Cashew Lemon Cheesecake Protein Cups
These cashew lemon protein cups taste just as delicious as ‘regular’ cheesecake. There are 3 layers: a nutty chocolatey base sweetened with dates, a smooth, creamy cashew lemony layer all topped with caramel sauce. Oh my!
Servings 12
Ingredients
Base Crust
- 1 cup almonds, pecans or walnuts or a mix
- 1 cup dates, soaked 30 minutes and drained
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cashew Lemon Cheesecake Layer
- 2 cups cashews, soaked 3+hours and drained
- 1 13.5 oz can coconut cream, full fat (solid part only) *see note below
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 scoops protein or collagen peptides powder
- 1-2 lemons, juice and zest (depending on how lemon-y you prefer)
Caramel Topping
- 1 cup Caramel Sauce –store bought or healthy homemade recipe below in notes
- Optional: coarse salt flakes for sprinkling (if you like your caramel salted).
Instructions
- Note: Place the can of coconut cream in the fridge or freezer for at least 1-2 hours before making this recipe to allow coconut cream to separate.If you are going to make your own healthy homemade caramel sauce do this first so it is ready when you go to serve your cheesecake protein cups.
Base Crust
- Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper or silicon liners and set aside. Or use a silicon muffin pan.Place almonds and coconut into a food processer and process until broken down and crumbly. Add dates, cocoa and vanilla and continue to process until mixture is sticky and well combined. Be careful not to over process as its nice to have texture variance and different sized “bits” in your cheesecake cups.Evenly distribute the mix to the 12 muffin liners and evenly spread out. Set aside.
Cashew Lemon Cheesecake Filling
- Open chilled can and scoop out the cream that has separated and set hard on the top. Save the remaining coconut water to use in a smoothie, drink, or discard.Place all filling ingredients, cashews, coconut cream, coconut oil, honey, protein powder, lemon juice and zest into the food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Depending on the power of your blender this might take a few minutes. Stop blending to scrape the sides and continue to blend until very smooth. Taste test add more honey or lime if you think it needs it.Evenly distribute the mix to the 12 muffin liners, spooning 1-2 tablespoons of the filling into each muffin cup on top of the chilled crust. Spread evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon, then place back in the refrigerator.Transfer the muffin tin to the freezer and freeze for a least one hour to harden.
Caramel Topping
- You can either top the cheesecakes with the caramel sauce after it's been in the freezer for 30 minutes (once the top hardens a little) and then return back into the freezer and allow it to chill and set fully for at least 2-3 hours. Alternatively you can just allow the cheesecake to chill fully and then top with the caramel layer later just before eating. Prior to serving, sprinkle with a hint of coarse salt on top and enjoy!For best results ,enjoy after the hour of freezing, or keep frozen and allow ~20 minutes to defrost before enjoying for up to one month.
Notes
Homemade Coconut Caramel Sauce
A thick, luxurious coconut caramel sauce - all you need is a can of coconut milk or cream and a few wholesome pantry staples. Sweet and gooey, just like it should be yet way healthier than anything store bought that is likely to be packed with refined sugar, corn syrup and heaven knows what other unhealthy ingredients.
Its so easy to make your own silky smooth, healthy caramel sauce with just 5 ingredients: cooked in one pot until thickened to desired consistency
Easy, creamy, and healthier - made with all-natural ingredients and goes with everything you pour it over! It’s truly a magical thing. You will never want store-bought again.
Go here for the recipe:
