SO… I may have just made the most delicious cheesecake, ever. I am beyond excited to share this recipe for a Raw Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cheesecake with you all, it is truly one of the most mouthwateringly good desserts. It’s vegan and completely gluten, sugar, wheat and dairy-free. The base is fantastically rich and fudge-like in texture. For the raw version, we use cashews, Medjool dates and cacao powder. The cashews are a great source of calcium, zinc, iron and folate which make them a fantastic source of minerals that aid healthy bones, they’re also bursting with plant protein and important for a healthy heart. Medjool dates, are a great source of fibre, helping you to maintain a healthy digestive system, they are also my natural sweetener of choice. Lastly, we use a touch of cacao to deepen the chocolate flavour of the cheesecake.

For the peanut butter layer, we use natural peanut butter. This can be made yourself or bought from health food stores. The trick is to look at the ingredients and make sure there are no additives, you want two-three ingredients at the most which normally include peanuts, a pinch of salt.. and sometimes a touch of oil. If your allergic to peanut butter, or want to try something different, substitute this for almond butter. We also use coconut oil, almond milk and Medjool dates in this layer to make the most delicious creamy caramel-peanut layer. It’s just too delicious!

Then for our final layer, chocolate! We use raw cacao powder for the chocolate taste, which is the raw form of cocoa powder. It’s completely raw meaning it has not been processed, and no additives have been added like cocoa powder. This means you can harness more of its wonderful superfood powers! To thicken this mixture up and make it creamy we use banana, Medjool dates and avocado. “You had me until avocado” you may be thinking… Trust me, I know how bizarre this sounds but it is honestly the most amazing thing. You would never know there was avocado in this mixture, it just adds to the thickness and of course the nutrition.

Once this dessert is ready, we place it in the freezer to harden and then remove it allow it to thaw (melt) before tucking in. Make sure you don’t get impatient and eat it still semi-frozen, as although it is still delicious, it’s so much more magical when it melts in your mouth.

contain antioxidants which prevent heart disease.

HEALTHY BONES: Cashews nuts contain wonderful minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron and folate, this makes them an excellent food to aid bone health. These nutrients also help the formation of collagen which is vital for supporting body tissues and healthy skin.