Orange Dreamsicle Cheesecake {Vegan, Paleo}

Orange + vanilla cream is an absolute DREAM.

Now I get why they call it DREAMSICLE! I’m dying over this Orange Dreamsicle Cheesecake!!

This dairy-free vegan/paleo ‘cheesecake’ is brought to you by the magic of cashew cream. And I have a feeling this will easily become your FAV orange dessert ever.

LET THEM (me) EAT (cheese)CAKE!

I had to practically BEG my son to let me make him a pretty pie for his birthday, lol. He wanted a break from the raw cakes I make all the time, so I agreed to make him actual, real cupcakes for his party. Like with sugar and everything (gasp!).

But I SO wanted to make a new cheesecake (MY FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD) — especially since I couldn’t have a single bite of the cupcakes I made him (because they were full of oats, which tear up my stomach…. and more sugar than I can handle).

Well, he begrudgingly agreed, ha. And the whole family was SO glad he did. This cheesecake was declared to be one of my TOP, best, crazy good, most delicious recipes EVER. Just ask my hubby 😉

Dream On

I had pretty high expectations for this cake. And I wasn’t sure I could achieve the bold orange flavor that I wanted without having to go out and buy orange extract, or use frozen orange juice concentrate. But it happened!!

How? 3 navel oranges (for LOTS of fresh zest), and 1/3 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice. That’s all you need to give this cake AMAZING orange-y flavor. [TIP, use a microplane. Seriously life-changing.]

And just like my other cheesecake recipes, it’s SUPER easy to make (just blend & chill.) AND I’ve even learned a trick to speed up the process {see recipe below! 🙂 }

Orange Crush

Can you believe the color of these oranges? #hearteyes! The pretty orange slices give it a POP of color. So beautiful.

And to give the cheesecake filling itself a pretty little boost, I added turmeric! You can’t taste it, but it gives the cake a wonderful golden glow (instead of being a plain beige). Pretty, isn’t it?

Orange Dreamcicle Cheesecake

Dreamy creamy raw cheesecake bursting with orange flavor! You won't miss the dairy!

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Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 10 slices

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/4 cup almonds
• 3 medjool dates - about 1/3 cup
• Pinch of Himalayan pink salt
• Orange slices (from about 1/3 of an orange) - for decoration
• Splash of water to help blend, if needed

Orange Cheesecake Filling

• 2 1/8 cup raw cashews - soaked
• 1/3 cup maple syrup - to taste
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 3 Tbsp orange zest
• 1/3 cup  orange juice - freshly squeezed
• 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp turmeric - for color
• Dash of Himalayan pink salt

Optional: Whipped Coconut Cream

• 1 can Thai Kitchen coconut milk - refrigerated overnight
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• 1-2 tsp maple syrup

Instructions

To make the crust:

• Pulse ingredients in food processor until sticky crumbles form. Add a splash of water at the end if it needs help coming together.
• Press crust into a parchment-lined 7" springform pan. Press the dough up the sides about 3/4".
• Decorate the perimeter with orange slices to make it pretty!
  

To make the cheesecake:

• Soak the cashews. (overnight in a bowl of water left on the counter. OR soak in HOT water (brought to a boil first) for 2 hours.) Drain, rinse and shake cashews dry.
• Place cashews in food processor and blend for several minutes until smooth.
• Scrape down sides and add remaining ingredients (Except the coconut oil)
• Stream in the melted coconut oil & blend well. Taste and add more sweetener or zest, if needed.
• Pour cheesecake filling over crust and smooth with a spatula. Garnish the top with orange slices.
  
• Cover with foil and set in the freezer for 3 hours to solidify. Then transfer to the fridge until set (about 1-2 hours).
• When it's ready, add coconut whipped cream (see video below) and orange zest -- however much you like. Enjoy!

Notes

I used a 7" springform pan to make this cheesecake tall and pretty. If you use a larger pan, your layers and cake will be flatter/shorter.

Keep refrigerated (for a week or so) or refrigerated for 1-2 months (tightly covered).

To make whipped coconut cream, see my 1 minute video tutorial to see how easy it is! You can sweeten with just a few drops of stevia or 1-2 tsp maple syrup.

 

 

Tried this recipe?Tag @emily.likes.food #prettypies!