Even though I’m not dairy free or vegan these babies are! My aim wasn’t to make them that, but to make a slice that contained loads of nutrients and good fats to balance the unrefined sweeteners it contains and that would therefore satisfy that never satisfied sweet tooth of mine. Loaded with tahini, oats, almonds, cashews, cacao, and dates (only one date per serve) it ticks those boxes. After a little bit of trial and error (and complete rejection of an earlier effort by my boyfriend, he actually took one bite and was just like ‘nope’) I have these on my hands and I don’t wanna share them! Haha. Four layers of sweet, nutty, caramel and chocolate goodness.

But I will, I will share the recipe with you and probably even let my housemates eat the one’s i’ve made because I also made a strawberry version at the same time (recipe coming soon) so you know… I can’t consume all the slice in the house by myself… I guess… won’t stop me from trying though.

The run down: almond and oat base, cashew ‘cheesecake’ with peanut butter swirl, tahini and date caramel, raw chocolate topping. I make this in a loaf tin but you could double the recipe and make it in a 20 x 20 tin.

Makes 6 large slices or 18 bite sized ones.

Ingredients

Base

2 Tbs rolled oats

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs almond meal

2 medjool dates (pitted and soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes to soften)

2 tsp coconut oil

Cheesecake

1 1/4 cup cashews (soaked for 4-6 hours in room temp water or overnight)

1/4 cup rice malt syrup or maple syrup

1 Tbs coconut or almond milk

2 tsp vanilla extract or the seeds from 1 vanilla pod

2 Tbs smooth (very smooth) peanut butter (choose a runny brand, make your own and process to it’s a little runny or add a little coconut oil to it to make it swirlable)

Caramel

4 Tbs hulled tahini

4 medjool dates (pitted and soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes to soften)

1/8 tsp sea salt flakes

1 tsp coconut oil

1 Tbs maple or rice malt syrup (add more if you want it sweeter)

1tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate topping (you could also just melt our favourite dark choc and use that!)

2Tbs raw cacao powder

2Tbs rice malt syrup

1 Tbs coconut oil

To decorate

sea salt flakes

Directions

Prepare the base: Blitz all ingredients in a food processor until it begins to clump together. Line a loaf tin with glad wrap, let it reach all the way up the sides. Press mix into base of tin, wetting your finger tips makes this easier. Once roughly spread out cover with the excess glad wrap and use a shot glass as a rolling pin and roll over glad wrapped base until even. Un peel the glad wrap sides from base and then freeze in the tin while you prepare the next layer.

Note: After each of the following layers it is important that you smooth the top with a palette knife, i also gently tap the bottom of the tin on the counter top to help the layer settle evenly.

Prepare the cashew cheesecake: Place all ingredients excluding the peanut butter in the food processor and blend until very smooth. Pour over the base and then use a teaspoon to swirl through the peanut butter. Place back in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare the caramel: Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until very smooth, taste and adjust salt/rice malt syrup to your tastes. Pour over the cheesecake layer. Place back in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare the chocolate layer: Place all ingredients in a heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water, stir slowly until smooth and glossy. Pour over caramel layer immediately. Return to freezer to set then cut and serve each slice with a pinch of sea salt on top.

HH. x