Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake

Do you like rhubarb? Did you know it’s actually a vegetable, and not a fruit? For the longest time, I thought it was a fruit. It is honestly one of my biggest food obsessions. I wish it were in season all year. I have a recurring reminder on my iPhone every April to remind me to start looking for it in stores. As if I need a reminder.

My favorite way to eat rhubarb is in a warm gooey strawberry-rhubarb pie. Or, in an insanely delicious rhubarb donut, which I came across once while traveling in Iceland. I don’t think any place on the planet can recreate how good that donut was, so I’m not even going to try.

While these strawberry-rhubarb (almost raw) cheesecakes are super delicious, they don’t quite compare to how decadent a warm flaky pie is, or to an actual cheesecake. However, I do love how healthy they are and how enjoyable they are to eat. Now that the weather is starting to warm up, they are the perfect cool treat for warm days.

This recipe is made using a 9×9 inch cake pan and gets placed in the freezer to set. You could also make these into individual bites using a muffin tin. See my post for my blood orange and pomegranate cheesecake bites for reference. Basically, you can use silicon baking cups and pack down the crust into each cup, pouring the filling into each individual cup instead of using one large cake pan. I actually find that method to be cleaner and easier to eat, but it does take longer to tightly pack the crust into each individual cup.

Ingredients:

Cheesecake Crust/Base:

• 3/4 cup raw almonds
• 3/4 cup raw pecans
• 1.5 cup roughly chopped pitted dates (packed)

Cheesecake Filling:

• 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cup raw cashews (soaked overnight or for 4-6 hours)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup of coconut milk (the kind from the can, full fat, OR a VERY creamy nut milk such as Califia Farms coconut milk will do in a pinch)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce (to swirl into the filling):

• 1 cup chopped rhubarb (fresh is best, but you could also use frozen. If you use frozen, just thaw it out before making the sauce)
• 1 cup chopped strawberries
• 1 tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 tbsp coconut nectar (If you can’t find coconut nectar, just use extra coconut sugar)
• 3-4 tbsp water

Optional:

• A large handful of strawberries, sliced, for placing into the cheesecake filling at the end (as you can see in the photos above)

Method:

1. To PREPARE: Add raw cashews to a bowl and cover them with cold filtered water. Place in the fridge and allow them to soak overnight, or for 4-6 hours.
2. For the CRUST: About an hour before your cashews are done soaking, start on your crust (or you can do this all at once, but I find it saves me time to make the crusts first, clean out my blender and then start on the sauce and filling).
3. 1. To make the crust, add the raw almonds, raw pecans and pitted dates to your high-speed blender or food processor and blitz until they are in small pieces and form a doughy consistency. You will be able to tell if it’s right by picking up a bit of the mixture and seeing if you can pack it. If it’s falling apart, try adding  more dates.
   2. Line the bottom of your 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper (I cut a piece that is about 9×9, maybe leaving a tab on a couple sides to make it easier to lift out, but not necessary in my experience). Then take the crust mixture from your blender or food processor and pack it tightly onto the bottom until it’s evenly spread across the pan.
4. For the STRAWBERRY RHUBARB SAUCE: Heat a small amount of water in a small sauce pan, just enough to cover the bottom, and add in the rhubarb, strawberries, coconut sugar and coconut nectar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the rhubarb and strawberries cook down and a sauce forms. Feel free to add in a bit more water as you cook. The sauce should thicken up after 10-15 minutes. Remove this from the heat.
5. For the FILLING: Drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Add the raw cashews, fresh lemon juice, melted coconut oil, coconut milk and maple syrup to your clean blender (such as a Vitamix; you won’t get good results without a good blender) or use a food processor. Blend until very smooth. Pour the mixture over your crust.
6. To FINISH it off, swirl the strawberry rhubarb sauce into the cheesecake. I would recommend using as much as you can. Then add the strawberry slices to the top to decorate, or feel free to push them down deeper if you prefer.
7. FREEZE the completed cheesecake for at least 3-4 hours, or until completely set.
8. To SERVE, remove from the freezer, let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then you should be able to either lift the whole thing out by popping it out with a butter knife, or by cutting out individual pieces to serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container if possible.
9. ENJOY!