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Quirky Cooking

Raw Macadamia Lime ‘Cheesecake’ (dairy free)

QuirkyJo by QuirkyJo
March 25, 2013
in Cakes, Christmas, Dairy Free, Desserts, Easter, Egg Free, GAPS, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Naturally Sweetened, Paleo, Raw, Thermomix, Vegan
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raw macadamia lime cheesecake quirky cooking
Raw Macadamia Lime Cheesecake

One thing I love about living in tropical Far North Queensland is the abundance of delicious produce grown here. I love that I can go to the local markets and buy locally grown coconuts (and coconut oil), locally grown vanilla beans and cacao nibs and cacaco beans, luscious limes, macadamias, avocadoes, pineapples, lychees, passionfruit, mangoes, and I’ve even bought sugar cane juice that’s juiced while you wait! Even better, lots of these yummy things are given to you by friends, family and acquaintances who just have too much and need to share. Love that.

Last week I did a Thermomix demo for a lady who sent me home with a big bag full of limes and bunches of fresh herbs and rocket from her garden. At other times I’ve come home with a box of vine ripened tomatoes, pumpkin, avocadoes, lychees and mangoes. I get given bags of passionfruit, boxes of black sapotes, chokos and lettuces. I always say to my husband, ‘There’s really no way you could starve living here. Why would anyone want to live in the city??’ Besides, where in the city can you walk around the corner from your house and see views like this…

quirky cooking scenery atherton tablelands

But I digress… back to the cheesecake.

So the other day I thought I should make something with some of the limes filling my fruit basket, and the avocados from mum’s tree. I really wanted something a bit special, as I had a photo shoot with an online magazine on Friday (Confetti Mag – 1st issue, coming out in May, stay tuned!), and I thought something made with local ingredients would be a good thing to photograph. (We ended up choosing something else to make, and we had lots of fun cooking and taking photos! Two of my favourite things to do.)

photo shoot quirky cooking
Photo shoot fun with Honey from Confetti Mag

I remembered a lime and avocado tart I’d made last year and really enjoyed, but I felt it needed to be creamier and less… well… tart! Okay, I know ‘raw lime cheesecakes’ are all over the internet and I didn’t really need to make up another recipe, but I just like to play. I did get some inspiration from this lovely raw lime tart from Fragrant Vanilla Cake (a blog you really should visit if you’re into raw food, vegan food, or just delicious desserts) – but I ended up changing it to make the most of some of our lovely local produce, plus whatever I had on hand.

raw macadamia lime cheesecake quirky cooking

 

It turned out amaaaaazing!!

My husband is very partial to a good cheesecake, and was very sceptical that my dairy free version would be something he’d want to eat… But after one bite he changed his tune and begged for more.

I had a lot of ‘drop-ins’ that day, and each one had to taste my cheesecake. I made them. (They didn’t argue.) They all agreed it was a gem of a recipe, and they all told me I should save it for my book. But being the kind and generous blogger that I am, I dedided to go ahead and share it. And besides, I was a bit worried that after getting 235 comments on the photo I posted on Facebook, plus many private messages, asking for the recipe, I might have a riot if I didn’t share!! (But I will have to start being a bit more secretive with new recipes I think, or there won’t be any surprises left for the book!)

Consider this your Easter present from me. I think it would make a great Easter Sunday treat… because as much as I love chocolate, it can get a little ‘overdone’ at Easter time. I’m thinking lime will be a good change.

raw macadamia lime cheesecake quirky cooking

 So here it is, the long-awaited recipe…

Oh, and just a couple of tips: buy the macadamia pieces, they’re heaps cheaper than whole nuts and you don’t need whole nuts for this recipe. And use organic or homegrown limes if possible, as you don’t really want to be eating the zest from limes sprayed with pesticides. Just my opinion.

Raw Macadamia Lime 'Cheesecake'
2014-06-29 05:22:15
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Base
  1. 130g raw macadamia nuts (either unsoaked, or soaked and dehydrated)
  2. 70g organic shredded or flaked coconut (additive free)
  3. 8 fresh dates (eg. Medjool), pitted
  4. a pinch of fine Himalayan salt
Filling
  1. 2 vanilla beans, snipped into 4 pieces (can use 1 bean in a pinch)
  2. zest from 2 limes (just peel off with a sharp potato peeler)
  3. 150g raw cashews*
  4. flesh of 1 lime
  5. 320g fresh avocados (or frozen, cut in 1-2cm cubes)
  6. 100g pure maple syrup
  7. 55g coconut oil
  8. a pinch of fine Himalayan salt
Topping
  1. 150g raw macadamias (soaked for a few hours, then drained and dried off a bit)
  2. 150g Ayam coconut cream (or other thick coconut cream)
  3. 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
  4. juice of 1 lime
  5. 30g pure maple syrup
Decoration
  1. a good sized handful of macadamia nuts, roughly chopped (if you haven't bought them already in pieces)
  2. zest of one lime, grated with a zester
Base
  1. Grind all the base ingredients up together in the Thermomix on speed 9 for 20 seconds, or until finely ground.
  2. Grease the inside of a 20cm springform cake tin with coconut oil. Press the base mixture firmly into the base of the tin, and up the sides if you like. Set aside.
Filling
  1. Blitz vanilla beans and lime zest on speed 10 for 10 seconds.
  2. Add cashews and grind on speed 10 for 8 seconds.
  3. Add remaining ingredients and blend on speed 9 for 1 minute, scraping down as needed, until lovely and smooth.
  4. Pour filling into springform tin, spreading over the base. Place in freezer for at least half an hour.
Topping
  1. Mix together all ingredients for the topping until smooth on speed 9
  2. Pour over filling and smooth with spatula.
Decoration
  1. While topping is still soft, before freezing, add extra macadamia nuts and lime zest for decoration, sprinkling first the nuts, then the zest, around the edge of the cheesecake. (See photos)
  2. Place the finished cheesecake, covered with a plastic bag, in the freezer and leave it alone for at least 2 hours, preferably more. It's best eaten semi-frozen.
Notes
  1. If using soaked raw cashews, only soak for up to 6 hours, drain well and pat dry with tea towel, then mix with the other ingredients (lime, avocado, etc) all at once, blending until smooth.
Quirky Cooking https://www.quirkycooking.com.au/
raw macadamia lime cheesecake
Just look at those lovely little vanilla bean seeds in the filling…. Mmmm!
raw macadamia lime cheesecake quirky cooking
Tags: coconut creamcoconut oildairy freedessertsEasterEgg FreeGluten FreeholidayNaturally SweetenedRawThermomixVegan
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Comments 39

  1. Carmen says:
    5 years ago

    Love this one Jo, looks impressive but seems so easy to make… Definitely added to my cooking / baking list this weekend. Thanks.

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      You’re very welcome Carmen! 🙂

      Reply
  2. lany says:
    5 years ago

    How long will this keep in the freezer?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      5 years ago

      For a few months.

      Reply
  3. Sascha says:
    5 years ago

    Wow, this looks delicious! I would love to make this, but my son cannot eat cashews, due to an allergy. The only tree nuts he can eat are macadamia, almond, pine nuts and brazil nuts. Which one of these would make the best substitute for the cashews please? A combination of almond and macadamia??
    PS – I made your Best Ever Butter Chicken today, and it was amazing.
    Thank you x

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      5 years ago

      I would use macadamias! Blanched almonds would be fine too. So glad you liked the butter chicken!! x

      Reply
    • Leticia says:
      4 years ago

      I’ve been using brazil nuts instead of cashews in raw cakes lately and they go even creamier than macadamias.

      Reply
  4. Hannah says:
    5 years ago

    Yum! What a gorgeous recipe. I would love to try this for Christmas but I don’t have a Thermomix. So could I use a food processor and generally follow the same pattern? Thank you

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      5 years ago

      Yes for sure!

      Reply
  5. Jacinta Jamieson says:
    5 years ago

    Hi Jo
    I made the macadamia and lime cheesecake for Christmas. My filling turned out too tart. I am going to deconstruct the cake and try adding something to filling to save it. Was thinking of adding lemon juice. What do you think? Thank you

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      5 years ago

      I would add some more honey or maple syrup – if you add more lemon juice it will be even more tart!

      Reply
  6. Louina says:
    5 years ago

    Hi Jo, about to make this but only have 280g of macadamias all up. Can I substitute the base with cashews or should I just skip the garnish? Thanks!

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      5 years ago

      You can use cashews in the base! Any nuts really. 🙂

      Reply
      • Marie says:
        5 years ago

        Hi Jo, wondering if I could somehow do this nut free? I’m wanting to make it and freeze it in portions for school lunch boxes.

        Thank you!

        Reply
        • QuirkyJo says:
          5 years ago

          Yes, you could use sunflower seeds instead of the nuts. 🙂

          Reply
  7. elayna says:
    5 years ago

    Hi Jo
    I can’t eat nuts, can you suggest something i could use to substitute them.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      5 years ago

      Yes, you can use sunflower seeds or coconut cream instead of the nuts and water.

      Reply
  8. Claire says:
    5 years ago

    Hi just wondering if this is gluten free. I’m going to make it for a dinner part . Tia
    Claire

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      Sure is! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Fleur says:
    5 years ago

    Hi Jo, I am about to make this. Could I substitute vanilla bean paste for the vanilla beans?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      5 years ago

      Yes, for sure!

      Reply
  10. Kate says:
    4 years ago

    Have you made this just with lemons instead of the limes?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      No, but give it a try and let us know what you think. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Miranda says:
    4 years ago

    Hi Jo, I made this amazing cheesecake a couple weeks ago it is divine. Can I make it & leave in freezer until I need it (5 days?)

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      Hi Miranda! Sorry for the delayed reply!! Yes, you can certainly make it ahead of time and keep it in the freezer. xx

      Reply
  12. Sky says:
    4 years ago

    Honey instead of maple syrup? Would it be the same amount? Would honey make it sweeter?
    Thanks! X

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      4 years ago

      I use the same amount, but just add a little less and taste it and see what you think!

      Reply
  13. Mandy says:
    4 years ago

    Hi, when you refer to vanilla beans do you mean blend the whole 2 vanilla beans ??? Thx!

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      Hi Mandy! Yes, that is correct. 🙂

      Reply
  14. Therese says:
    3 years ago

    Could I swap the avocado for mango? Would I then leave out the maple syrup? I have lots of ripe mangoes to use up and avocados are still so expensive here!

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      I think so, taste it without the maple syrup and see if you think you need to add any. It would probably need to be served a bit frozen as mangoes won’t be as firm as avo.

      Reply
  15. Nicola Hone says:
    3 years ago

    Do you know how much vanilla powder I would use instead of 2 beans please?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      Hi Nicola! 🙂 I would use about 1 tsp vanilla powder. xx

      Reply
  16. Emma Absalom says:
    3 years ago

    Hi Jo, for the avocados is it 320g of the flesh or 320g before they are cut, skinned and deseeded?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      3 years ago

      Hi Emma! 🙂 320g is the weight of the flesh, skinned and deseeded.

      Reply
  17. Lyndel says:
    2 years ago

    Hi Jo what can i sub for the dates please?

    Reply
    • QuirkyJo says:
      1 year ago

      The dates in the base of this dessert are there for both sweetness and stickiness (to hold the base together!). Other dried fruits such as raisins or figs will work as well but if these aren’t on the menu for you I would recommend trying some honey or coconut sugar and coconut oil to achieve the same effect (quantities will take a bit of experimentation).

      Reply
  18. Kim says:
    11 months ago

    Hi what is the nutrition please?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Quirky Cooking Team says:
      7 months ago

      Dear Kim. Apologies but we do not have nutritional value for this recipe. We are very sorry.

      Reply

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Sometimes you just need an afternoon snack to keep Sometimes you just need an afternoon snack to keep you going. Right? 😊 This is my Cashew Honey Custard (starch free) with wild blueberries 🫐🍯 - you can watch me make this in my stories today. 

You will find the recipe on my blog, or tap on this photo via the link in my profile. I swapped the tapioca for gelatine (for a more gut-friendly version), and added an extra egg. Don’t strain out the pulp when you make the cashew milk as it helps to thicken the custard. This custard can also be made egg free, see notes below the recipe. And to make on the stovetop, just whisk all the ingredients in a pan over medium heat until thickened.

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Macadamia Pesto

1-2 garlic cloves
160g raw macadamia nuts or cashews
60g fresh basil leaves
½ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
60g extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for storage
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
60g Parmesan cheese or 2 tsp savoury yeast flakes (opt)

Thermomix Method
Place all ingredients into TM bowl and pulse 4 times 1 sec/closed lid/Turbo.
Transfer pesto into a glass jar, drizzle some extra olive oil on top to seal from the air, and keep in the fridge.

Conventional Method
Chop garlic and nuts in a food processor until roughly chopped. 
Add remaining ingredients and process until desired texture is achieved.

Storage
Store in a glass jar in the fridge for approximately 1 week, or freeze for 3-4 months.

Variations
Nut free: Swap macadamias for a mixture of pepitas and sunflower seeds.
Salad dressing: To make this into a salad dressing, add 50g more olive oil, and the juice of 1 whole lemon instead of the 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Blend until desired texture is achieved.

#pesto #macadamia #cashew #nutfree #dairyfree #variations #recipe #quirkycooking #homemade #dip #snack
We had a family adventure this weekend - sailing o We had a family adventure this weekend - sailing out to a local island on a 65 year old wooden pearl lugger @fallareef! We were planning to go to the outer reef,  but it was so rough we only made it to Fitzroy Island. That’s ok though, we had an amazing day (despite a few getting seasick from the crazy ride 😂), sailing, swimming, snorkelling, singing... So special to have some bonding time with grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins and friends. ❤️ Covid lockdowns really make you appreciate these times sooooo much more!!

I highly recommend taking time out of your busy life to go on adventures with your family whenever you can. Making memories together is so worth the time and effort. The kids say that was the best Christmas present EVER!! 🎉🎉 (It was a little late because we had to fit it in between wet season storms and cyclones. 😂)

Lots of videos in my stories. 💙 Last photo of @just_acountrygal_  by @_thissmallcorner. 

#makememoriesnotexcuses #adventure #family #mykids #friends #familyadventure #quirkyadventure #farnorthqueensland #australia #discoverqueensland #seeaustralia #seequeensland #visitqueensland #tropicalnorthqueensland #fnqlife #discoveraustralia
How are you going so far this year with reaching y How are you going so far this year with reaching your health goals? If you’re feeling stuck and need some help working out how to improve your health, or how to cook for a healing diet, or what to do when you don’t even know where to BEGIN — we’d love to help! 

The Gut Health Formula is an 8 week coaching program run by myself and @elysenutritionist. We are big believers in taking a gentle, holistic, long-term approach towards healing the gut, beginning with reducing food and lifestyle stress, organising your time, working out your health priorities, and taking steps towards optimising the nutrition of your meals... all in a way that won’t overwhelm you or stress your family out! 

For 8 weeks we work with you, answering all your questions and guiding you towards the most important first steps. Then for the next 12 months you have access to the program so you can soak it all in without rushing, and we stay in contact via our private program community group.

Tomorrow we begin our 4th intake for The Gut Health Formula! We invite you to join us if you need support, encouragement, and practical help on your healing journey. 🤗

Find out more by tapping on this photo via the link in my profile.

PS It’s not about fad diets or hardcore detoxes!!
When trying to optimise the health of yourself and your family, the focus can become very narrow, and you can find yourself spiralling in an approach that is creating unhealthy patterns in other areas of your life (social, emotional etc) and also creating an unhealthy relationship with food. Health was never intended to be this way. We will guide you in an approach that considers EVERY aspect of your health (with nutrition being just one piece of the puzzle), keeping in mind the ultimate goal- which isn’t to do things ‘perfectly’, but rather to optimise health and longevity for yourself and your family. To be the healthiest, happiest most vital humans that you can be. That is the ultimate goal right? ❤️

Visit https://www.wellbellyhealth.com.au/the-gut-health-formula
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Copyright Notice

I love it when my readers are as excited about my recipes as I am, and want to share them! I only ask that if you do share my recipes on your own blog or on social media, you only share an excerpt or link, not the entire recipe. Full and clear credit must be given to Quirky Cooking with a link back to the original content. If you’d like to share one of my photos, please contact me for permission. Thank you! Jo x

Recent posts

  • Stress-Free Catering for Special Diets February 10, 2021
  • Gut-Healthy Chocolate Caramel Slice February 5, 2021
  • Gluten Free Sourdough Bread (and Starter) June 19, 2020

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