Tag: gluten free

Chocolate Custard Tart

I made this chocolate custard tart as an Easter dessert – it combines the base from my cheesecake recipe with a chocolate custard I’ve been working on. There are lots of options to make it allergy friendly (except eggs – sorry!). Some of the options I’ve tried – but others, i haven’t tried and i’d love to hear if you give it a go!

Ingredients

Base:

1 cup dates
1 cup nuts (I used a mix of Brazil nuts, almonds and cashews) or seeds for nut free
1 cup desiccated coconut
2 T coconut oil
Pinch of salt
2 T cacao powder

Custard:

75g butter (You could try 50g coconut oil – but I’ve never tried this way)
1 1/3 cup milk or cream of choice (I use coconut cream)
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 cup sweetener (I use maple syrup)
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
4 T tapioca flour
2 T raw cacao or cocoa powder

what to do

Start by making the base – blend up all the ingredients in a food processor (start with the nuts, then add the rest), line a tart tin (or casserole dish – what ever is handy!) with baking paper and press the mix in evenly. Put it in the freezer to set while you make the custard.

To make the custard:

In a pot, melt the butter and add the cacao, stir to combine. Add the sweetener, milk and vanilla and bring to a gentle simmer.

In another bowl put the whole egg, 2 yolks and tapioca flour. Stir to combine.

Take a ladle of the hot milk mixture and add it to the eggs – this helps to bring the temperature up slowly so the eggs don’t scramble. Once its mixed, add another ladle of the hot mixture, stir to combine, then repeat.

Take the pot off the heat and add the egg mix into the pot and stir to combine. Turn the heat right down, put the pot back on and stir until it starts becoming thicker. When its ready it should heavily coat the back of a spoon. If you manage to split the custard (i often do this because i’m impatient and always have the heat too high or don’t temper the egg mix enough) then a stick blender through the mix can magic your custard back into smooth glorious life!

Once its thick, pour it into your base and set in the fridge for a couple hours, or, if you are impatient like me, in the freezer while you eat dinner.

Kayla

Homemade Coconut Yoghurt

This makes just under 1 litre of coconut yoghurt, You might need to make sure your coconut cream is chilled, so you can scoop just the cream from the can. We don’t have to worry about that in Stratford, we have solid coconut cream and coconut oil pretty much all year round!

Ingredients

3 tins ‘essentials’ brand coconut cream (from countdown) or any coconut cream that lists only one or two ingredients: coconut extract, water.

1L glass jar or container (washed well with very hot water)

2 teaspoons probiotic powder (from a capsule or from a powdered probiotic)

1 Tablespoon sweetener (I use maple syrup)

what to do

Scoop the cream from the coconut cream and put into a small saucepan. Heat gently just to remove all the lumps and make it all smooth.

Take off the heat, make sure its only just luke warm. pour it into your jar or container. Then add the sweetener and probiotic.

Put the lid on and shake it. Place the jar in the oven with the oven light on, for 12 hours or overnight, this keeps it at a nice steady temp that’s not too hot or cold. (Make sure you tell the other family members about this or you might get up in the morning to find your coconut yoghurt has spent a long lonely night alone, in a cold, dark oven, when a well meaning spouse turns the light off before bed!)

Take it out and put straight in the fridge, it is ready to eat in another 6 or so hours when its properly chilled. Enjoy!

If you don’t have an oven light that works well (it turns out i might be quite privileged to have one of these?) then a hot water cupboard or a yoghurt maker will also work. With the yoghurt maker you need to make sure the water isn’t too hot and might need to change it once, after 6 hours in the winter.

Kayla
Dairy free easter chocolate

Easy Dairy Free Easter Chocolate

Finally, an Easter chocolate i am happy to feed both my boys! No refined sugar, preservatives, soy lecithin, dairy or gluten.

You can also find my hot cross bun recipes – paleo / grain free here and all allergen free here. I also have a collection of allergy friendly easter treat recipes that you might like.

If you try these don’t forget to tag me on Facebook or Instagram

Dairy free easter chocolate
Print Recipe

Dairy Free Easter Chocolate

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Raw cacao butter or coconut oil
  • ¼ cup Raw cacao or dutch cocoa powder Cocoa powder will do, but it's not as nice
  • ⅛ cup maple syrup or sweetener of choice Honey for SCD compliant
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Melt the cacao butter over a low heat in a saucepan.
  • Add the cacao, sweetener and vanilla and whisk thoroughly to combine everything.
  • Pour into molds, ice cube tray, or a container lined with baking paper.
  • Set in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

If you are using coconut oil, you will need to keep these in, and eat them straight from the fridge or freezer. If you used cocoa butter then they are fine stored at room temp, but i do find they start to form a powdery coat on them after a few days, i guess maybe from the lack of sugar and preservatives. So i keep them in the fridge. I usually double this mix and it makes an impressively big jar of chocolates!

Kayla

Crispy Hash browns |2 ingredients | egg free

These delicious crispy homemade hash browns are so easy to make. Only 2 ingredients (and one of them is salt!) These hash browns are made in the waffle iron, which makes them super quick, easy and fuss free. They are also gluten free, egg free and vegan, as well as free from all the other allergens.

I have no idea what inspired me to try and make a hash brown in the waffle iron, my first test I did, I used an egg to bind them, it worked ok but my fussiest child said it was ‘too eggy’ and one of my kids who was allergic to egg at the time, couldn’t have one. So I tried really squeezing the moisture out, and doing them without egg – and low and behold, it worked!

Nightshade / potato free?

If you are avoiding nightshades then you can make them using Kumara. You may not need to squeeze the Kumara as it doesn’t carry as much moisture as potatoes.

Type of potatoes

The type of potatoes you use also makes a difference, I always use agria potatoes, or any potato that has a yellowish flesh and floury texture. Don’t use the ‘white washed’ potatoes from the supermarket – they tend to go a bit gluey in the middle.

These make a fantastic breakfast or lunch. A great substitute for toast, and even go nicely instead of bread with soups! You can serve on their own or with fried mushrooms and spinach, poached eggs, or crispy bacon, tomatoes and avocado.

You can find more easy, nourishing breakfast ideas here.

If you make this don’t forget the tag me on Facebook and Instagram, and use the hashtag #chefashtonnz

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Crispy Homemade Hash Browns | Vegan | gluten free | 2 ingredients

These delicious crispy homemade hash browns are so easy to make. Only 2 ingredients (and one of them is salt!) These Gluten free hash browns are made in the waffle iron.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Course: Breakfast, lunch, lunchbox, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: coconut free, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, grain free, hash brown, hash browns, hashbrowns, nut free, waffle hash brown, waffle iron
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • Waffle iron

Ingredients

  • 4-8 large Potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

  • Finely grate the potato (I use the smallest size on by box grater) and place into a large bowl.
  • Sprinkle with salt and leave to sit for a few minutes. The salt helps to draw the moisture out.
  • Preheat your waffle iron to high.
  • Place the grated potato into the middle of a muslin cloth, a cotton cloth, or old cotton shirt, a nut milk bag, or a clean tea towel.
  • Bring the edges up and around the potato, and squeeze like you’ve never squeezed before! Until all the liquid and moisture is squeezed from the potatoes.
  • Tip the mix back into your bowl and season with a little more salt, and pepper if desired. Grease the waffle iron with a little olive oil on the bottom.
  • Scoop ¼ of the mix out and pack into the waffle iron. Lightly swig some olive oil over the top. Close the lid tightly and leave to cook for about 5 minutes, or until the hash brown is brown and crispy.

Kayla

Paleo Waffles | Easy recipe only 4 Ingredients

These delicious paleo waffles only require 4 healthy ingredients and are so quick and simple to whip up. Thick, fluffy and perfect for weekend brunch! They freeze great and can be pulled on out busy mornings to reheat in the toaster. Also great to make ahead for lunchboxes too.

All you need is bananas, peanut butter, eggs and a smidge of coconut flour. That simple!

This makes about 3 – 4 waffles – depending on the size of your waffle iron, how much you spill from overfill and how many children you had helping to throw ingredients all over the bench (the struggle is real!).

Can you make them nut free?

Yes. You can omit the peanut butter and the waffles still turn out nice.

How do you grease a waffle iron without using non-stick oil spray?

Most non stick oil sprays contain hugely refined and processed vegetable oils. We try to avoid these types of oils as they are not good for our health. Though that sometimes comes at the cost of convenience! If you are looking for a way to grease a waffle iron with out non-stick spray you can use whatever healthy oil you like (olive oil, melted coconut oil, butter) melt it in a little ramekin and use a silicone pastry brush to brush the oil on.

We love these paleo waffles, but due to increasing food restrictions of my family, I had to develop another recipe too. If you are after a nut free, gluten free, dairy free, and egg free waffle, I totally have you covered on that, you can find that recipe here.

If you make any of my recipes don’t forget to tag me on Facebook or Instagram. And if you have any questions about the recipe, or anything else don’t hesitate to ask!

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Easy 4 Ingredient Paleo Waffles

These delicious paleo waffles only require 4 healthy ingredients and are so quick and simple to whip up. They freeze great and can then be pulled on out busy mornings to reheat in the toaster. Great for making ahead to go in lunchboxes too.
Prep Time10 mins
Course: Breakfast, celebration, Dessert, Main Course, Snack, treats
Cuisine: American
Keyword: coconut free, dairy free, easy recipe, gluten free, grain free, paleo, quick, soy free, waffle, waffles
Servings: 4 Waffles

Equipment

  • Waffle iron

Ingredients

  • 2 medium bananas
  • 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
  • 3 Tablespoons coconut flour
  • 3 Eggs

Instructions

  • Preheat your waffle iron following the manufacterers instructions.
  • Combine all the ingredients in your blender, and blend.
  • Let sit for 5 – 10 minutes to let the coconut flour do its thing.
  • Grease your waffle iron. Carefully pour into your waffle iron making sure not to overfill it.
  • Cook until waffles are golden brown and crisp. Top with your choice of toppings, our favourites are chia berry jam, berries (fresh or frozen) and whipped coconut cream.

Kayla

Hummus |The Best Easy Homemade Hummus

This hummus recipe is not only fast and easy, it’s creamy and delicious. Its gluten free, dairy free, egg free and nut free, and an all round allergy friendly dip.

Hummus from the supermarkets often have added sugar, vegetable oils and preservatives. Not to mention the homemade version tastes way better, and avoids any cross contamination issues with wheat or nuts.

This hummus goes perfectly in wraps and with crackers . You can add flavours to suit whatever occasion or taste you are making it for, or eat it plain – which is just as delicious. I often whip up hummus to serve on shared platters, as a quick, allergy-free and budget friendly snack to serve when we have guests coming over, and for the kids birthday parties, again for all the reasons listed above!

Here are some flavours you can add to this hummus recipe:

  • Roasted Kumara – add 1/2 cup roasted kumara when blending. 
  • Roasted pumpkin – add 1/2 cup roasted kumara when blending.
  • Roasted carrot – this combination is lovely and sweet – add 1/2 cup when blending.  
  • Beetroot – add 1/2 cup cooked beetroot when blending
  • Sundried tomatoes – dice 1/3 of a cup of sun-dried tomatoes and add when blending. 
  • Mexican twist – add 1/2 teaspoon of each cumin, paprika and chilli.
  • Red pepper – add 1/2 cup roasted red pepper (capsicum) and 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika. 

Hummus Tip

If the hummus is a little thick or still has chunks in it, add a little water – 1 Tablespoon at a time, until it can run freely through the blades (who doesn’t want to run free, right!?) , which will allow it to blend up super smooth.

If you make any of my recipes don’t forget to tag me on Facebook or Instagram. And if you have any questions about the recipe, or anything else don’t hesitate to ask!

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Easy Homemade Hummus

This hummus recipe is not only fast and easy, it's creamy and delicious. Its gluten free, dairy free, egg free and nut free, and an all round allergy friendly dip.

Ingredients

  • 1 400g can chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic (I prefer the garlic cooked – you can pan fry or roast it first)
  • 1 Tablespoon tahini (you can omit this to make it sesame free, or if you dont have any, or are avoiding seeds)

Instructions

  • Place all the ingredients together and blend! Add some water if it's too thick, 1 Tablespoon at a time until it's the consistency you like.
  • Once you have made this as a base you can add different flavours, see the notes below for ideas.

Notes

Some of our favourite hummus flavours are:
Roasted Kumara – add 1/2 cup roasted kumara when blending.
Roasted pumpkin – add 1/2 cup roasted kumara when blending.
Roasted carrot – this combination is lovely and sweet – add 1/2 cup when blending.  beetroot – add 1/2 cup cooked beetroot when blending
Sundried tomatoes – dice 1/3 of a cup of sun-dried tomatoes and add when blending.
Mexican twist – add 1/2 teaspoon of each cumin, paprika and chilli.
Red pepper – add 1/2 cup roasted red pepper (capsicum) and 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika. 

 

 

 

Kayla

Chocolate Avocado Mousse |Egg free, Dairy Free

This smooth and creamy chocolate avocado mousse is a great healthy, allergy friendly dessert. It’s gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free, coconut free, and probably paleo!

I get asked quite a few questions about this recipe so I will do my best to answer them here!

Can you taste the avocado?

No you cannot taste the avocado! And I am fussy about this – I dont like the taste of avocado in my cooking and baking! Once I could taste it and it was because my avocados were way too overripe, and I tried to salvage them by making them into mousse – sadly, the best place for them was the compost! So if you hate food waste like me, make sure your avocados are actually edible first!

Can you make this banana free?

Yes! I only added the banana for some natural sweetness, as one of my kids doesn’t do well on sweeteners, whether they are refined sugar free or not. So I try and stick to whole foods for sweetness where I can. You can completely omit the banana, and you may or may not have to adjust the sweetener, depending on your preferences.

Does this HAVE to chill first?

Yes AND no …

Yes it does need to be cold before you eat it, just like any good mousse it is best enjoyed after some setting time to let it chill. HOWEVER, patience not being my virtue, I came up with a hack – and that was to add 1/2 cup (or up to 1 cup) of frozen berries to the blender with the other ingredients. This will make you instant, chilled chocolate avocado mousse! You can just taste the berries and they make a lovely edition to the mousse.

If you make this don’t forget the tag me on Facebook and Instagram, and use the hashtag #chefashtonnz

If you are keen on other raw avocado desserts I have the most delicious Chocolate Peanut butter cheesecake in my Easter Treats Ebook.

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Avocado Chocolate Mousse

This smooth and creamy chocolate avocado mousse is a great healthy, allergy friendly dessert. It's gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free and coconut free!
Prep Time5 mins
Course: Dessert, lunchbox, Snack, treats
Keyword: avocado, chocolate, chocolate avocado mousse, chocolate mousse, coconut free, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, grain free, mousse, no bake, nut free, treats
Servings: 2

Ingredients

  • 2 large avocados
  • ½ banana (if you cannot have banana or are looking for low carb option, omit the banana)
  • 2 Tablespoons raw cacao
  • 2 – 4 Tablespoons maple syrup (or sweetner of your choice)
  • 1/2 c milk of your choice (almond, coconut, hemp, rice milk etc)

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients together in your blender or food processor.
  • Blitz until well combined, smooth and creamy. You may need to scrape the sides down a couple of times to incorperate everything. ½
  • Chill in the fridge for an hour or so before serving. (unless adding frozen berries*)

Notes

*To make instant cold mousse that doesn’t need to be chilled first, add 1/2 to 1 cup of frozen berries. If using a blender, put them in first, against the blades, then layer the other ingredients on top. 
 

Kayla

Grain Free Banana Pancakes | 3 Ingredient

These grain free banana pancakes are so easy to make, and only have 3 ingredients. You can add more if you like, but they get by just fine with the 3! You can make them nut free, by replacing the peanut butter with a flour of your choice, or a Protien powder. Obviously the flour you use will depend on whether they remain grain free or not!

Nut free

Replace the nut butter with a flour of your choice:

Wheat flour, almond flour, spelt, gluten free flour, buckwheat, coconut flour, oat flour and tapioca would all work. Or use a protien powder of your choice (we use this one).

Nut Free and Grain Free

Use either coconut flour, almond meal or tapioca. Make sure you add the baking powder (or 1/3 tsp baking soda + 1 tsp vinegar if your store brought baking powder isn’t grain free) when you use these flours as it helps to add lift with the addition of the flours and keep the pancakes fluffy!

My kids love these grain free banana pancakes for afternoon tea, or a quick, easy breakfast. Sometimes I pour the mix into my muffin tray and bake them … I guess that would make them ‘Puffins’? ‘Mancakes’? ‘Muffcakes’? Haha – you decide, just know that whatever you call them, you need to be comfortable with the level of awkwardness that results if your child might name them to their neighbour, or the supermarket checkout operator … In any case if you’d like to bake them, pour into muffin tray and bake at 180℃ for about 10 minutes or until they are cooked in the centre. (They will puff right up in the middle, then ‘deflate’ when taken out of the oven).

Options:

So you can also add the following to the pancakes which would then not make them ‘3 ingredient pancakes’ but would still make them super quick, easy and versatile!

  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon protien powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (I highly recommend adding this, it helps to keep them light and fluffy)
  • A handful of frozen berries

I have been known to include ALL of the above at once!

You can also cook these in the waffle iron – they come out delish and are also great for lunchboxes!

If you make these don’t forget to let me know, leave a comment, and share them by tagging Chef Ashton on Facebook and Instagram.

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3 Ingredient Banana Pancakes

These Banana pancakes are so quick and easy to throw together. They are naturally gluten and dairy free, and there are several variations you can use to suit your preferances and dietary requirements.
Prep Time10 mins
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, lunch, lunchbox, Snack
Cuisine: Gluten free, Grain free
Keyword: coconut free, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, nut free, pancakes, treats
Author: Kayla

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 banana
  • 1 Tablespoon peanut butter (or any nut butter)

Instructions

  • Either mash the banana and add the eggs and peanut butter, stir to combine or whizz the whole lot up in the blender, or with a handheld blender.
  • Fry with some coconut oil, or other neutral tasting oil, on low – med heat until bubbles begin to form and pop. Then flip and brown on the other side.
  • We enjoy these with coconut yoghurt and berries

Notes

To make these nut free replace the nut butter with a flour of your choice, wheat flour, buckwheat flour, gluten free flour, spelt flour and coconut flour would all work. You can also use a Protien powder of your choice instead of nut butter or flour as well. 
If you have some extra time, you can add 1 tsp baking powder to the mix, it helps them to rise and adds a bit of fluffiness. 
 
 

Kayla

Seed Crackers – Gluten and Dairy Free

These homemade, gluten free and dairy free seed crackers are so easy to make, and much cheaper than store brought varieties. Great for dipping in hummus, nut butters and more!

They make a great addition to any birthday party spread, or shared snack plates. They go especially well with some homemade hummus.

Made with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed (linseed) and sesame seeds – and not much else! Just some water for soaking and a tiny bit of flour to bind. Then seasonings if you wish. I have listed salt as a must, but you can also add pepper, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chilli, nutritional yeast, or whatever other seasonings you might enjoy.

You need to be a little bit organised to soak the seeds the night before making (or soak in the morning and make in the afternoon). You could probably soak for half an hour to an hour and they’d still turn out great. But I like to soak them for longer to sprout the seeds first.

Why spouted seeds?

Because, sprouting can increase nutrient levels in the grain, legume, vegetable, nut or seed being sprouted. Sprouts also contain lower levels of antinutrients, making it easier for your body to absorb all the nutrients they contain.

What flour to use? 

We like using tapioca or buckwheat flour – it’s only a small amount so you can basically use whatever flour you have handy. Wholemeal, wheat flour, spelt flour, gluten free flour blend, tapioca, rice flour and buckwheat are all suitable for this binding job. 

These are my favourite gluten, and dairy free crackers by far, I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does! 

Print Recipe

Seed Crackers – gluten and dairy free

These homemade, gluten free seed crackers are so easy to make, and much cheaper than store brought varieties. Great for dipping in hummus, nut butters and more!
Prep Time10 mins
Plus time to soak the seeds before making1 d
Course: lunch, lunchbox, Snack
Keyword: coconut free, cracker, crackers, egg free, gluten free, grain free, nut free, paleo, seed crackers, seeds, soy free
Author: Kayla

Equipment

  • Food Processor

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Sunflower seeds
  • ½ cup Pumpkin seeds
  • ½ cup Sesame seeds
  • ½ cup Linseeds (flaxseed)
  • ⅓ teaspoon Salt
  • sesame seeds to sprinkle on top
  • 1 teaspoon flour (heaped) (your choice of flour: wholemeal, gluten free, buckwheat, tapioca)

Instructions

  • Put all the seeds in a bowl togther. Cover them with water. Soak the seeds overnight.
  • Next day: Preheat oven to 180°c. Drain the seeds, the linseeds would have 'gelled' overnight and will be slimy and coated in the water (this is what helps to hold the crackers together) just drain off any excess water as best you can.
  • Put the seeds in the food processor and process until it becomes a light paste but still has some visible chunks of seed.
  • Mix in the flour and salt.
  • Oil two baking sheets the size of your baking tray. Place half of the mixture on each sheet. Oil two more sheets and place on top of the dough.
  • Roll out between the two baking sheets to about 2-4mm thin. I often just use my hands to gently press them down and spread them out. Carefully, slowly peel off the top sheet.
  • Scour cut marks into the dough so they easily break into squares when they are done.
  • Sprinkle with some more salt and sesame seeds. Bake for about 20 mins.
  • Sometimes the edges are done first, but the middle isn’t crisp yet, if this is the case, break the crackers into squares then put the middle pieces back in to crisp for a further 5 – 10 minutes.
  • Let them cool on the baking paper, then try not to eat them all at once! If you happen to have any left over, they store in an airtight container for about a week.

If you make any of my recipes don’t forget to tag me on Facebook or Instagram. And if you have any questions about the recipe, or anything else don’t hesitate to ask!

A stack of gluten and dairy free seed crackers scattered with sunflower and sesame seeds

Kayla

No Bake, Dairy Free Black Forest Cheesecake

This no-bake, gluten free and dairy free cheesecake is a sight to behold! It is deliciously decadent yet light and fresh. It’s also egg free, grain free, probably paleo and has options you can use if you are avoiding certain nuts.

When we first had to go dairy free, I never in a million years imagined I would enjoy something like a cheesecake, ever again! This no bake dairy free cheesecake is very special to me because it’s one of the very first recipes I lovingly developed, practiced and refined and shared on the blog, not long after I first started it.

The recipe below includes instructions to make a ‘Black Forest’ flavour – cherries and chocolate. Feel free to mix up the flavours. You could try:

Strawberries’ and cream

Use only strawberries for the berries – either fresh of frozen. Divide the mixture into two instead of 3 and add the strawberry puree as you would the berry puree in the instructions. This mix will also make a strawberry jelly for the top

Berry Cheesecake

Replace the cherries and strawberries with any berries you like – raspberries, boysenberries, blueberries – the possibilities are endless.

Make it Vegan

This is really easy to make vegan, since there is no gelatin in the actual cheesecake, you just need to replace the gelatin in the jelly 1:1 with agar, or even chia seeds. Though you would need to make sure it’s a thick chia jam so that it stayed in place. Also, use a vegan sweetener like maple syrup or rice malt syrup. Maple is my personal favourite, it gives it the perfect balance of texture and sweetener.

The Jelly on top

This is based on my healthy jelly lollies recipe, the gelatin I usually use is Great Lakes Gelatin in the red tin, which is the one that sets them firm. I’ve used it for years now and it still remains my favourite gelatin to work with.

Cashew nut free?

If you are avoiding cashew nuts, but have have other nuts, then you can replace the cashews in this recipe 1:1 for macadamia nuts. There are notes on how to do this at the bottom of the recipe.

Print Recipe

No Bake Dairy Free Black Forest Cheesecake

This no-bake, gluten free and dairy free, probably paleo cheesecake is a sight to behold! It is deliciously decadent yet light and fresh.
Prep Time40 mins
Course: celebration, Dessert, treats
Keyword: cheesecake, dairy free, egg free, gluten free, grain free, no bake, no bake cheesecake, paleo, treats

Equipment

  • Food Processor
  • 18 or 20cm Round spring-form cake tin

Ingredients

Base

  • 1 cup dates*
  • 1 cup nuts (I used a mix of Brazil nuts, almonds and cashews)
  • 1 cup dessicated coconut

Filling

  • 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 Tablespoons cacao powder**
  • 4 cups cashew nuts (soaked for 4 hours***)
  • 3/4 cup sweetner (I used half honey, half maple syrup)
  • Scant 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup + 60ml Coconut oil (melted)
  • 3/4 cup coconut milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup cacao powder
  • 1.5 cups Berries strawberries, cherries, raspberries, boinsenberries or a mix (this will also be used for the jelly)

Jelly

  • Berry Puree from the base
  • 2 Tablespoons gelatin
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 Tablespoons sweetner I used coconut sugar

Instructions

Base:

  • Put the nuts and coconut in the food processor and blend into course crumbs.
  • Add the dates, salt and cacao and blend to combine into sticky crumbs that hold together when pressed.
  • Line the cake tin with baking paper. Press the mix firmly into the bottom of the tin.

Filling:

  • Put the cashews, lemon juice, vanilla, salt and sweetener into the food processor, blend until it's all super smooth and creamy.
  • Add the coconut oil and coconut milk and blend again to combine. Leave the mix in the processor, or tip out into a bowl if you will need it to blend the berries. (I just used my stick blender for the berries).
  • Blend the berries, (thawed first if frozen) into a purée.
  • Get two bowls, Pour 1/3 of the mixture into each bowl. Pour the ⅓ that's left in the processor into the cake tin, on top of the base, and return to the freezer.
  • In one bowl mix in the cacao powder, and in the other mix in 1/2 of the berry purée.
  • Pour the berry filling on top of the vanilla and swirl it round a little with a knife to create a marble effect. Return tin to the freezer. Let that layer set in the freezer while you make the jelly. Your chocolate mixture will still be in a bowl. Leave that there for now.

Jelly:

  • Put the other half of the berry purée, water and sweetener in a small pot and bring to the boil, then simmer on low. 'Bloom' the gelatin by mixing with 3 Tablespoons of cold water until it's expanded and thick, then add to the pot.
  • Stir for 2 minutes until dissolved, taste it to make sure it’s delicious. Add more berries, sweetner or whatever, if you need.

To finish:

  • Add the chocolate filling layer to the cake tin, spoon it over carefully and evenly so it doesn’t break through the other layers.
  • Set in the freezer for 30 mins to an hour while your jelly cools and you clean up the horrific mess in your kitchen.
  • Add the jelly layer to the top and return to the freezer for another 30 mins. Then you can either keep it in the fridge until it’s time to serve (a couple of days) or keep in the freezer and thaw out the day of serving.
  • If you are like us and usually stick to cheap ingredients and easy fuss free recipes you can now congratulate yourself on completing this monstrosity! (If you had a child helping in the kitchen and you kept your cool, you can also congratulate yourself on that too). I promise you will be impressed when you unfurl it from its tin, and marvel in its grandeur.
  • This is a monster of a cake, we had 8 guests for Christmas lunch and we didn’t even make it through half the cake. Serve it plain or dress it up with some fresh berries and whipped coconut cream, it looks magnificent either way!

Notes

*depending on your food processor you might need to soak your dates in boiling water first.
**no cacao? Use cocoa instead. What’s the difference? Cocoa has been processed at a high heat, stripping the product of some of its vitamins and minerals, whereas cacao is a raw product retaining important nutrients (like magnesium) and antioxidants.
*** cashew nut free? Macadamia nuts work in place of cashews, just soak them overnight first, also you can alter the type of nuts in the base to suit your needs. 
A slice of the No-bake dairy free Black Forest cheesecake.

Kayla