I was so impressed with last week's Raw Vegan Mango Pie that once my family (quickly) finished it, I was left craving more fruity pie flavor and was inspired to keep creating! I've enjoyed vegan cheesecakes in the past and realized that coconut kefir + cashew cream could make a yummy sweet & tart version. My family loved it and I'm sure you will too!
*See notes for easy substitutes
Active time ~ 20 minutes, 2-4 hours total
8 servings
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup (around 15-17) pitted dates roughly chopped
2 cups pecans
Filling
2 cups soaked cashews
2 cups of strawberries
2 bananas
3 tablespoons of liquified coconut oil
2 tablespoons of Maple syrup
2 tablespoons of coconut kefir
a dash of salt
Topping
Fresh fruit and berries
Directions
Soak cashews in water for at 2 hours, then strain. See notes for quick soak option.*
Add dates and pecans to a food processor and pulse until uniform.
Press mixture with your hands into a pie dish.
Add all filling ingredients to a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy.
Spoon fruit mixture into the pie crust.
Decorate with fresh fruit and berries, then place in the freezer for about 2 hours to form.
Move to the refrigerator or Serve it! It's delicious frozen but you can also slice it and let it thaw on the counter for 15 minutes before serving. It will keep it's shape at this point.
Notes
*For the pie crust, use any kind of nuts ~ walnuts, cashews, and almonds all work well too!
*Cashew quick soak option: Place in a pot, cover with water, and bring to boiling. Turn the heat off and let sit for 15 minutes then strain.
*I used frozen strawberries for the filling and the topping. I find that they are sweeter than fresh strawberries which are picked before they are fully ripened. If you prefer to use fresh, you could always add a little more maple syrup.
*I like Ancient Awakenings Coconut Kefir (widely available at Whole Foods) but if you can't get this, squeeze a small lemon into the filling to add some tartness. Regular kefir tends to be too liquidy to hold up in this recipe.
*I didn't think to do it, but I bet some chunky strawberry bits would be delicious in this!
*I don't like my desserts too sweet. You may want to taste your filling before spooning into pie mixture and add more syrup for more sweetness.
*I had dried rose powder, which I used to decorate this cake. Get creative! Use whatever you have on hand!
