Butterfly pea cheesecake you say? Does this mean that I am eating a butterfly?!
Fortunately, no! Butterfly pea is a common name for beautifully colored species of flower called the Clitoria ternatea flower. Yes you read that right.
This delicate flower is picked and then dried and ground into a fine powder to be used in foods and even drank as a tea. It’s vibrant color comes from its antioxidant content. So, it is good for your health!
What else makes my butterfly pea cheesecake healthy:
- Almonds, walnuts & cashews: nuts are an excellent source of healthy fats and fiber! We know these are necessary for gut health and ultimately mental health.
- Pitted dates & date syrup: Those delicious tasting dates are actually high in nutrients! They are a great replacement for sweetener. But, they are also rich in various nutrients like: fiber, potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, and vitamin B 6. They also are high in antioxidants to help fight disease and free radical damage!
- Cacao powder: In comparison to coco powder, the cacao is the raw and unprocessed coco bean. Meaning, you get all those benefits! They are an excellent source of a class of antioxidants called polyphenols. Polyphenols are also found in fruits, vegetables, tea, and wine. They help protect our bodies from toxins and age-related diseases.
- Probiotic drink or kefir are both rich sources of probiotics! Read my article about other sources of probiotics for your gut.
- Coconut oil is a great natural replacement for over-processed and conventional vegetable oil. It is a source of medium chain fats, which are quickly processed by your liver for energy. (as long as eaten in moderation).
- Lemon juice is high in vitamin C! Vitamin C is not only an essential nutrient, but it also is a powerful antioxidant! It is necessary for collagen, skin, and hair health since it is needed for collagen to work properly.
Now, it’s time to make the butterfly pea cheesecake! Before you make them, you will want to have soaked 2 cups of cashews overnight. If you didn’t do this, read below on a work-around. Soaking the cashews IS necessary for that creamy “cheesecake like” texture.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN BUTTERFLY PEA CHEESECAKE
STEP 1: Prepare the crust
Start by adding the almonds, pitted dates, cacao powder, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon to a blender. Pulse until combined but still crumbly.
Divide the crust ingredients evenly between the 6 tart molds. Press into the bottom and up the sides. Set aside while you prepare your filling.
STEP 2: Prepare the cashew cheesecake filling
Next, clean out your blender or food processor.
Add the soaked cashews. If you didn’t soak your cashews overnight, you can soak them in hot water ~1 hour before blending them. Soaking them is necessary for them to soften and be able to blend into the creamy “cheesecake” like texture.
You will see this time I used cashews and walnuts for my butterfly pea cheesecake filling. This is because I happened to buy a mixed bag of nuts. But, you can just use 2 cups of cashews, which is what I use for the majority of my recipes!
Add the melted coconut oil, the probiotic drink, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, date syrup, juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon butterfly pea powder. The probiotic drink can be substituted for kefir or even a plant based milk like cashew milk or soy milk.
I like to add the coconut oil last into my blender. The coconut oil can become hard again if you just removed your probiotic drink from the fridge and it is very cold.
Pulse the filling until smooth and creamy.
Divide the filling evenly between the 6 molds. Making sure you smooth the top.
Optional: Decorate/design your butterfly pea tarts
**Optional: you can mix a little more butterfly pea powder into the probiotic drink and swirl it into the top of your tart for a fun look!
When butterfly pea powder mixes with an acid, like lemon juice, its color changes from blue to purple! If you are looking for more of a blue treat, you can substitute blue spirulina here. Both of these powders can be found on the foods section of my Amazon Shop account.
Storage of butterfly pea cheesecake
Place them in the freezer for 2 hours or overnight.
Thaw them at room temperature for 15 minutes before eating for the best texture.
Store them in the freezer for up to a month in an airtight container.
Looking for more no bake vegan cheesecake recipes? Try these fan favorites!
- Chocolate Fudge Mini Cheesecake with Peanut Buter whip
- Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes
- Dulce De Leche Cheesecake
- Raw Vegan Strawberry Cashew Cheesecake
- Vegan Mango Cheesecake
- Butterfly Pea Cheesecake
- Blueberry Cheesecake with Almond Crust
- Pink Pitaya Vegan Cheesecake
If you try this Vegan Butterfly Pea Cheesecake Recipe, please let me know your thoughts by leaving a rating and comment below! Ready for more? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube!
Butterfly Pea Cheesecake: GF, DF, Vegan
Ingredients
For the Almond Crust:
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup pitted dates
- ¼ cup cacao powder or coco powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Butterfly Pea Cheesecake Filling:
- 2 cups soaked cashews and walnuts *
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup mixed berry probiotic drink **
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup date syrup
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon butterfly pea powder ***
- Swirl in top:
- More probiotic + butterfly pea powder
Instructions
- Start by adding the almonds, pitted dates, cacao powder, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon to a blender. Pulse until combined but still crumbly. (See pictures above)
- Divide the crust ingredients evenly between the 6 tart molds. Press into the bottom and up the sides. Set aside while you prepare your filling.
- Next, clean out your blender or food processor.
- Add the soaked cashews. (If you did not soak your cashews overnight, see the notes below for a quick work-around. ) Add the melted coconut oil, the probiotic drink, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, date syrup, juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon butterfly pea powder.
- Pulse the filling until smooth and creamy.
- Divide the filling evenly between the 6 molds. Making sure you smooth the top.
- **Optional: you can mix a little more butterfly pea powder into the probiotic drink and swirl it into the top of your tart for a fun look!
- Place them in the freezer for 2 hours or overnight.
- Thaw them at room temperature for 15 minutes before eating for the best texture.
- Store them in the freezer for up to a month in an airtight container.
Notes
*If you didn’t soak your cashews overnight, you can soak them in hot water ~1 hour before blending them. Soaking them is necessary for them to soften and be able to blend into the creamy “cheesecake” like texture. You will see this time I used cashews and walnuts. This is because I happened to buy a mixed bag of nuts. But, you can just use 2 cups of cashews, which is what I use for the majority of my recipes!
**The probiotic drink can be substituted for kefir or even a plant based milk like cashew milk or soy milk.
***When butterfly pea powder mixes with an acid, like lemon juice, its color changes from blue to purple! If you are looking for more of a blue treat, you can substitute blue spirulina here. Both of these powders can be found on the foods section of my Amazon Shop account. Nutrition facts for any recipe on thehintofrosemary is only an estimate and never guaranteed.
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