Slightly sour with a marbled ruby interior and berrylike flesh, blood oranges peak in early spring. In this Silky Chocolate Blood Orange Cheesecake, they’re paired with rich chocolate and creamy cashews for a perfectly sweet, seasonal ending to any spring feast.
Out for blood (oranges)
If you can’t hunt down blood oranges, feel free to use standard navel oranges instead.
Silky Chocolate Blood Orange Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup packed, pitted Medjool dates (about 8)
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 2 cups raw unsalted cashews, soaked overnight in water, drained and rinsed
- ⅔ cup coconut oil, melted
- ¼ cup maple syrup, plus more to drizzle
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- Zest of 1 blood orange
- ¼ cup blood orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 blood orange, cut into thin rounds, for serving
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories542
- protein10g
- fat42g
- carbs42g
- sugar26g
- fiber5g
- sodium153mg
Directions
01
Line 7 in springform pan with a round of parchment paper. Set aside.
To make crust:
In food processor, pulse walnuts until rough flour is formed. Add dates and salt, pulsing until fully combined. Firmly press into bottom of prepared pan. Chill while preparing filling.
To make filling:
In food processor, blend cashews until creamy. Add remaining ingredients, blending until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into prepared crust. Freeze for at least 6 hours.
To serve, run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Unhinge pan and place cheesecake on serving platter. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 to 20 minutes, or until soft enough to slice.
Garnish each piece with a slice of blood orange and drizzle with additional maple syrup to sweeten, if desired.
Leftovers can be kept well covered in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Allison Day, RHN, is a nutritionist, blogger, and cookbook author. Check out her cookbooks, Whole Bowls and Purely Pumpkin (Skyhorse Publishing, 2016).
