This raw cashew cheesecake with chocolate sauce and Nutter Butter cookie crust recipe is the perfect healthy dessert with a little bit of splurge.
Look into my cheesecake… See how creamy and smooth the cashew cheesecake is? And what about all those wonderful crunchy Nutter Butter bits? And oh yes, chocolate sauce… Because peanut butter and chocolate go together like, well, peanut butter and chocolate. This is one of those recipes that harnesses many ingredients to create one delightful dessert. I talk about the importance of allowing each ingredient to individually “show up” in a recipe, so as to not overpower the recipe, but rather, to give only what it is supposed to give, no more and no less. And when you have found that combination as a chef or baker, you have reached Food Heaven. Yes, it exists… it’s that place where when you taste a recipe, your head tilts back, your eyes roll back and you make funny sounds… that’s Food Heaven.
This Cashew Cheesecake with Chocolate Sauce and Nutter Butter Crust will have you begging for more. And don’t tell anyone but it’s almost healthy for you… except for the Nutter Butter part, but you could easily substitute the crust for a more healthy version 🙂
Okay, so probably the most dangerous part about this Cashew Cheesecake with Chocolate Sauce and Nutter Butter Crust dessert is how incredibly easy it is to make. It comes together in minutes and it doesn’t require baking. You should allow it to chill in the freezer so it can firm up. And believe me, you will be so happy with the results. Cashew cheese is my new favorite find. I have been blending down cashews and adding all kinds of flavors to see what I can do with them. I’m very excited about the potential with cashew cheese. Of course it provides a non-dairy alternative to people who are lactose intolerant or may be Vegan (you would want to use a different crust if you are Vegan and sweeten with something like maple syrup instead of honey).
And honestly, I put this cheesecake to the kid test, and she couldn’t tell the difference. In fact, she was asking for more and she was very excited about the flavors. What kid wouldn’t want a dessert filled with peanut butter, nuts, and chocolate? Count me in… yes, I’m a big kid. And no the kid test wasn’t me… it was an actual 6 year with picky taste buds 😉
I also put this Cashew Cheesecake with Chocolate Sauce and Nutter Butter dessert to the freezer test… and let me just say that not only does it last for a few weeks in the freezer, but it also comes out ready to eat in just a few minutes. The cashew cheesecake part comes out creamy and smooth and the Nutter Butter crust still holds up with a bit of crunch. This is the perfect dessert to make and just keep in the freezer for those late nights at home when you are craving something sweet but don’t want to go overboard. You can easily cut a piece and stick the rest back in the freezer for the future. Simply cover the pie plate with foil.
The Nutter Butter crust is one of the easiest pie crusts to make. All you need is a couple handfuls of crushed Nutter Butter cookies and some melted butter. I got away with only using 12 of the round Nutter Butter Cookies and 1/4 cup of melted butter. Keep some of the crushed cookies aside to sprinkle on top of the cashew cheesecake at the end. As you can see, this cashew cheesecake is super simple to make and requires no baking!
Here’s the recipe for this Cashew Cheesecake with Chocolate Sauce and Nutter Butter Crust:
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Passive Time | 8 hours |
| Servings |
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- 1 cup Raw Cashews
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon Almond Butter We use Trader Joe's Raw Almond Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Honey You can use Maple Syrup to sweeten as well
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice You can add more lemon juice if desired
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Water
- 12-20 Nutter Butter Cookies Crushed
- 1/4 cup Butter We use salted Kerrygold butter, if using unsalted butter, you may want to add 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 Tablespoons Chocolate Sauce We use Trader Joe's Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
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- In a bowl, cover cashews with 3-4 cups of water and let soak for 8 hours (or overnight).
- Drain cashews and add them to a food processor along with the vanilla, almond butter, honey, lemon juice, coconut oil and tablespoon of water. Process for 6-8 minutes, scraping down the sides to fully incorporate all ingredients. Combine until completely smooth texture. Taste the mixture at this time and add more lemon juice and salt if desired. Remember, the crust and chocolate sauce will be adding flavor too.
- Make the Nutter Butter crust by first crushing the Nutter Butters in a bag. Add the crushed cookies and melted butter into a bowl and combine. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the mixture for the top of the cheesecake. Pour the rest of the mixture into a pie plate and use the bottom of a glass to pat down the crust. Use your fingers to form the crust along the edges. It doesn't have to go all the way up the pie plate. For a more healthy crust, combine 1/2 cup pitted dates, 1/2 cup almonds, a pinch of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 tablespoon of water if needed.
- Pour the cashew cheese mixture into the crust and smooth it out. Drizzle the top with your favorite chocolate sauce. Add the Nutter Butter crumbles to the top. Cover with foil and put in the freezer for about 2 hours to chill.
- When ready to serve, simply remove from freezer for 10-15 minutes. Cut with a sharp knife and serve cold. Enjoy!
- The cheesecake lasts up to 2 weeks in the freezer covered with foil.
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