Grain-Free, Vegan + Sugar-Free Chocolate Berry Swirl Cheesecake

Chocolate Berry Swirl Cheesecake

This special-occasion cheesecake makes a perfect end to a romantic (or non-romantic) meal. Yes, I use tofu for this cake, so if you’re not so inclined, this recipe isn’t for you. I do love raw cheesecakes for an authentic texture, but when it comes to baked vegan cheesecake, I’ve found that silken tofu is really the best base. If you give this one a try, I’m sure you’ll agree.

For the crust:

2 Tbsp (30 ml) xylitol (see note)

1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut flour

1/4 cup (60 ml) buckwheat flour

2 Tbsp (30 ml) whole psyllium husks

2 Tbsp (30 ml) ground chia seeds (from about 1 Tbsp/15 ml whole chia)

3/4 cup (85 g) raw pecan halves or pieces

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) baking powder

1/8 tsp (.5 ml) fine sea salt

1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon

2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut oil, at room temperature

3 Tbsp (45 ml) alternative milk of choice (I use unsweetened almond milk)

For the filling:

2 Tbsp (30 ml) coconut oil

4 ounces (115 g) good quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 package ” extra-firm Mori Nu tofu (or use medium regular tofu)

1/2 cup (75 g) raw cashews or 1/4 cup (60 ml) cashew butter

1/2 cup (120 ml) xylitol (see note)

2 tsp (10 ml) fresh lemon juice

1/4-1/2 tsp (1-2.5 ml) pure plain or vanilla stevia liquid, or to taste

1 tsp (5 ml) pure almond extract

2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract

pinch fine sea salt

For the berry swirl:

1/2 cup (120 ml) 100% fruit spread (I used the cranberry sauce at the bottom of this post)

1 Tbsp (15 ml) coconut nectar (or stevia, to taste)

Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line an 8.5 or 9 inch (21.5 or 23 cm) springform pan or pie plate with parchment. Grease the sides with coconut oil or nonstick spray.

In a coffee grinder or spice grinder, grind the xylitol, coconut flour and buckwheat flour until powdered. Place in the bowl of a food processor along with the psyllium, ground chia, pecans, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and whir until it attains the texture of cornmeal and no pieces of pecan are visible. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until combined. It should appear slightly moist and stick together if pinched between your fingers.

Press the crust into the bottom of the pan and prick several times with a fork. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until it’s dry on top and just starting to puff a bit.  Remove from the oven until you have the filling ready.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a small pot over lowest possible heat, melt the coconut oil and chocolate, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat.

In a high-powered blender, blend remaining ingredients until perfectly smooth (note: if you use whole cashews instead of cashew butter, you must use a high-powered blender; otherwise, if you use cashew butter, a food processor or regular blender should be fine).  Add the oil-chocolate mixture and blend until incorporated.

Pour about 2/3 of the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Dollop spoonfuls of the berry filling randomly over the top, leaving some spots uncovered. Then, dollop the remainder of the chocolate batter here and there to fill in any empty spots. (Don’t worry if it’s not perfect; you’re about to marble it anyway).

Using a butter knife, carefully swirl the berry mixture into the batter to create a marbelized effect. You can either gently fold the chocolate over the berry mixture here and there, or else take the tip of the knife and draw it through the batter in “S” shapes to create this effect. Either way, the cake will still taste great; the idea is to spread the berry mixture around a bit without completely stirring it into the chocolate.

To even the top, grab the pan firmly on either side. Keeping the bottom of the pan on the counter, quickly and firmly rotate it once to the left, then to the right, so that the batter spreads out and smooths out on top. Do this several times to create a relatively flat surface on top of the cake.

Bake the cheesecake for 35-45 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through, until the edges are dark and dry and the center is still slightly soft. Allow to cool before refrigerating at least 4 hours or overnight.

Note: if you’re not a fan of xylitol or don’t follow an ACD, you could sub coconut sugar for the xylitol. You will likely need about 25% more coconut sugar to achieve the same level of sweetness.

Suitable for: ACD All stages (if tofu is acceptable); otherwise, Stage 2 and beyond, sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg free, yeast-free, vegan, low glycemic.