This black cocoa vegan cheesecake is an easy dramatic dessert, with rich black cocoa, vegan and dairy-free, and high in fiber and mood-boosting magnesium thanks to fresh homemade coconut butter.
This black cocoa vegan cheesecake is made with black cocoa. The stuff is velvety chocolate. So mysterious, with such a dusty deep cocoa flavor. And I will tell you more about this ingredient in a bit, but first I need to stress the ease of this recipe.
Are you looking for easy chocolate treats to make-ahead for holiday parties? THIS IS IT!
The crust is only 4 ingredients. Process, press into the pan and freeze, while you mix the filling.
The filling! Only a few more ingredients, blend up fast and pour and freeze. Now you wait..
Ingredients
The crust :
1. Buckwheat groats, soaked - Or crushed almonds or walnuts, or rolled oats or quinoa (steamed and cooled).
2. Walnuts - or your favorite nut or rolled oats
3. Sweetener - dates or maple syrup
4. Cinnamon
The filling:
1. Coconut Butter - You can buy this in a jar, but it's expensive so it's better to make it in your blender. It's easy to make at home, just blend up a fresh bag of shredded coconut, unsweetened. A cup of shredded coconut blends to about ½ a cup of coconut butter. It makes a wonderful dip or frosting for cookies as well as adds structure to this cheesecake. Here's my detailed recipe on how to make coconut butter, both vanilla and chocolate.
2. Coconut Cream - Refrigerate a can of full fat coconut milk, and scoop out the solid portion, that is the cream to use in this recipe. You'll get about ½ cup per can.
3. Cocoa - black or dutch processed for color
4. Maple Syrup - The best sweetened, although other liquid sweeteners also work.
5. Walnuts - Optional, but the tartness adds freshness to the flavor.
6. Brewed coffee
How to Make
1. Soak dates in just-boiled water for 1 hour. Strain, rinse and pit the dates.
2. Make the coconut butter (or use store-bought).
3. In a food processor or a strong blender, process the crust and press it into a parchment-lined loaf pan.
4. Blend up the filling mixture. Pour it onto the crust and freeze covered in the freezer for at least 3 hours but overnight is better if you want clean slices.
See how easy? Okay, there is one step that takes a bit of effort if you want to save some money. That is making homemade coconut butter. I explain in the recipe below, or visit my thorough post about it here: How to Make Coconut Butter.
What Is Black Cocoa?
So how about the star ingredient? Black cocoa. It's beautiful and interesting.
Black cocoa presents a rich chocolate-y flavor that is even further deepened with the addition of a teaspoon of coffee. And black cocoa is healthy, full of fiber, magnesium and antioxidants, though not quite as healthy as raw cacao powder.
That's because technically black cocoa powder has been "dutched" or washed to reduce acidity to create a smooth mellow flavor, with earthy, woodsy hues. It still provides the antioxidants that raw cacao does but less. My friends laugh when I say "so we just have to eat a bit more!".
Still, health-wise, I prefer raw cacao or even quality dark chocolate bars generally but it is fun to switch it up sometimes, especially when it comes to chocolate! And if you follow me, you know that I have plenty of chocolate recipes for you to try.
But regarding this no bake recipe, the steps are so simple, and then you get a healthy, no bake, vegan, plant-based, wonderful treat waiting for you in the freezer.
Sometimes we forget treats we have in the freezer and accidentally stumble on them months later for a happy surprise.
If you thaw these just right, they reach the consistency of a vegan cheesecake, which technically they are.
Other Vegan Cheesecake Recipes
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Black Cocoa Vegan Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup buckwheat groats (Soak in water overnight with dates, and rinse the next day when you are ready to make the recipe.)
- 1 cup walnuts or your favorite nut or rolled oats
- 8 dates
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Filling
- ¾ cup coconut butter (make 1 cup by blending up 2 cups shredded coconut in a high-speed blender)
- ¾ cup coconut cream Refrigerate a can of full fat coconut milk, and scoop out the solid portion, that is the cream to use in this recipe. You'll get about ½ cup per can.
- ¼ cup black cocoa Use dutch cocoa if you can't find black; look for Ghiradelli or Valhrona brands
- ¼ cup walnuts
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon brewed coffee (optional)
Chocolate Drizzle
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- ⅓ cup black cocoa
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)
Useful Equipment
Instructions
Prep
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper
- Soak dates in just-boiled water for 1 hour. Strain, rinse and pit the dates.
- Make the coconut butter (or use store-bought). TO make it, blend up 2 cups of shredded coconut to make 1 cup coconut butter. Store refrigerated - it makes a wonderful dip or cookie frosting.
Make Crust
- In a food processor or a strong blender, process the crust and press it into a parchment-lined loaf pan.
Make the Cheesecake
- Blend up the filling mixture. Pour it onto the crust and freeze covered in the freezer for at least 6 hours but overnight is better if you want clean slices.
Make the Drizzle
- Stir up ingredients in a bowl. Adjust texture by adding more syrup or more cocoa if need be. You want it thick but pourable.
- To serve, drizzle with a frosting.
Storage
- I keep it refrigerated 3 days, and then freeze left-overs. The frosting needs to be made fresh each time.
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