recipes

Elderberry Cheesecake Bites Recipe With Black Elderberry Syrup

Published on September 05, 2015


These raw vegan treats are simple to make yet elegant enough to turn any day into a special occasion. The only sweetener is Gaia Herbs Black Elderberry Syrup.

Serves 12

1 hour to prepare

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1/3 cup pitted dates, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes then drained
  • 2/3 cup raw walnuts
  • Pinch sea salt 

Filling:

  • ¾ cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes then drained
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 5 tablespoons melted coconut oil, plus more for the pans
  • ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk, chilled
  • ¼ cup Gaia Herbs Black Elderberry Syrup, divided

Note: You can use two muffin tins (mini or regular size) or a loaf pan to make this recipe.

Preparation:

  1. Place the dates and walnuts in a food processor and pulse until they are finely chopped and combined. Add the salt and pulse again.
  2. Coat the pans with coconut oil, then press the crust mixture into the bottom until it is an even thickness of about ¼ inch. For a mini muffin tin, that should be about 1 teaspoon per well; for a regular muffin tin, 1 tablespoon; for the loaf pan, the entire batch.
  3. Place in the freezer while you make the filling.
  4. Place the cashews, juices, coconut oil and coconut milk in a blender. Pulse to combine, then blend until smooth.

To Create Layers:

  1. Divide the filling equally among three bowls. Stir 3 tablespoons of Black Elderberry Syrup into the first bowl and one tablespoon into the second bowl. Keep the third one plain.
  2. Remove the crusts from the freezer. Pour the plain bowl of filling onto the crust and use an offset spatula to smooth it out. Freeze for 10-15 minutes, then repeat with the other two bowls of filling. Freeze for at least one hour.

To Create Swirls:

  1. Carefully pour the filling on top of the crust. (For a mini muffin tin, that should be about 2 teaspoons per well; for a regular muffin tin, 2 tablespoons; for the loaf pan, the entire batch.) Drizzle the Black Elderberry Syrup onto each one, then use a toothpick to create swirls on top. Freeze for at least one hour.
  2. To serve: If freezing for longer than an hour, remove from the freezer one hour before serving. Slice the cheesecake into 12 pieces or remove the bites from the muffin pans. Drizzle with more Black Elderberry Syrup, if desired.

Each portion contains a 1 teaspoon daily serving of Gaia Herbs Black Elderberry Syrup.