Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake

Original recipe at Clean Food Dirty Girl / (aka Plant Fueled Life).
I love how thoroughly they explain the process!
This is really more like a pie than a cheesecake.

Crust

cup raw shelled pecans
cup raw almonds
cup almond flour
3 Tablespoons almond butter
2 teaspoons 100% pure maple syrup
1 teaspoons water (more if needed, see below)

Preheat oven to 350°. Place the nuts and flour into your food processor and process until the nuts have been powdered. Then add the butter, maple syrup, and water and process until it becomes a paste-like texture and is sticking together. If your mixture is still crumbs, pulse in a little bit of water at a time until it holds together.

A 9 inch springform pan is ideal for this recipe. Transfer the dough to your baking dish and press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of your baking dish at least 1 inch. Press hard so it has a firm base.

Bake until just starting to brown on the edges, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly, then pop the pan into your fridge. The crust needs to be completely cool before adding the filling.

Filling

1 package silken tofu, drained (12 or 14 ounces)
cup almond flour
cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
cup almond butter
3 (or 4) Tablespoons coconut sugar
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
teaspoon balsamic vinegar
teaspoon salt (or a healthy pinch)
1 cup dark chocolate chips (50-90% cocoa, sweetened with unrefined sugar OR UNsweetened)

Place all of the filling ingredients into your blender except for the chocolate chips and blend until smooth and creamy. Leave it in the blender for now. If your chocolate chips are UNsweetened you probably want to use 4 Tablespoons of the coconut sugar.

Pour about 1 inch of water into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Place a heat-safe glass or metal bowl (bigger than the saucepan) snugly on top of the pan so that the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Place the chocolate chips in the bowl and stir occasionally until smooth and melted. Be super careful not to get any water in the bowl or your chocolate will seize up and become un-meltable. You will have to throw it out and start over.

Transfer the melted chocolate to your blender and immediately blend until smooth and well combined. Do not stop and restart your blender. This mixture should only be blended once to completion or else the filling won't set properly.

Pour the filling mixture into the cooled crust and level the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

After your filling is set, remove the cheesecake from the fridge, slice, and serve. Top with optional Raspberry Coulis and enjoy!

Raspberry Coulis

1 Tablespoons dried dates pitted, chopped and soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
1 cups frozen raspberries thawed (strawberries work as well)
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons coconut sugar
teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Drain the dates and place them into your food processor, along with the remaining ingredients. Process until smooth, then promptly store in your fridge. You might want to leave it a little lumpy with a few whole berries.