If you've been following me for a while, you'll know that I love each and every recipe that the very talented Panacea's Pantry creates! I was super excited to try these No Bake Jelly Cheesecakes because, not only do they look so cute and tasty, but they are gluten free and make with lots of my favourite ingredients!
I was also super excited to make something with jelly again because it's something that I haven't had for so long! I've definitely missed this childhood favourite of mine and I'm so happy that Panacea's Pantry has come up with a fabulous version that's gluten free, vegan and super healthy!
Enjoy!!
Ingredients
BASE 1/2 cup pecans 2 Tbsp shredded coconut 1/4 cup (25g) cacao or cocoa powder Pinch salt 6 large, soft dates, pitted * (see notes) CHEESECAKE FILLING 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water for 4 hours. 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice Zest from 1 large lemon (we prefer organic/unwaxxed) 2 sachets Jel-It-In (see notes) 1/2 cup (125ml) thick coconut milk (the canned variety) 1/4 cup (62ml) Pure Canadian Maple Syrup 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste or extract RASPBERRY JELLY 1 cup raspberries 2/3 cup water 2 Tbsp (30ml) Pure Canadian Maple Syrup 1 sachet Jel-It-In (see notes)
Instructions
Method Make the base.
Add pecans, coconut, cacao/cocoa and salt to a high-speed food processor and pulse until small crumbs have formed. Add dates, and pulse to combine. The base should hold together well when pressed between your fingers- if it is too dry, and 1-2 more dates. Divide base evenly between 6 small silicone muffin/cupcake moulds. Press down firmly to create the base and set aside.
Make the lemon filling.
Drain cashews and place into a high speed blender with lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup and vanilla paste. Blend until very smooth. Set aside. Add coconut milk and Jel-It-In to a small saucepan and slowly bring to the boil, whisking the whole time. Once you have reached boiling point, turn off the heat. With the blender running, stream the coconut milk mixture into the blender, and blend for a further 1 minute, then immediately pour the filling evenly between the 6 moulds, ensuring you leave a 3-4mm gap at the top for the jelly layer. ** (see notes). Bang the cakes gently on the bench to remove air bubbles, then set in the fridge while you prepare the jelly.
Make the Jelly.
Add raspberries, water and maple syrup to a small saucepan and cook for 5 minutes over a low-med heat. Turn off heat, then strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Discard the seeds in the sieve. Rinse out the saucepan, place the raspberry mixture back in along with Jel-It-In and bring to the boil (whisking the whole time). Once you have reached boiling point pour the raspberry jelly over the top of the cheesecakes. Move quickly, as the mixture will begin to set very quickly. Set in the fridge overnight.
To serve, top with fresh berries and enjoy immediately. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Notes *As dates vary a lot in their moisture content, the amount needed will vary. We used fresh Medjool dates, and do not recommend swapping for dry dates (as even when rehydrated, the base remains too crumbly). ** You will need to work quickly at this stage as the Jel-It_in begins to set quickly, so make sure you have your moulds ready to go immediately once you’ve finished blending. We used Queen vegan Jelly-It-In to make these cakes. It is available in major supermarkets in Australia, but if you cannot find it you could swap it with agar agar but please note we have not tried it.
Tips for perfecting your cheesecake from Panacea's Pantry!
The base dough should be sticky enough that it sticks together, but not so sticky that it sticks to your fingers as is wet. A good test is to roll some into a ball- if it doesn’t hold together add more dates. If its too sticky to roll add more coconut.
When making the jelly, be very prepared. Clear your bench top and have the cheesecakes on the bench. Once the jelly starts to cool it will set very quickly, so as soon as you turn off the heat pour the jelly immediately on top.
Make sure you use Medjool dates. They are soft, juicy, sweet and perfect for holding the base together and you won’t get the same results with other dates.
You can use any type of berries to make the jelly– i like raspberries as the flavour is intense but you can use whatever you like.
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