Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl Cheesecake {gluten free, vegan}

One of the most common questions I get is “Where do you get your protein?”. Generally I rattle off the usual vegan protein list (tofu, quinoa, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, leafy greens, you know… the places where all those muscle-y animals like cows and gorillas get their proteins. To be specific, plants). Just to be different this time though, here is a protein packed dessert. Can you go wrong combining chocolate and peanut butter? I think not.

This dessert is pure, layered decadence. First off, I made a gluten free, chocolate shortbread crust. After sitting in the fridge for a day, it gets a cookie-cake consistency that is to die for. It is slightly salty, perfectly chocolatey and slightly almond-y. YUM!

And moving on to the cheesecake layer, there is no cheese to be found. Soaked cashews give the dessert a marvelous creamy, thick consistency. Coconut cream helps solidify the cheesecake, but has a mild taste that allows the chocolate and peanut butter to shine.

Speaking of chocolate and peanut butter, the texture of the chocolate and peanut butter parts of the cheesecake reminded me a great deal of Reese’s peanut butter cups. The chocolate part is a bit more thick and fudgy, while the peanut butter is a little bit softer and creamier. Decadent, creamy, chocolate… it can’t get any better! Oh wait, maybe it can 😉 No refined sugars were used in the making of this dessert. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Fudge Swirl Cheesecake

Crust

1 cup blanched almond flour

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons raw agave nectar

2 tablespoons room temperature vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F. and spray a 9” spring form pan with non-stick spray.
2. Combine all ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir with a fork until a moist dough is formed.
3. Using a rubber spatula, spread the crust in the bottom of the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Allow to cool completely before adding cheesecake layer.

Cheesecake Layer

2 cups cashews (soak the cashews in cool, filtered water for 4-5 hours before using, drain well before adding to recipe)

1 cup coconut cream (or the solid cream scooped off the top of a refrigerated can of full-fat coconut milk if you can‘t find coconut cream)

2/3 cup raw agave nectar

4 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 ounces unsweetened vegan chocolate

½ cup peanut butter

1. Place the cashews, coconut cream, agave and vanilla in a high speed blender (such as a Vitamix), or a food processor. Blend until completely smooth, scraping the sides down as necessary.
2. Divide the mixture evenly into two medium sized mixing bowls. Set aside.
3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Add the melted chocolate to one of the bowls of cashew mixture and stir with a whisk until well mixed. Pour the chocolate layer over the cooled crust and smooth with a rubber spatula.

4. Add the peanut butter to the remaining cashew mixture. Stir well with a whisk. Spoon dollops of the peanut-cashew mixture into the chocolate layer.

5. Drag a knife through the cheesecake to create a marbled effect, being careful not to cut into the crust.

6. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
7. Top with chocolate shavings, if desired.

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Tags: baking, cheesecake, dessert, healthy, plant based, vegan, vegetarian