fresh in some grocery stores but I keep a frozen bag on hand for smoothies or fabulous raw cheesecakes.

You’ll need:

For Base

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1.25 cup medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• 0.25 cup raw cacao or cocoa powder
• Pinch salt

For Cheesecake

• 2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
• 0.75 cup coconut cream (solid part only)
• 6 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (but not hot)
• 0.5 cup honey or maple syrup or brown rice syrup (I did a mix of honey/maple because that’s what I had)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest and juice of one lemon

For Pitaya Swirl

• 1 cup chopped pitaya (I used frozen, if you can’t find use more raspberries)
• 0.5 cup raspberries (I used frozen)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

To Make:

1. Line 8X8 baking dish with parchment paper.
2. Pulse all base ingredients in a food processor until it can be held together with your hands and is more paste like.  Pour into baking dish and press into an even layer.  Place in fridge.
3. In small saucepan, combine the swirl ingredients over medium heat for 3 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes until almost syrup like.  Set aside.
4. Blend all the cheesecake ingredients in a food processor until well combined.  Pour into baking dish over the base and spread evenly.
5. Add dollops of the pitaya mixture on top of the cheesecake.  Using a knife, begin to make figure eights or swirl through the cheesecake mixture so you get that marbled look.
6. Freeze for 2-4 hours until firm.  Slice and then store sliced.  You can eat them frozen or give them anywhere from 5-15 minutes to thaw depending on what texture you like.

Inspired by ChoosingChia