Unicorn Cheesecake
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Suncore Foods. The opinions and text are all mine. The Suncore products mentioned in this post were sent to me as a gift from Suncore to use in this recipe, thank you so much!
Annnddd… drops the mic. Guys, this is it. The healthiest, yummiest, creamiest cheesecake around. Ya, that’s right, I said healthy! I have a confession to make though, I was really disappointed because I didn’t think this cheesecake was going to turn out. I was emotionally prepared to start all over and try again, but by some miracle and baking good fortune, not only did this cheesecake set up perfectly, it is fan-freakin’-tastic my friends!
So now that we’ve talked about just how good this cheesecake is (did I mention how scrumptious it is?!), let’s talk about this word I’ve been throwing around… healthy * Gasp. How dare I make healthy cheesecake. But before I loose ya, let me explain. It all started with my favorite Supercolor Powders from Suncore Foods! Not only is that how I got these beautifully pastel colored layers (nope! I didn’t use food coloring- never will again!), but they also pack a whole lotta nutritional value.
So now that I have you intrigued, let’s take a closer look at these superfood powders in more detail.
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☆ BLUE BUTTERFLY PEA FLOWER POWDER
This short-lived flower offers many health benefits, including improved eyesight, hair growth, and skin! And when added to your food in small amounts, you get a very vivid, vibrant blue!
Now we all know that blueberries contain a healthy dose of antioxidants, vitamins, and other nutrients. This super fruit helps lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of obesity, boost heart health, prevent skin damage and improve bone strength. When added to your food, you get this really subtle purple color and a hint of blueberry flavor!
Also known as dragon fruit, its many antioxidants, antibacterial, and nutritional properties help boost the immune system, improve metabolism, and smooth the digestive process. This super fruit is loaded with Vitamin C, several types of Vitamin B, protein, fiber and essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. When a small amount is added to your food, you get this super pretty pink color, and it’s generally flavorless so no need to worry about it messing up the flavor of your food!
We are familiar with how good carrots are for our health. To be honest, I am not a huge fan of carrots, so this powder is a great alternative for me. Carrots contain antioxidants, Vitamins A and C, and potassium, which help protect you from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and even bad eyesight. When added to food, of course you get a light orange hue. I was worried about adding carrot to my cheesecake, because you can taste the carrot a bit, but it was perfect and you can’t taste it at all in this cheesecake!
*nutritional information and product photos provided by Suncore Foods
The chocolate hazelnut crust is made with hazelnuts, almonds, coconut oil, cacao, and sugar. The filling of this cheesecake is all vegan too! You might be wondering how on earth that’s possible, but with a little vegan cream cheese, some raw cashews, cacao butter, and coconut cream, you’ve got a pretty darn close-to-the-real-deal thang.
You may have seen or even made raw cheesecake recipes, which are delicious as well, but this particular cheesecake is baked. Growing up, my grandma’s recipe for cheesecake was always my all-time favorite dessert. I would ask for that for my birthday instead of traditional cake. So I wanted to bake this one to try to re-create an old fav, and I have to say, it is pretty darn close!
This Unicorn Cheesecake would be super fun for your next birthday party (kid and non-kid alike wink), and it’s great for those who cannot consume dairy or eggs, or gluten for that matter. This is a completely gluten-free, vegan cheesecake. I do use organic sugar in this recipe, but feel free to sub maple syrup or agave (although I have not tested the recipe with such). The only drawback is that this cheesecake needs to bake for close to an hour and then set up overnight, so be sure to make it a day ahead of time. It also cannot sit out for very long as it will start to melt (because of the cacao butter and coconut oil) so be sure to keep it chilled and stored in the fridge. Lastly, don’t skip the supercolor powders, they truly make this cheesecake magical, add some nutrients, and have your family and friends raving for days (maybe even weeks!) about how gorgeous your cheesecake was. So go ahead and hop on over to Suncore Foods, order your supercolor powders and get baking my friend! And as always, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook with all your magical cheesecake creations!
*this recipe was inspired by my grandma Nana’s cheesecake recipe and Minimalist Baker’s Easy Baked Cheesecake
Unicorn Cheesecake (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
Chocolate Hazelnut Crust
- 1 cup hazelnut meal, (or hazelnuts ground into meal)
- 1 cup almond flour/meal, (or blanched almonds ground into meal)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup organic sugar, (or maple syrup)
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1-2 tbsp unsweetened cacao powder
Filling
- 16 oz Tofutti vegan cream cheese
- 1.5 cup raw cashews, (soaked in boiling water for about 15 minutes)
- 1 can coconut cream (not coconut milk), (the cream part only, not the liquid)
- 1.5 tbsp arrowroot powder
- 1 tsp pure almond extract
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup organic sugar, (or maple syrup/agave)
- 2 tbsp raw cacao butter, (or sub coconut oil, but the cacao butter will give it extra creaminess)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Pink Pitaya Powder, (Suncore Foods)
- 2 tsp Indigo Blueberry Powder, (Suncore Foods)
- 1/4 tsp Orange Carrot Powder, (Suncore Foods)
- 1/4 tsp Blue Butterfly Pea Flower Powder, (Suncore Foods)
Instructions
- Boil a pot of water, enough to cover 1.5 cups of cashews, then once boiling, turn the heat off, add the cashews, cover and rest while you make the crust
- Combine all the crust ingredients in your food processor/blender and blend until well combined
- **NOTE: Make sure your crust sticks together when you pinch it between your fingers. If it doesn't, add just a little bit more coconut oil
- Press your crust into your 6 inch springform pan, and use a glass or measuring cup to really press it in there. Place your crust in the fridge while you make your filling
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- Drain your cashews
- In a large food processor/blender, add all of your filling ingredients (including the cashews) EXCEPT your supercolor powders and blend until very smooth and creamy
- Seperate the filling evenly into 4 seperate bowls (I measured about 1 cup per bowl)
- In one bowl add 1 tsp of pink pitaya powder, stir to combine until the powder is mixed in well
- In your second bowl, add 2 tsp of blueberry powder, mix to combine
- In your third bowl, add 1/4 tsp of orange carrot powder, mix
- In your last bowl, add 1/4 tsp of blue butterfly pea powder, mix
- Pour your first filling layer over your crust and spread evenly to cover the crust. Repeat for all colors. I chose to do mine in this order:
- Blue Butterfly Pea Flower
- Blueberry
- Pitaya
- Carrot
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the center is just slightly "jiggly" but not liquidy.
- **NOTE: I had a really hard time deciding if it was done or not, so I googled "how do you know if your cheesecake is done" lol. When you shake the pan, it will have some give to it, but it should be so liquidy that it slops over the sides, and only the center should jiggle...
- Remove from the oven when done, and let it cool on top of the stove for about 10-15 minutes, then transfer uncovered to the fridge
- After it chills in the fridge for a few hours and is completely cool, then cover and chill overnight
- **NOTE: allowing it to cool uncovered first will prevent condensation
- Store leftover slices covered in the fridge
Notes
** NOTE: Be sure to make this a day head of time to allow it to set up in your fridge overnight
** I used a 6 inch springform pan to make mine so the colored layers weren't too thin
** I have not tried to make this recipe with maple syup or agave in place of the sugar, so I can't guarantee the results/colors if you decide to do so
** this recipe was inspired by my grandma Nana and Minimalist Baker
Prettiest cheesecake ever!!
Aw thank you so much! ????
The pastel colors make this great. 🙂
Thank you! I was so happy with how it turned out!