Chocolate Protein Cheesecake

Giving your loved ones the gift of health and well-being with this chocolate protein cheesecake will trump any box of store bought chocolates!

Valentine’s Day is a special day of the year where we take a moment to give thanks to the people around us who support and love us unconditionally. Whether it’s for your family, spouse, children, or friend, Valentine’s Day is also a time where it can be fun to showcase your baking skills and creativity. Show the these people how much we love them by making a rocking protein cheesecake that is gluten free, grain free, vegan, protein-packed, and absolutely delicious.

Cheesecake is one of those decadent desserts that sometimes we cringe about because we know it’s loaded with sugar, dairy, and refined ingredients. Most store-bought cheesecakes are commercially prepared, so there is a huge number of saturated fats. Saturated fats are to be blamed for elevated cholesterol in your blood which can lead to heart disease and stroke. The base for this cheesecake is cashews which have a high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids which helps with reducing blood pressure and helps prevent weight loss. Cashews also contain lutein which is found in carrots. Lutein helps with eye sight and keeps eyes protected from light.

The base of the cheesecake is also made with dates and raw nuts. Since the dates are naturally sweet, we reduce the amount of sugar in the entire recipe. Dates also boost a large amount of fiber which makes them the best natural sweetener around.

This cheesecake takes a little bit of time to make, but I promise it is worth it. One of the best parts of this recipe is that it can be made weeks ahead of time and stored in the freezer in an air tight container. All you need to do is take it out and let it thaw for a few hours then top it with additional fruits or coconut whip cream.

Chocolate Protein Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 cup raw pecan
• 1 cup raw walnuts
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 Medjool dates
• 1/8 teaspoon Sunwarrior Sea Salt

Filling:

• 1 ½ cups raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours or overnight
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon Sunwarrior Sea Salt
• ½ cup water
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Sunwarrior Cocoa Powder
• 1 scoop Sunwarrior Active Protein, chocolate

Directions

1.) Place all ingredients for crust into a food processor. Pulse until it forms together. Press mixture into a 6-inch parchment paper lined spring form pan. Place in freezer to set while making the filling.

2.) Drain the cashews and rinse them. drain again. Place the cashews, maple syrup, vanilla. salt, cacao, protein powder and lemon juice in a food processor. Process to a paste and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add water and blend again. Scraping down the side of the bowl. Add coconut oil and blend until combined. The consistency should be super smooth

3.) Pour filling into springform pan and freeze for 6 - 8 hours

4.) Serve with fruits, coconut whip cream or maraschino cherries