The directions to this recipe look so intimidating… They really aren’t, though! Blend stuff, put it in muffin cups, then freeze. That’s it! They are surprisingly dense and creamy, like a thick, whipped mousse. This recipe is adapted from Minimalist Baker. 

Ingredients

Servings: 12 cashewcakes

Crust

• 1 cup packed pitted dates (soaked)
• 1 cup raw walnuts

Filling

• 1½ cups raw cashews, soaked or quick-soaked (to quick-soak pour boiling water over the cashews and soak for 1 hour)
• 1 large lemon, juiced (about ¼ cup lemon juice)
• ⅓ cup melted unsweetened bakers chocolate
• ½ cup + 2 tbs. coconut or almond milk (you can use full fat coconut milk, but it’s not necessary)
• ½ cup agave nectar or maple syrup (tried it with agave and it was pretty good!)

Optional flavor add-ins

• 2 tbs. peanut butter (look for low-sodium, or at least no salt added, and no added oils) – if you don’t want to have chocolate-pb flavor, try finding an unsweetened white bakers chocolate instead
• ¼ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions

Add the dates to a food processor and process until it’s a chunky ball. Remove the dates and set aside, then add the walnuts and process into a fine meal. Add the dates back in with the walnuts and blend together until a loose dough forms. It should stick together when you squeeze it between your fingers. If it’s too dry, add a few more dates. If it’s too wet, add more walnuts. 

I highly recommend using a silicone muffin pan because it makes these so much easier to pop out. If you don’t have a silicone muffin pan, cut strips of parchment paper and place them in a cross shape (like a plus sign) in the bottom of each cup. 

Scoop in about a tablespoon amount of the crust into each muffin cup and press it down with your fingers. You can use the bottom of a glass to really pack it down. Place the muffin pan in the freezer to firm up the crust.

Add all the filling ingredients to a blender and mix until very VERY smooth. If it’s not smoothing out completely, try adding a little bit of lemon or agave or more of the milk.

If you’re adding peanut butter, add it to the blender mix and blend until thoroughly combined. If you’re adding blueberries, add those to the top of the plain cashewcakes later on.

Divide the filling evenly among the muffin cups. Tap/shake the pan a few times to release any air bubbles, then cover completely with plastic wrap and freeze about 4-6 hours. 

Tug on the tabs or pop them from the bottom out of the pan. They should pop right out! I like to let them sit on the plate for 10-20 minutes to thaw slightly. I was surprised that the cashewcakes didn’t freeze solid – they stay creamy even after being in the freezer.