CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE FOR YOUR SPECIAL SOMEONE
There is no better way to show your love than with chocolate, right? This no-bake dark chocolate mini cheesecake is a perfect treat for a romantic date with your special someone.
The cake is vegan (dairy-free), gluten-free, and soy-free.
Note: This is a mini cheesecake 12 cm in diameter.
MEET THE INGREDIENTS
CRUST
- Roasted hazelnuts (check How to roast nuts)
- Roasted cashews (check How to roast nuts)
- Coconut flour
- Raw cacao powder
- Dates
CHOCOLATE LAYER
- Cashews
- Coconut cream
- Dates
- Dark chocolate (85% cacao)
- Coconut oil
- Lemon juice
- Rice milk
- Agave syrup
HOW TO MAKE DARK CHOCOLATE MINI CHEESECAKE
SOAKING CASHEWS: Put cashews in a bowl and add enough water to cover. Soak at room temperature for at least 4 hours.
SOAKING DATES: Put pitted dates in a bowl and cover them with water. Soak at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
NOTE: To ensure an ultra-smooth texture of the cashew cream, it’s important to use a high-speed blender.
CRUST
- Line the base of a panettone mold 12×10 cm (12cm diameter x 10cm height) with baking paper.
- Drain dates really well after soaking them – you can use a fork to remove any excess water.
- Place roasted hazelnuts and cashews (check How to roast nuts), coconut flour, raw cacao powder, and dates in the food processor and process until the mixture sticks together. Adjust sweetness.
- Tip: If the mixture is too dry, add just a tiny bit of coconut oil. If the mixture is too moist, add just a pinch of coconut flour.
- Once it’s all combined and the mixture is nice and sticky, press it evenly onto the bottom of the prepared mold. Place the crust into the fridge while you make the chocolate layer.
DARK CHOCOLATE LAYER
- Melt chocolate over low heat in a medium pot -> high-quality dark chocolate (85%) is the best choice.
- Drain cashews and dates well and place them into a high-speed blender. Add coconut cream (check Note on coconut cream), coconut oil, lemon juice, rice milk, and agave syrup, and blend at high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add in melted chocolate and blend again briefly until all is well combined. Adjust sweetness.
- Pour the filling over the crust.
- Place the cake in the freezer to set for 4-5 hours or until firm.
SERVING SUGGESTION
Drizzle the cake with melted chocolate (check How to drizzle chocolate) and top with blueberries.
STORING
Store leftover cheesecake in the fridge or store in the freezer for up to 3 months for optimal flavor.
TIPS AND HOW-TOS
Rice milk: Use almond or other plant-based alternatives instead.
Agave syrup: If you prefer, you can replace it with maple syrup.
NOTE ON COCONUT CREAM
Always use full-fat canned coconut milk or the cake won’t turn out creamy. Chill it in the refrigerator overnight so that you can easily separate cream from the liquid. The cream should be firm enough so that you can scoop it out with a spoon. If it’s too watery, the cake won’t be able to hold its shape.
HOW TO ROAST NUTS
Roasting nuts deepens their flavor and gives them a crisper texture. Here is how to do it:
Preheat oven to 180 °C. Spread the nuts in an even layer on the baking sheet. Place in oven and roast for 10-15 minutes. Stir or shake the tray every 5 minutes to help the nuts to cook evenly.
When the nuts are browned and smell nutty, remove from the oven and immediately transfer onto a plate or another baking sheet.
HOW TO DRIZZLE CHOCOLATE
When the cake is set, take it out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Melt dark chocolate in a small pot over low heat.
Using a teaspoon, do a test drip by letting melted chocolate run down the side of your cake. If it falls rapidly and reaches the bottom of the cake, your chocolate is probably too warm. Let it cool down a bit and then try again until you create those beautiful, perfect drips!
Having the melted chocolate and the cake at the right temperature is essential for this. You might need a little bit of practice, but it’s very easy once you get it.
DARK CHOCOLATE MINI CHEESECAKE IS:
- Vegan (dairy-free)
- Gluten-free
- Soy-free
- No-bake
- Rich and creamy
Thank you for stopping by! If you try this recipe, please let us know what you think in the comments section below. Your feedback means a lot to us! Also, if you post it on Instagram, please tag us with @alltheworldisgreen because we love to see your remakes.
Dark Chocolate Mini Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 50 g dry roasted hazelnuts
- 50 g dry roasted cashews
- 10 g fine coconut flour
- 10 g raw cacao powder
- 70 g dates previously soaked in water for 1-2 hours
Dark chocolate layer
- 250 g cashews previously soaked in water for a minimum 4 hours
- 100 g coconut cream the thickened coconut cream from a can of full-fat coconut milk
- 100 g dark chocolate (85% cacao)
- 100 g dates previously soaked in water for 1-2 hours
- 30 ml coconut oil
- 10 ml lemon juice
- 30 ml rice milk
- 40-50 ml agave syrup
Chocolate drizzle
Extra
- 100 g fresh blueberries for the decoration
Instructions
Crust
- Line the base of a panettone mold 12x10 cm (12cm diameter x 10cm height) with baking paper.
- Drain dates really well after soaking them - you can use a fork to remove any excess water.
- Place roasted hazelnuts and cashews (check How to roast nuts), coconut flour, raw cacao powder, and dates in the food processor and process until the mixture sticks together. Adjust sweetness.
- Tip: If the mixture is too dry, add just a tiny bit of coconut oil. If the mixture is too moist, add just a pinch of coconut flour.
- Once it’s all combined and the mixture is nice and sticky, press it evenly onto the bottom of the prepared mold. Place the crust into the fridge while you make the chocolate layer.
Dark chocolate layer
- Melt chocolate over low heat in a medium pot -> high-quality dark chocolate (85%) is the best choice.
- Drain cashews and dates well and place them into a high-speed blender. Add coconut cream (check Note on coconut cream), coconut oil, lemon juice, rice milk, and agave syrup, and blend at high speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add in melted chocolate and blend again briefly until all is well combined. Adjust sweetness.
- Pour the filling over the crust.
- Place the cake in the freezer to set for 4-5 hours or until firm.
Serving suggestion
- Drizzle the cake with melted chocolate (check How to drizzle chocolate) or top with blueberries.
Notes
NOTE ON COCONUT CREAM
Always use full-fat canned coconut milk or the cake won't turn out creamy. Chill it in the refrigerator overnight so that you can easily separate cream from the liquid. The cream should be firm enough so that you can scoop it out with a spoon. If it's too watery, the cake won't be able to hold its shape.* The nutritional information provided is calculated automatically and should be used as an estimate.
2 comments
Any chance of getting the amounts in cups, etc? I am not sure how to do that. It looks so yummy! Is there any other pan that it can be baked in?
Hi, Helen! I find that the most accurate way of measuring is to use a kitchen scale. Measuring a dry ingredient, like flour or sugar by cups can result in a variety of different weights. And the thing is, even a slight difference in flour weight would make a big impact on the texture of the cake, especially in gluten-free baking. As for the pan, this is a no-bake cheesecake. You can use a 12-14 cm springform cake tin or a round silicone cake mold pan.