Caramel Apple Cheesecake

From Sweetly Raw

The Adventures of Raw Food Dessert Chef:

Heather Pace

Raw - Vegan - Gluten Free
Crust
I used 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon in my crust, as I wanted it to be a soft background flavor. Use more if you want a more defined flavor. You could do without the dried apples, but they really do create a unique crust that goes so well with the whole cheesecake.
2/3 cup almonds
1/4 cup pitted dates
3 tablespoons finely chopped, packed dried apples
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
1/2-1 teaspoon water
Grind the almonds in a food processor.
Add the dates and process together into a dough.
Pulse in the apples, cinnamon, and enough water to create a dough that will hold together when pressed.
Press most of the mixture into two small (3-4") cheesecake pans (I had a bit extra for an "apple nut ball" - chef's treat ;) OR press into a bunch of mini silicone muffin cups.

Filling
The filling is great by itself but if you want a cinnamon swirl, simply remove 3 tablespoons of the blended filling and add 1/2-3/4 teaspoon cinnamon to it. After pouring the filling over the crusts, spoon small blobs of the cinnamon mixture over the filling. Use a chopstick to push the mixture down into the cake and then swirl it around.
2 cups peeled, diced apples
3/4 cup cashews
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons melted coconut butter
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
Pinch of salt
Blend the first 5 ingredients until completely smooth.
Add the butter and oil. Blend again to incorporate.
Pour over the crusts.
Chill in the fridge for 12 hours, or in the freezer for 5-6 hours and in the fridge for 1-2 hours before removing the ring.

Caramel Sauce
This is the easiest caramel sauce ever and super delish. If you have any of my raw dessert ebooks, you know that I love caramel featuring dates but this easy recipe can be stirred together in a bowl.
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons lucuma, sifted
3 1/2 tablespoons almond butter*
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
Add the maple, almond butter, and vanilla to a small bowl. Sift the lucuma over top. Stir in.
*A note about the almond butter - I use Dastony stone ground almond butter that is basically like silk. Creamier and silkier than any nut butter I've come across. You may have to adjust for consistency if using other brands that are thicker. Maybe 1/2 - 1 tsp water to thin.

Caramel Apple Topping
1 large apple, peeled and diced small
1 tablespoon finely chopped dried apple
Caramel (above)
Toss the apples with enough caramel to suit your liking! Extra caramel can be used to drizzle over other things, or eaten with sliced apples. It won't last long ;)