The next layer is a rich, dense ganache, made with chocolate, coconut oil, raw cacao powder, and coconut milk. You could use all walnuts or all pecans, but I like the mix of the two so that you don’t have an overwhelming flavor from one or the other. This triple layered cheesecake starts off with a crunchy crust, made of pecans, walnuts, and a few dates. He polished that piece of in a flash and declared these little cheesecakes his ‘new’ favorite dessert. So he did….and he still wasn’t sure! So imagine his surprise when I listed off the ingredients. Well, this definitely isn’t one of your healthy desserts”. I brought my Dad a slice and he said “uh-oh.

I usually preface the serving of my desserts with a quick explanation of what it’s made of, mostly because I’m so proud of making something so sweet yet nutritious. I brought this cheesecake over on Sunday as my dessert contribution and decided to test that question out. But it looks so decadent and rich that, be honest, would you really think it was made with such ingredients by looking at it? It’s made with nothing but nourishing, plant-based ingredients with a little bit of organic maple syrup to sweeten. Plant-based foods and desserts have made themselves a permanent part of our diet and I wouldn’t have it any other way. No longer refined sugar-laden or vegetable oil-soaked. My Dad still cooks the meal each week, but now it consists of some sort of fish (usually salmon), and a wide variety of vegetables (the green beans sauteed with bell peppers are my favorite).īut even my desserts have changed. My grandmother has passed on now, but my Grandpa still makes his way over each week, as do several of my siblings with their spouses and children. But the one thing that has remained a constant are Sunday dinners. We’ve all moved to different places, siblings have married, our lifestyles and diets have changed, and I find myself running around chasing after four children of my own.

My Grandparents would come over and my Grandmother (who had MS) would let us ride around in her motorized scooter. I, being the oldest (of 7!) made the dessert, which would usually be a sugary cake of sorts. Growing up, my Dad would whip up an herb crusted roast, mashed potatoes & gravy, carrots with browned sugar, and butter soaked kernels of corn. It has a crunchy, chocolate nut crust, a rich chocolate ganache layer, and a layer of swirled chocolate and vanilla ‘cheesecake’.įor as long as I can remember, Sunday’s have been a day for big family dinners. *This Black Bottomed Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Cheesecake is dairy free, vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free, grain free, and raw.

Chocolate vanilla swirl