This raw choc mint cheesecake slice is the most refreshing, creamy cold dessert I have made in a while! Its chocolate base is both crunchy and soft, which is complemented by the smooth cheesecake filling! Hmmm…. So good!
There are so many heavenly flavour combinations in this recipe! So many marriages made in heaven! For instance, the base of the slice is both super rich from the cacao and super sweet from the dates. It is also beautifully soft from the boiled dates, yet it even has a nice crunch from the buckwheat groats.
However, the shining star of this dessert is the raw filling! The refreshing mint layer nicely cuts through the bitterness of the cacao in the chocolate layer. Mint can be quite a strong flavour, despite how much chocolate there is in a dessert. In fact, I have three layers of chocolate in this slice, yet the mint flavour still stands out just as much!
Ultimately, I detested the flavour combination of chocolate and mint as a child. I believed that they should never be paired together as mint had its own place in the category of chewing gum and lollies, not decadent desserts.
I remember visiting my grandparents when I was still in primary school, and I would reach for cheap lollies and chocolates that my grandmother kept in a yellow bowl on the table in the living room. The first thing I would reach for was anything chocolate related. I recalled snatching a small piece of chocolate candy covered in metallic green wrapping. After taking the chocolate out of the wrapper and immediately put the chocolate in my mouth without a second thought. My face then instantly screwed up in disgust as I could taste a strong, spicy mint flavour seeping through the chocolate. I then did what any kid would do. I spat it out… into the wrapping of course.
From that point I decided to never give the combination of chocolate and mint a taste ever again! But how people change…
Nearly a decade and a half later, I came across Pana Choc Mint Ice-Cream… and I was pleasantly surprised after my first mouthful! I was inspired immediately! I had to make a choc mint dessert!
There seem to be many misconceptions about raw desserts. They are often regarded as poor substitutes for “normal” desserts. People believe that the taste of healthy desserts do not match up to the ideal of what a dessert should be. But here’s the thing: raw desserts are absolutely marvellous! Take it from someone who was a very, VERY fussy eater.
You might scoff and think to yourself: “Puh-lease: vegan cheesecake? As if!” I will be honest, raw cheesecakes are not the same as your usual cheesecake, and sometimes they do not compare. However, vegan desserts are unique and exciting! They will open not only your mind but taste buds, to new and delicious flavours!
I know it sounds like I am trying to over sell this, but believe me, once you have tasted this choc mint dessert, you will want to make them again and again. Whether or not they should be called “cheesecakes”, well… that will be the last thing on your mind.
Choc Mint Slice
GF DF V
Serves 8 - 10
INGREDIENTS
Base
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1/2 desiccated coconut
- 1/4 cup buckwheat groats
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 8 pitted dates
- 2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
Mint Layer
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 3/4 cup cashews
- 1/4 cup coconut nectar
- 2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 2 tsp peppermint extract
- 2 tsp matcha or spirulina powder
Chocolate
- 3/4 cup vegan chocolate (roughly chopped)
- 2 tbsp coconut cream
Chocolate Layer
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 3/4 cup cashews
- 1/4 cup coconut nectar
- 1/4 cup cacao powder
- 2 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
METHOD
Steam or boil the dates until they become soft. Remove the skin of the dates and roughly chop them. Mix all of the ingredients together until smooth and sticky. Place baking paper into a rectangular cake tin. Spread the mixture evenly in the cake tin.
For the mint layer, soak the cashews in water for 3 hours. Use a food blender to blitz the cashews until smooth. Mix all of the ingredients in a food processor until completely combined. Pour the mixture onto the base. Put the cake tin in the fridge for 4 hours until it has set.
Melt the vegan chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat, and then pour it evenly over the mint layer. Put the cheesecake in the fridge for 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set.
To make the chocolate layer, soak the cashews in water for 3 hours. Use a food blender to blitz the cashews until smooth. Mix all of the ingredients in a food processor until completely combined. Pour the mixture onto the chocolate. Put the cake tin back into the fridge for 4 hours until the chocolate cheesecake layer has set.
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