Last night I shared some pictures of my latest creation on Twitter. Since it passed the child taste test I felt compelled to let you have the recipe straight away, despite a back-log of things to post!
Since reading Grain Brain (my review of which you can find here), I have been trying to reduce the amount of carbohydrates and sugars that we eat whilst still letting the kids have sweet treats (of which they are very fond!). I therefore decided that it was about time I experimented with avocados, having read so much about their health properties and their use in baking.
Of course, once I get a ‘bee in my bonnet’ I feel the need to set about experimenting immediately, regardless of whether I have all the ingredients that I might need.
Thus was the case last night. I decided that I wanted to make a desert with avocado and therefore it had to be done! Ingredients flew around the kitchen, bowls lay everywhere, small children were underfoot…you get the picture!
So, this is what I came up with…raw chocolate ‘cheesecake’ that can be whipped up in around 10 minutes (better if you have a bit more time to chill it, but it isn’t a deal breaker!). Of course it is gluten-free and dairy-free but is also egg-free, soya-free and refined sugar-free…but, it tastes lovely and is wonderfully creamy.
I am not suggesting it is super-healthy…after all it is chock full of fruit sugar and would certainly not pass the Grain Brain test (!). But, it is perhaps a step in the right direction?
Raw chocolate 'cheesecake'
Ingredients
- For the base:
- 100 g ground almonds
- 100 g dates
- 1 tbsp water
- For the topping:
- 50 g dates
- 1 avocado
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp almond milk
- 1/2 banana
- 1 - 2 tbsp sweetener such as rice syrup honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
- Place the dates for the topping and the dates for the base in separate bowls and cover with boiling water. Allow to soak for at least 20 minutes
- Once soaked, drain the dates and place them back in their bowls
- To make the base place all the ingredients into a hand held chopper or food processor and blend until sticky
- Press the mixture into 4 ramekins
- To make the topping place the ingredients into the same machine and blend until smooth. You will probably have to scrape the sides down often
- Divide the mixture between the four ramekins and place in the fridge until required
- Serve scattered with cocoa or chocolate chips/sprinkles
Cost breakdown (costed at Tesco.com on 2.3.14)
Whitworths soft dates, 375g = £1.88; 150g = 75p
Tesco ground almonds, 200g = £2.09; 100g = £1.05
Tesco ripen at home avocados = £1.75 for 4; 1 = 44p
Tesco cocoa 250g = £1.99; 15g = 12p
Tesco everyday value bananas 8 = £1.15; 1 = 14p
Allowance of 10p for sweetner and milk
Feedback:
@freefromfairy I made your chocolate cheesecakes y’day-they are amazing!! The base is so tasty. My son ate it too 🙂 pic.twitter.com/yIH40u77Ep
— Cheryl Hoddell (@CherryHodz) April 27, 2014
I shared this recipe with A Mummy Too as her recipe of the week link up…
Zena's Suitcase says
Wow, this looks so yummy! What a fab recipe
Louise Perry Fairweather says
Looks lovely! Would not have thought of using avacado x
Emily @amummytoo says
Looks great! When I was vegan, cheesecake was one of the things I missed the most. Thanks for linking up with #recipeoftheweek 🙂 I’ve pinned and tweeted this post and there’s a fresh linky live now. Hope you join in x
Sonia says
Oooh I love cheesecake, this looks absolutely delicious and easy too!
Admin says
It is very easy and super healthy…the kids will never know the avocado is there but it will be giving out all its goodness!!
LearnerMother says
Mmmmm looks lush, definitely something for a special treat saturday in our house! And hidden healthiness always a bonus…#blogclub
Nell@PigeonPairandMe says
Wow, that’s incredible – a chocolatey avocado taste – I’m going to feed this to my two children instead of the Easter eggs they’re ALREADY starting to be given!
Em @ snowingindoors says
I wonder if my kiddos would notice the avocado, might have to try and slip this to them without telling them!
Admin says
I am sure they wouldn’t notice! Don’t tell them and they will never know…mine know but they still can’t help but eat it…despite hating avocados!!
Vicky (@aroundandupsidedown) says
I love the idea of using avocado in this – I think the velvety texture would really work 🙂
Kirsty - Hijacked by Twins says
I never would have thought about adding avodado! Looks and sounds so yummy, I love cheesecake 🙂 x #blogclub
jo says
just googling christmas stuff and came across your site fab recipes really nice stuff.
just wanted to add a comment about “raw” cacao it’s not a marketing ploy it is actually raw the cocoa you buy from shops has been roasted and usually alkalised so it loses a lot of the antioxidants raw cacao is a stronger chocolate taste too so you need less its yummy. sevenhills organic cacao powder on amazon is good but then the organic raw cacao powder on healthysupplies is even better think its 7.99 for a kg 😉
Vicki Montague says
Ah thanks Jo! Since I wrote that I have done quite a lot of reading and found out about raw cacao! I love the nibs but I don’t find the powder is stronger at all although people do say you need less. I guess I am just a chocolate fan and like it nice and strong!!! I hope you enjoy my site…thanks for your lovely comment and happy new year!