Removing dairy from my diet has completely impacted how I bake. I still miss it – not how sick it made me – but I miss the creaminess, the simplicity, the ease with which I could pull cream cheese, Greek yogurt, or sour cream out of the refrigerator and whip up a lovely dessert.
But, there are have been some unexpected, and quite tasty, surprises along the way. These Raw Lemon Cheesecake Bars are certainly one of them. They’re melt-in-your-mouth uber-creamy and just sweet enough with a nice, tart tang.
If you’ve been around SS&GF for a while, you know I was a a chunky kid. I continually struggled with my weight through my late twenties when I finally figured out that I couldn’t eat wheat or sugar and switched to a gluten-free, refined sugar-free, whole foods diet.
I was raised in the era of ‘fat-free foods’ and ‘spray butter.’ If you wanted to lose weight, you switched to fat-free Twinkies. And, of course, butter was the enemy so instead we sprayed our bread with some bizarre, and probably toxic, yellow liquid that tasted like butter. It seemed normal back then. Now, I have to laugh at the audacity of it all.
There were other ‘fat-causing ideas’ I’ve had to battle along the way. One quite insidious idea that’s come up in recent years is that nuts will make you fat. I’m not at all advocating for a nut-heavy diet. Yes, they’ve got incredible health benefits, including unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, L-argentine, and plant sterols. They’re also calorie and fat dense. With all things, my experience has shown me that moderation is key.
I eat nuts daily. They’re a nutritious, portable gluten-free snack. But I eat them in moderation and with other foods, like fruits and veggies.
I’ve been wanting to make a cheesecake-type dish since going dairy-free. A couple of weeks ago Lauren shared her Thick Raw Lemon Bars on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday. They struck something inside of me, and I began conjuring up recipes in my head. This is the incredible result.
Joe loves cheesecake, probably as much as he loves ice cream. So when he told me that these bars taste just like cheesecake I knew I’d done something right. There’s not a single bite of cheese or dairy in these bars.
With Memorial Day around the corner, I thought this would be a refreshing end to your cookouts. Make sure to serve these chilled – they get very soft when at room temperature.
What are some of the ways your thinking has changed since you switched to a whole foods diet?
Serves: makes 16 (2-inch x 2-inch) squares
- 1 cup raw pecans
- ½ cup walnuts
- 3 large medjool dates, pitted
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- ¾ teaspoon ginger root powder
- pinch of salt
- 1½ cups raw cashews, soaked
- ¼ cup dairy-free milk (I used So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk.)
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons coconut butter
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons raw honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest from one lemon
- pinch of salt
- Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Put the pecans and walnuts in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse several times to break up the nuts. Add the medjool dates, coconut oil, ground ginger root, and pinch of salt. Process until the mixture begins to come together as a dough.
- Press the nut mixture evenly into the bottom of the lined pan. Set aside.
- Put the cashews, dairy-free milk, lemon juice, coconut butter, coconut oil, honey, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and pinch of salt into a high-powered blender. Start on low, gradually increase to high and process until completely smooth.
- Scrape the mixture on top of the crust and smooth the top. Cover and place in the freezer for 4 - 6 hours, or overnight.
- Let sit at room temperature for 15 - 20 minutes before cutting and serving.
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Yum! These look wonderful Amy! I’ve been struggling more with dairy lately as well. I was on a huge Greek yogurt kick, and then I started to feel like it was bothering me. 🙁 Huge bummer since I was using it in just about everything. Again, what a wonderful recipe! 😀
@Lauren, I ate so much Greek yogurt, too. I loved it…still miss it but I just can’t tolerate it anymore. So sad.
I’m grateful that you inspired me to make this dessert, Lauren!
Can’t wait to try this! My Achilles heal is cheesecake. Will be great to have an alternative
@Ilse, Let me know how it turns out for you.
Yum! I’m posting a chilled treat recipe tomorrow and am SO linking to this! I wish we could have an in-person Memorial Day bash. 🙂
@Hallie @ Daily Bites, I cant’ wait to see what you’ve been whipping up, Hallie. Love your recipes!
What can I use in place of coconut butter, I haven’t been able to find it anywhere in the area I live in. I have found the coconut oil. Only question does it need to be refined? I really would love to make this for my family as I am no sugar and trying to convert my family as well. Thank you
@Patricia, Try more cashews or more coconut oil. I’ve also seen DIY coconut butter; I bought some coconut to try it myself but haven’t done it just yet. You can use any kind of coconut oil you like; virgin coconut oil will add some coconut flavor to the bars.
I’m back on my “limited” dairy bandwagon and am missing treats like this. I’m surprised you have time to create such wonderful looking recipes, but I’m glad you do! I’ll definitely be trying this (already printed out the recipe). Great photo, by the way.
Melissa
@Melissa, Thanks, Melissa. I have been working on my food photography. It’s painful for me. I’m starting to get the hang of it…but I’ve got a long way to go.
I am surprised how much I get done, too. I get it honest – my Grandma Ruth worked until she was 97 and my mom is a crazy hard worker too. It’s in my DNA.
xo
Can this recipe be made without nuts altogether? (Except coconut, which I am not allergic to.) Allergic to all tree nuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds.
@Lj, You’d have to make a totally different crust. I’ve seen people use tofu to do dairy-free cheesecake but I’ve never tried it. Can you eat soy? If so, that might be something to experiment with.
I also linked to Lauren’s Thick Lemon Bars in the post – if I recall she didn’t use cashews in her lemon layer. Check that her recipe and see if that might work for you.
This looks fantastic! Do you taste the coconut in it?
@Kathy, No, you don’t taste coconut. It’s just creamy, slightly sweet, tart cheesecakey bite after bite.
Oh Amy, after those Lemon Pudding Cakes you can be sure these are at the very top of my list to try this week and they are raw too!! Will stop back and let you know how I make out with these. They look so delish, I can’t wait.
@Gail, Thanks, Gail. I am on a lemon kick. I think it’s pregnancy cravings. Just can’t seem to get enough lemon.
This could easily become a new favorite in my house. It’s looks yummy; can’t wait to try it.
@Joshua Hampton (Cooking Classes San Diego), Thanks so much!
These look great! I can’t wait to try them 🙂
@Sandi @ Sandi’sAllergyFreeRecipes, Thanks, Sandi! They are tasty. Enjoy!
What a wonderful raw recipe!! I would LOVE for you to share it this week at Raw Foods Thursdays. Our readers would be ga-ga over it! Lemon just sounds so summery and refreshing. Perfect for this time of year!
xo,
Heather
I LOVE these! Easy to make, good for you, and oh so yummy! I substituted Almond Milk (because that’s what I had on hand), and it worked perfectly (I think).
Do you think this could be adapted to accommodate a berry-type cheesecake?
We’re taking them to a school awards banquet tonight: Can’t wait to tell everyone who loves them what’s in them! Thank you!
@Tonya, I don’t see why not. Have fun with the recipe!
I made this (without the crust in Little Pyrex bowls )this morning and it is define! Hubby thought it was great and surprised it was dairy and sugar free. I used agave to sweeten. Looking forward to trying it with the crust when I have the ingredients.
Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Amy,
Last month I made Lauren’s Raw Lemon Bars. A creamy version was calling my name. Thanks for creating this recipe. I made these last week…outstanding!!
Be Well,
–Amber
Here is my FB pic: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=603641536326309&set=a.292220644135068.78458.288512964505836&type=1
So going to make this. I’ve made a raw chocolate avocado pie that was amazing. Love raw recipes
I’m thinking of trying the mixture frozen through the homogenize function on my champion juicer to make it into cheesecake icecream. That is when I empty everything in my freezer to fit it in.
How long are you supposed to soak the cashews for?
I’d really like to know because this recipe sounds delicious and I want to try it!
–Belle
What can I substitute for ginger – allergy! Can I leave it out altogether and the crust still be okay?
Dear Amy, thank you for your recipes ! I got excited when I started reading your Blog and saw that you have posted many gluten free recipes, but when I saw the dairy free recipes, I was elated. I have RA – Rheumatoid Arthritis an auto-immune disease, and if I eat any kind of grains/gluten, sugar, or dairy, by pain levels shoot out of control, and I get quite sick in general. I’m always looking for ideas on how to make tasty meals and treats, minus two main food groups 🙂 . And I figured that if someone like me who has such a disordered immune system and gut function, can get so sick through eating grains, dairy and sugar containing foods, then that could be some kind of lesson for those folks who are in good health – about how those foods can impact the physiology so negatively (if you want to find out how common foods we eat regularly, really effect our health, observe what happens when a sick person ingests them). Just because a body can seemingly handle the digestion of gluten/dairy etc, doesn’t necessarily mean they are good foods – I would say that those foods are creating a burden for the body to bear on a daily basis, setting up the conditions for disease later on in life. So thank you very much for sharing so much of yourself and your knowledge with the rest of the world, who desperately needs this information. Your Blog is a wonderful gift, making life so much better for me and others. Sincerely with love, Leonie X
Hello. I have made these bars and they were very nice. I was unsure about the instruction that the cashews should be soaked. How long in advance should they be soaked for? And are they soaked in the qtr cup of milk or additional liquid? My cheesecake layer wasn’t that smooth so it may be because I didn’t soak them long enough. Thank you for advising.
Hi there, I just found this recipe and I’m in an urge to do it!!! OMG it looks so amazing! I just have a question, or maybe a 2 lol. 1st- can i substitute the dates for any other dried fruit, maybe peaches?, cranberries, I would like to add some tanginess to it.
2nd- Can I substitute the coconut butter for an ALL Vegetable shortening?
Please let me know, thank you so much!