Cherries have got to be one of my most favourite fruits. They are not only delicious but also packed full of health benefits and very pretty. Cherries have been shown to help increase melatonin production to assist sleep and regulate the circadian rhythm. Cherries (particularly tart cherry juice) have also been shown to help reduce pain in the body and have been studied for their role in minimising headaches and migraines which are common for many women in the premenstrual phase. They also are a powerful antioxidant and help to increase blood flow which can help with period pain. I can’t think of a better combination than cherries and chocolate for that time of the month. This is the main reason I love healthy desserts because they not only satisfy cravings but are also so incredibly nutritious!
Cherries are not available year-round but frozen cherries are great to have on hand for sneaky raw desserts like this. Plus frozen cherries are so much easier to use because they are already pitted! If your blender is not strong enough it may help to let the frozen cherries thaw before blending. Alternatively, if you are making this dessert in the summer, you can use fresh cherries ( just make sure you remove the pits).
The recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan, refined sugar-free.
| Raw Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Bars | Print |
- BASE:
- ½ cup almonds
- ¾ cups pitted dates
- 1 TBSP sunflower seeds
- 1 TBSP cacao powder
- ROSE LAYER:
- ¾ cups raw cashews (soaked for 4 hours or overnight)
- 5 TBSP canned coconut cream
- 1 TBSP maple syrup
- ½ TBSP coconut oil
- ¼ cup frozen pitted cherries
- CHOCOLATE TOPPING:
- melted dark chocolate
- For the base, process all the ingredients in a food processor until sticky. Press down evenly into a lined square 10 cm baking tin.
- For the filling, add all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Pour over the base and set in the freezer for about 2 hours.
- Once set, cut into bars.
- Melt some dark chocolate of choice (you can use chocolate chips) over low heat and drizzle over the bars with a teaspoon. Will store in the fridge for about 3 days or will store in the freezer for months.
