I love cheesecake, no wait, I Love, love, LOVE cheesecake, or anything to do with the wonderful food. It has to be one of my favorite desserts, although I have so many! Once in a while, me and my mom enjoy going to the Cheesecake Factory and indulging in a slice or two of their wonderful cheesecakes (Oreo cheesecake, anyone? Yes please!).
But I am very picky about my cheesecakes; no plain flavors for me! I guess you could call me some kind of a cheesecake specialist or something of that sort. Because of my pickiness, these strawberries had to be stuffed with a chocolate cheesecake filling that actually tasted like cheesecake, but without the use of dairy.
My solution? Cashews.
Soaked and blended cashews make the perfect, lightly sweet cream cheese replacement that forms the base of the cheesecake filling for the strawberries. The rest of the ingredients are real food ingredients, making these strawberries the perfect snack or dessert to enjoy anytime! They also make the perfect finger food for parties-watch them disappear before you can even say “strawberries”!
Ingredients:
¾ cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
2 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Strawberries
1. Soak your cashews overnight or for at least 8 hours.
2. Drain cashews and reserve soaking water.
3. Add cashews and 4 tbsp. of the soaking water to a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy (this may take some time and stirring).
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and blend well.
5. Remove the chocolate cheesecake from the blender and place in a bowl. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours, or until mixture is somewhat firm.
6. Remove the stems and cores of your strawberries. I like to use this little tool to make things easy.
7. Scoop cheesecake filling into an icing bag and squeeze into the cored strawberries until all of the filling is gone.
8. Try not to eat the whole batch!
Question of the Day: “Do you love cheesecake as much as I do? If so, where is your favorite place to get a slice and what is your favorite flavor?”
~My favorite place to get cheesecake is from the Cheesecake Factory and my favorite flavor is their oh-so-delicious Oreo cheesecake. But really, I adore any cheesecake that has chocolate in it! 😉
The Paleo Princess 
Such a fun and delicious idea! Love it 🙂
Thank you! 🙂 they make a great summer treat 😉
This sounds great. I will definitely give it a try. If you ever find yourself in Indianapolis, the cheesecake at Shapiro’s Deli is awesome. I also like the Jello boxed cheesecake with a graham cracker crust. The taste reminds me of my youth.
Stop stop stop! You’re making me hungry for cheesecake! 😉 If I’m ever in Indianapolis I will definateley give that cheesecake a try 🙂
Those look amazing Brianna!