Tis the season to celebrate with festive holiday traditions; and making this Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake can be one of those traditions for years to come!
And best of all, it won’t contribute to sluggish “holiday hangovers,” heart attacks, hypertension, high cholesterol, and myriad other chronic illnesses.
This recipe makes enough to fill one (7-inch) spring form pan + 2 mini spring form pans. . .or one (9-inch) spring form pan.
[WalMart stocks the 7-inch and 9-inch pans. The mini pans can be found online. If you don’t want to order mini pans, you can use muffin tins lined with cupcake papers; just make sure you don’t bake them as long.]
This recipe also freezes well, so you can make it ahead of time. (Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours before serving.)
For the cherry/chocolate lover in your life, this cheesecake makes the perfect gift too.
Ingredients for the crust
1 ½ cups dry, old fashioned oats
1 cup almonds
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup chopped pecans, set aside
Ingredients for the filling
1 (10-ounce) package frozen, dark sweet cherries (set aside 6 cherries for decorating later)
1 ripe banana
1 (8-ounce) package pitted dates
½ cup dark cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (16-ounce) package firm tofu, drained
1/2 cup chopped pecans, set aside
Directions
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees
Crust: In a high speed blender, grind the oats into a flour-like substance. Then add the almonds and raisins (do not add the chopped pecans) and blend it until everything looks like a coarse powder. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add ¼ cup cold water. Mix thoroughly with fingers until moistened. Place this mixture evenly into one 9-inch pan; or one 7-inch pan and two mini pans or cupcake liners. Spread evenly and then with the bottom of a glass, press it into the pan until it makes a smooth crust. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and evenly press the chopped pecans into the crust. Bake for another 5 minutes, and then remove from the oven and set aside.
Filling: In a high speed blender, process the frozen sweet cherries, banana, and dates until smooth and creamy. Then add the cocoa powder, cornstarch or arrowroot powder, ground flax seeds, and vanilla and process until smooth; followed by adding the black beans and tofu (do not add the chopped pecans). Blend thoroughly, stopping periodically to scrape the sides until everything is thoroughly mixed together and it’s smooth and creamy
Pour this filling onto the pre baked crust. Spread it evenly and cover with foil. Bake for 60 minutes.
Then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. (Less time for mini pans or cupcakes.)
Turn the oven off. At this point, press the 6 halved thawed cherries--and more chopped pecans into the top of the cheesecake; carefully placing them into a somewhat beautiful pattern.
Put the cheesecake back into the oven, leave the door cracked open, and allow it to cool as the oven cools for about another ½ hour. (However, remove the mini pans or cupcakes from the oven.)
After about 1/2 hour, remove the cheesecake from the oven and slide it onto a plate and put it in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
Remove the pan by gently unlatching the spring on the side. You may need to gently release the sides of the cheesecake from the pan with a knife. I also carefully remove the bottom of the pan before transferring it to a beautiful, heirloom plate before decorating it. (To remove the bottom part of the pan, place a plate on top and carefully invert the cheesecake before removing it. Again, you may need to insert a knife to help it release)
Nutritional tip: Beans lower blood sugars, they are good for your gut, and they bind cholesterol in your digestive tract in order to facilitate its removal.
Decorating tips
Decorate the top and sides as you prefer with dried fruit, whole pecans or almonds, and pomegranate kernels. (Melted dark chocolate makes the perfect “glue” for the pecans and dried fruit on top.) I like to create decorative “leaves” out of dried cherry fruit leather by cutting desired shapes with kitchen sheers. You may even sprinkle unsweetened shredded coconut for the appearance of snow before adding decorations. I think it would also be fun to decorate with a beautiful pattern of whole pecans instead of chopped ones. The sky is the limit for creative expression!
Fruit leathers are easy to cut into shapes with kitchen sheers.
The green and yellow fruit are dried kiwi and mango. The bright red “berries” are pomegranate kernels.
With a pair of kitchen sheers and fruit, you can add so much beauty to this “cheeseless” cheesecake.
Enjoy!
[P.S. Please send pictures of your creations to me on Instagram, and I’ll post them! emilysboller]
Emily Boller, artist, mother, and author of Starved to Obesity, is certified in whole plant food nutrition from the Nutritarian Education Institute and on a mission to combine practical, no-nonsense tips—with easy to understand science—in order to help anyone escape the addictive grip of the Standard American Diet.