Did you know it’s officially Blueberry Cheesecake Day? Well, I thought I’d celebrate by sharing with you a healthier version of this classic dessert!

Blueberries are one of my favourite berries – they are filled with antioxidants to protect our cells from free radical damage and have been shown in studies to benefit the nervous system and brain health with their potent antioxidant anthocyanin.

This cheesecake recipe is a yummy way to include this amazing berry in your diet without refined sugar and common allergens likes dairy, eggs and gluten. It also has nutritious nuts like cashews, walnuts and macadamia nuts that are filled with fiber, healthy fats and protein. Chia seeds act to thicken the blueberry topping while adding even more nutritional value with more fiber and anti-inflammatory omega 3s. Serve as dessert on a hot summer evening or enjoy as a special afternoon treat!

Prep time: 1hr + 1 hr soaking time for cashews and macadamia nuts + 2 hrs chill time

Yield: Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

Filling:

2 cups raw cashews

1 cup raw macadamia nuts

juice 1 lemon (approx. 1/4 cup)

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup almond milk

Crust:

1.5 cups raw walnuts

1 cup coconut sugar

3 tbsp coconut oil melted

3 medjool dates

pinch sea salt

Blueberry topping:

2 cups frozen blueberries

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup chia seeds

Method:

1. Soak cashews and macadamia nuts in 3 cups of warm water for at least 1 hr.

2. To make the crust, grease a medium sized spring form pan with coconut oil and set aside. In a food processor, chopped the walnuts until they resemble crumbs – not too fine though, you don’t want to make nut butter!

3. Once walnuts are ground, add dates, coconut sugar and coconut oil. Pulse the mixture until combined and it begins to stick together.

4. Pour mixture into the spring form pan and press evenly into the bottom of the pan to form a crust. Let chill in the fridge for at least 30mins to firm.

5. Next make your blueberry topping by adding frozen blueberries into a medium sized saucepan. Add water and maple syrup and heat on medium high until berries have thawed and mixture just comes to a boil. Turn the heat off, mix in the chia seeds so that they combine and then set aside the mixture to let it cool and thicken.

6. Next make your cheesecake filling by draining the cashews and macadamia nuts and put them in a high powered blender. Add lemon juice, vanilla and almond milk. Blend ingredients on high for 1-2 mins until the texture is smooth. Add a little more almond milk if needed, but be careful mixture is not too thin otherwise the cheesecake will not set properly.

7. Remove crust from the refrigerator and poor cheesecake mixture on top. Now place in the freezer for 30mins to firm before adding the blueberry mixture on top.

8. After 30mins, remove cheesecake from the freezer and carefully spread the blueberry topping on top. Place cheesecake back into the freezer for at least 1.5 – 2 more hours to let it set.

9. Remove from freezer and serve! Enjoy!