No-bake Blueberry Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS

For the crust

•             ½ cup raw pecans
•             ½ cup almond flour
•             2 pitted dates
•             2 tablespoons coconut oil
•             1 teaspoon cinnamon
•             ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the cheesecake

•             2 cups raw cashews, soaked in cold water for at least four hours or preferably overnight (see Notes)
•             ½ cup canned coconut milk, shaken
•             ¼ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled (use refined coconut oil if you want no coconut flavor)
•             ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
•             2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
•             1 tablespoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla bean powder
•             ¼ cup freeze-dried blueberries

For the blueberry layer

•             1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed if frozen
•             1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
•             1 tablespoon Chia seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Grease a 6” springform pan with coconut oil, or line a 6” cake pan with strips of parchment paper for easy removal, and grease well with coconut oil. Set aside.
2. Add the pecans, almond flour, pitted dates, coconut oil, cinnamon, and salt to a food processor or high-powered blender and pulverize it comes together into a sort of sticky dough, with small pecan bits remaining. Please don’t over-process, or it’ll turn into nut butter! Press the pecan date dough evenly along the bottom of the prepared pan.
3. In the same food processor or high-powered blender (no need to wash between – I used my Vitamix, but most powerful blenders should do the job), combine all of the filling ingredients except for the freeze-dried blueberries and blend for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is silky smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides as necessary. You may need to add a bit more coconut milk or lemon juice to get it to blend smoothly if your blender isn’t super high-powered.
4. Once it’s smooth, taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness/tartness levels by adding more maple syrup, vanilla, or lemon juice, if desired.
5. Pour 2/3 of the filling into the prepared pan over the pecan crust. Smooth out the top and tap the pan hard against the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Place in the freezer.
6. Add the freeze-dried blueberries to the remaining batter and blend to incorporate. Spread over the plain layer. Return to the freezer.
7. Rinse out the blender, and add the fresh blueberries, lemon juice, and Chia seeds. Blend until smooth, and then pour over the other layers.
8. Place in the freezer to set for at least 3 hours or until completely firm before slicing and serving. I recommend running your knife under hot water to warm it up before cutting the cheesecake with the still-hot (dried) knife.
9. Serve frozen or let them thaw at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving. Store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

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