This baked cheesecake is creamy and indulgent but has way less sugar than a typical cheesecake. It’s not raw or vegan but it’s full of whole some ingredients and you will love it.
I wanted to make a healthier cheesecake that wasn’t a raw vegan version but had real cream cheese tang. So I decided to keep the cream cheese in it but to remove a lot of the sugar (I actually used maple syrup instead as well as cutting the usual quantities) and swap cream for yoghurt. I also made an oat and coconut base instead of the usual biscuit version. This makes it gluten free, if that’s your thing! You could make this dairy free by using tofutti instead of cream cheese and coconut yoghurt instead of greek yoghurt, I haven’t tried this version yet though so if you do please let me know how you go!
If you love desserts but want something way healthier, like healthy enough to eat for breakfast kind of healthy then check out my ebook, Dessert for Breakfast.
The salted tahini caramel sauce makes this look and taste super indulgent but the cake is honestly lovely without it too. This is special occasion food made better for you so bust it out when you need a birthday cake, special dessert or just for the sake of cake!
Make sure you use at least 70% dark chocolate in this guy otherwise your just adding in more sugar and decreasing the chocolate flavour, which will change the overall balance.
It’s so creamy and luscious I friggin’ love it! It was hard to stop at one slice in terms of flavour because oh god all kinds of yum, but the fact that it’s the full fat version is good because it sort of fills you up and your body isn’t all empty and full of pure sugar and craving more more more. I guess i’m trying to say it’s satisfying but satisfying seems like a ridiculously boring word for something this good.
Makes 12 serves
Ingredients
Base
1 cup oats
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbs cacao powder
1 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs coconut oil, softened but not melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
Cheesecake
500g cream cheese
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup very thick greek yoghurt, I used strained
100g, 72% dark chocolate
Salted Tahini Caramel Sauce
2 Tbs maple syrup
2 Tbs tahini
1 Tbs water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
To serve
3-4 strawberries
1 Tbs cacao powder
Directions
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line the bottom of a 20cm springform cake tin. Cover the base and 2.3 of the way up the sides in aluminium foil, you will be cooking in a water bath and it’s important no water gets in.
Make base by combining all dry ingredients in a food processor. Process until well combined, add oil, vanilla and maple syrup, process until clumping together. Press into the base of your prepared cake tin, Use the back of a wet spoon to smooth out and press right to the edges. Bake for 10 minutes in your preheated oven, Remove and place tin on a wire rack to cool.
Turn oven down to 160 degrees celsius.
IN a stand mixer or with a hand beater, beat the cream cheese until very smooth. Add the vanilla and maple syrup, Beat until smooth again. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition, but not on high, until incorporated. Add the yoghurt and beat until it is evenly mixed in.
Melt your chocolate over a double boiler, allow to cool just slightly then, with the mixer running, pour melted chocolate into cheese cake mixture in a steady stream. Mix until the chocolate has been incorporated into the cheesecake mixture.
Put the kettle on to boil.
Place the cake tin in a tray with sides at least as deep as it. Pour the cheese cake mixture on to the base and smooth the top. Now fill the larger tray with boiling water until it reaches half way up the sides of the cheesecake. I find it easiest to do this if the tray is already in the oven.
Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, it should be set around the edges and have a slight wobble in the centre. Turn off the oven and open the oven door slightly, leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Transfer to the fridge for a few hours, 6-8 hours is best.
Just before you serve make the caramel: combine all ingredients in a small pot, bring to the boil stirring to combine well, turn down to simmer, cook for a couple of minutes then take off the heat. You probably will only use half this sauce, the rest will keep in the fridge and can be eaten with nicecream for another delicious treat!
Slice strawberries in thirds. Remove cake from the tin, it should have come away from the sides as it cooled.
Dust the cake in cacao powder, drizzle with the caramel and then arrange the strawberries on top.
HH. x
