GF Vegan Raspberry & Lemon Mini Cheesecake Bites

 I used to make little mini cheesecakes all the time but realised I hadn't shared a recipe on my blog!

This is the basic recipe and I adapt it to suit what I feel like making. If I'm in the mood for mocha, I'll add cacao powder and coffee, if I'm feeling tropical, ill add mango and coconut, you get the drift. The basic proportions remain the same.Now before you question the berry and citrus combo, try it! It REALLY works! Sweet but also tangy, just delicious!  

These beautiful raspberry and lemon bites I created in collaboration with my friend Talida from the hugely popular blog Hazel & CacaoWe share a love for vegan wholefood desserts and essential oils, so we decided to host a bit of a party!We're inviting people to create their own essential oil infused treat and then share them with us online by tagging us on Instagram and using the hashtag #essentialtreatparty.

If you wanna jump on board and create your own dessert for the chance to be featured on our accounts, hop online and find us @nicky.skinner and @hazel_and_cacao and show us your creation!

Check out her incredible Vegan Lemon Essential Oil Tart!  But back to the dessert! They're best kept in the freezer until you want to eat them. Simply leave them on the bench for 10 minutes to allow them to defrost for the perfect cheesecake-like consistency. You can eat them straight from the fridge, but they'll be a more mousse-like texture if you do.  You can top these little cheesecakes with whatever you like. I used some extra raspberries and dark chocolate chips, but chopped nuts, edible flowers or dehydrated lemon slices would look pretty too!  

If you're interested in knowing a bit more about essential oils and using them in your baking, or just want to be done with chemically laden alcohol-based flavourings, then please check out this page for more info or send me a message below.

I'd LOVE to help you out with getting some of these incredibly high-quality oils into your home!

These easy little bites of heaven and velvety smooth and taste divine! Keep them in the freezer and pop the, out for any fancy entertaining occasion or simply eat them yourself when the urge hits!

Base

• 1/2 cup almond meal

• 1/4 cup walnuts

• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut

• 1 cup dates, soaked in boiling water for 30 mins

• 1 Tbsp chai seeds

• 3 Tbsp cacao butter, melted (or coconut oil)

Cheesecake

• 1 cup cashew nuts, soaked for 4 hours or overnight)

• 2/3 cup coconut cream

• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

• 1/2 cup raspberries (defrosted frozen is fine)

• 1/3 cup maple syrup (or rice malt syrup)

• 4 drops doTERRA lemon essential oil

Topping Decorations

• 1/4 cup raspberries

• 3 Tbsp dark choc chips

Base Directions:

1. The night before, soak cashew nuts in enough filtered water to cover them.

2. Line or grease a muffin tin with baking paper orcoconut oil

3. Place almond meal, walnuts and coconut in the base of a food processor and blend until walnuts are roughly chopped

4. Add soaked dates, chia seeds and cacao butter (or coconut oil).

5. Press 1 tablespoon of mixture into the base of a muffin tin. Repeat 9 times until mixture is used up. This makes 10 mini cheesecake bases.

Cheesecake Directions:

1. Into a high speed blender (for creamiest results) or a food processor, place cashews, coconut cream, raspberries (if using frozen, make sure they're defrosted), maple syrup and blend. Slowly drizzle in the coconut oil.

2. Once beutifully creamy (you don't want any cashew chunks), add lemon essential oil.

3. Cover each cheesecake base with filling and smooth the top.

4. Top with extra raspberries and choc chips (or cacao nibs) or whatever takes your fancy!

5. Transfer to the freezer for 4 hours. Take out and leave on the bench for 10 minutes before eating!

You can make one large cheesecake with this recipe also. Simply press the base into a large flan tin and fill with cheesecake filling!