Raw Moringa Cheesecake

Recipe adapted from Real Raw Kitchen

For about five years I ate a strict raw food diet that consisted primarily of fresh fruits and vegetables. Every meal that I prepared was creatively engineered to fill me up, hit all the sweet spots, and nourish me to boot. One of my favorite dishes made primarily from raw food was a raw cheesecake. I would make this dessert with raw cashews and plump, juicy medjool dates—and with a basic recipe, I could create limitless variations with fresh fruit, a squeeze of citrus, or maybe a little green moringa powder.

When I started incorporating Kuli Kuli moringa powder into my diet I immediately thought of making a raw cheesecake with moringa. Raw vegan cheesecake offers such a rich and sweet flavor that it carries many other not-so-sweet flavors (such as moringa) very well. In this particular variation I added extra lemon juice and zest to give it a kick, contrasting with the earthy presence of moringa as a grounding flavor to the dessert.

Now, can we take a moment to talk about how healthy this indulgent treat actually is? Moringa is a powerhouse of nutrition, offering more protein and essential vitamins and minerals per serving than any ingredient in traditional cheesecake. The cashews and walnuts provide a healthy balance of fatty acids, which are great for healthy brain connections and glowing skin. The dates are loaded with zinc and provide a natural boost of sugar, making the cheesecake super sweet without the spike in blood sugar. Though this cheesecake does contain calories and fat, it is made of pure, unadulterated ingredients with premium nutrition. A few sneaky bites or one full slice of this raw moringa cheesecake and you will satisfy both your body and your sweet tooth.

Ingredients for Crust

– 3 cups walnuts
– 1 cup dates, pitted
– 1/4 cup dried, unsweetened coconut
– 1 pinch sea salt

1. Soak the dates in warm water for at least 20 minutes.
2. Put the walnuts, coconut a salt in a food processor and blitz with the S-blade until crumbly.
3. Add the pitted dates and continue to pulse until the dough becomes crumbly and sticky. Be careful though! Too much processing and it becomes mush.
4. Line a springform pan or a cupcake pan with parchment paper.
5. Press the crust onto the parchment paper until an even layer of crust is formed.
6. Put in the freezer while you work on the filling.