Mocha “Cheesecake” for Everybody

I love this kind of dessert, one that could easily be served to my vegan sister-in-law and my gluten-free nephew with no compromises made to those of us without any dietary restrictions. Made using a food processor and a high-speed blender, it’s easy to make, even if you don’t have an oven (it’s raw!).

The genesis of the recipe began on a train from Prague to České Budějovice – my husband and I (both omnivores) ate an amazing raw, vegan mocha “cheesecake” from MyRaw Cafe in Prague. I vowed right away that I would recreate it to the best of my ability as soon as we got home to the USA.

Credit is due to Ani Phyo and her amazing 3-ingredient crust technique that I learned from her book Ani’s Raw Food Desserts, published by Da Capo Lifelong Books in 2009. My crust here has quite a few more ingredients, but her magic ratio of almond meal to dates keeps it all together. —Diana Pappas

Directions

1. Add all crust ingredients except for the coconut oil into the food processor fitted with an S-blade. Process until ingredients resemble coarse sand.
2. Add the coconut oil and process just until the ingredients come together.
3. Tip contents of food processor into a pie plate. Using your fingertips, press the mixture down and work up the sides to form the crust, about 1/4 inch in thickness. Set aside.
4. In a high-speed blender, blend all filling ingredients until contents are silky and smooth. Scrape out the filling onto the crust and smooth out the surface.
5. Resist the urge to eat the “cheesecake” right away – it needs to set! Let it chill overnight in the refrigerator before serving.