My dairy-free mango cheesecake is the perfect summer dessert. It has a nutty coconut base, with a very creamy filling flavoured with cacao butter giving a slight white chocolate flavour and ripples of mango through the middle and on top. This delicious paleo cheesecake is free of gluten, grains, dairy, refined sugars and is also vegan.
* Please click on the green icon next to the ingredients listed below for extra details and helpful information.
Place the cashews and macadamias for the filling into a bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside to soak for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, prepare the base. Line the base of a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper. Place your sheet of baking paper over the base and clip the sides closed, leaving a little hanging out.
Add all the base ingredients to a food processor and blend for 20 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Blend for a further 20 seconds or until the almonds have broken up and the mixture sticks together when squeezed between your fingers. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and spread out evenly and press firmly into the base. Place in the freezer while you make the filling.
Add the mango flesh and water to a high-speed blender and blend until you have a smooth puree. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
To make the filling, wipe out the food processor or rinse the blender. Drain the nuts and rinse well, place the nuts into your machine and blend to chop the nuts into tiny pieces. Add the coconut milk, maple syrup, cacao butter, lemon zest and juice, vanilla and salt.
Blend for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides, then blend for a further 20 - 30 seconds until you have a smooth creamy texture with no gritty bits (it may take a little longer when using a food processor).
Pour half the filling over the frozen base. Use a small spoon to place scattered spoonfuls of mango puree on top of the filling. Using a skewer, run it through the mango to create ripples of mango through the white filling. Gently pour over the remaining filling so the middle layer of mango stays in place. Spoon the remaining mango in small dollops over the top and run the skewer through making ripples.
Place in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight to firm up, or you can pop in the freezer for 1.5 hours.
To serve, run a knife around the inside of the tin sides and gently remove the spring side. Slide off the paper and place on a serving plate. Spoon over the passionfruit if using and slice into serving sizes.
If making well ahead, once frozen cover the whole tin with cling wrap twice and keep frozen until ready to serve. Allow to sit out at room temperature to thaw before serving or leave in the fridge overnight to soften.
Almonds have 240mg of calcium in 50gms, as much as is found in 200ml of milk. Nuts are a great protein snack. Eat them raw or activated and it's best to avoid store bought roasted nuts that have been cooked in canola, sunflower or similar vegetable oils. When ground finely almonds make a wonderful nut meal/flour for grain-free baking.
In the majority of my recipes where I use dried coconut, I have used finely-shredded desiccated coconut (unless I have stated otherwise). Make sure you are purchasing unsweetened and organic - many regular brands contain preservatives (sulphur dioxide).
I am sure you will notice as you read my recipes that cinnamon appears quite frequently. It lends itself to savoury and sweet dishes. I have used ground cinnamon in my recipes if not stated otherwise. The best cinnamon to use is Ceylon (Verum). It has huge health benefits in regulating blood sugar levels. Cinnamon has antifungal properties and candida (yeast overgrowth) cannot live in a cinnamon environment. Added to food it inhibits bacterial growth, making it a natural food preservative and these are just a few of the benefits.
Organic unbleached, unrefined organic Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan salt is my salt of choice as these contain healthy minerals and trace elements that our body needs. Regular table salt has been bleached, refined and processed leaving minimal health benefits. If you choose to use regular table salt in my recipes you will need to reduce the quantity or the end result will be to salty.
Coconut oil is one of the most nutritious fats to cook and bake with. Use organic extra-virgin coconut oil which is unrefined and unbleached from non GMO coconuts. Coconut oil has a high smoking point and it is slow to oxidize due to its high saturated fat content, thus, resistant to going rancid. Some studies suggest coconut oil helps with digestion, including irritable bowel, tummy bugs, candida and parasites due to this oil containing short term medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs), which is a healthy form of saturated fat.
Maple syrup is an earthy, sweet tasting amber liquid that is produced by boiling down the sap of maple trees. Use organic 100% maple syrup which is a natural food sweetener, not a flavoured maple syrup. Pure maple syrup contains a decent amount of some minerals, especially manganese and zinc, some traces of potassium and calcium but it does contain a whole bunch of sugar. I try to reduced the amount of sweetness in each recipe to the lowest possible without compromising taste. Feel free to adjust to your liking. I use maple syrup in place of raw honey when I don't want the strong honey flavour coming through in a recipe. I have paleo cookies and desserts in my cookbook made from whole food ingredients with natural sugars but please don’t overindulge. Use as a treat only for special occasions.
Cashews work well in a paleo lifestyle, as they are so versatile. They can be used to make dairy free milk, cashew butter, cashew cream or sour cream, dips and many more. Where possible, it is best to soak nuts before using to assist with digestion. Eat them raw but in moderation as they are quite high in omega 6. Stay away from store bought roasted nuts that have been cooked in canola, sunflower or similar vegetable oils.
Macadamia nuts are tree nuts that have a subtle, butter-like flavour and creamy texture. The Macadamia tree is indigenous to Australia. Macadamias are full of heart-healthy fats, they have more omega 3 fats than any other nut. They are also rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. There is no need to soak macadamias like many other nuts and they make a very creamy delicious dairy-free milk.
I use this extensively throughout my recipes; from soups to dinners to desserts and cakes. I think it is the best dairy-free alternative. It gives so much flavour and creaminess to a wide variety of dishes. See coconut milk recipe on page 299 of The JOYful Table cookbook. If purchasing in the can read your labels, even some organic brands contain gums and thickeners, choose full-fat not low-fat versions. I use Honest To Goodness organic cream 400ml and Ayam which isn't organic but has no additives or thickeners and is much creamier and thicker than other brands (that's why I love it), it comes in 400ml, 270ml and 140ml size cans.
Maple syrup is an earthy, sweet tasting amber liquid that is produced by boiling down the sap of maple trees. Use organic 100% maple syrup which is a natural food sweetener, not a flavoured maple syrup. Pure maple syrup contains a decent amount of some minerals, especially manganese and zinc, some traces of potassium and calcium but it does contain a whole bunch of sugar. I try to reduced the amount of sweetness in each recipe to the lowest possible without compromising taste. Feel free to adjust to your liking. I use maple syrup in place of raw honey when I don't want the strong honey flavour coming through in a recipe. I have paleo cookies and desserts in my cookbook made from whole food ingredients with natural sugars but please don’t overindulge. Use as a treat only for special occasions.
Raw organic cacao butter is also known as chocolate butter. It is used to make chocolate, truffles and desserts. Raw cacao butter is made by cold pressing ground cacao to prevent the lost of vital nutrients and separates the thick and creamy butter from the fibrous powder. It sets firm and gives a rich chocolate flavour. Choose certified organic, cold-pressed and non-gmo, my favourite brands are Chefs Choice or Lovingearth. Cacao butter is high in antioxidants, healthy fats and is a good mood support.
The lemon is a citrus fruit which makes it high in vitamin C. Lemons have a distinctive sour taste which makes it a key ingredient in drinks and foods. The pulp and rind (zest) are also used in cooking and baking.
The lemon is a citrus fruit which makes it high in vitamin C. Lemons have a distinctive sour taste which makes it a key ingredient in drinks and foods. The pulp and rind (zest) are also used in cooking and baking.
Use an organic vanilla extract (not an essence) or vanilla powder. Vanilla makes a big difference to the flavour of a recipe, I recommend keeping to the quantities I have stated in a recipe. I prefer Madagascar pure vanilla extract manufactured by ‘Simply Organic’ and for powder, Vanillamax 100% pure, finely ground Madagascar vanilla beans produced by Bulletproof.
Organic unbleached, unrefined organic Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan salt is my salt of choice as these contain healthy minerals and trace elements that our body needs. Regular table salt has been bleached, refined and processed leaving minimal health benefits. If you choose to use regular table salt in my recipes you will need to reduce the quantity or the end result will be to salty.
If possible purchase locally grown mango. Mangoes have been named the most widely consumed fruit in the world. They contain over 20 vitamins and minerals. Some of the possible health benefits include a decreased risk of macular degeneration, decreased risk of colon cancer, improvement in digestion and bone health, plus skin and hair.
I feel it's much better for our health if we filter our water. Our tap water contains disinfectants, chlorine and chloramine. Also floride is add which I believe is toxin to our bodies.
Passion fruit contains a soft pulp and lots of seeds inside a hard rind. People can eat the seeds and pulp, juice it, or add the fruit to other juices and it's delicious in desserts. Passion fruit has recently gained a lot of attention because it is a rich source of powerful antioxidants. It contains high levels of vitamin A, which is important for skin, vision, and the immune system, and vitamin C, which is an important antioxidant and is a good source of fibre.