An easy to prepare, no bake, and Paleo and Vegan friendly refreshing treat. This Grasshopper Cheesecake is a lightened up version of the classic dessert.
Grease loaf pan with coconut oil and line the inside with parchment paper, leaving about a 2 inch overhang on each side. Set aside.
Combine all crust ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined and a thick dough forms. It should hold together when you squeeze it.
Press into the bottom of the loaf pan to form an even later. Transfer pan to the freezer to set while you make the ganache and filling.
Mint Ganache
In the bowl of a double boiler, add chocolate chips and coconut cream. Stir often until mixture is smooth and silky. Remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract and salt.
Pour ganache over chilled crust and transfer to the freezer again to set, at least 30 minutes.
Mint Cream Filling
Place spinach and mint leaves in a medium heat-safe bowl. Fill a separate large bowl with ice water and set both aside.
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in small saucepan. Once boiling, pour over spinach and mint and let stand for about 30 seconds, or until leaves are wilted. Scoop leaves from hot water and drench in bowl of ice water. Stir until leaves are chilled, about one minute. Then remove from water, squeeze out excess moisture, and set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
Drain soaked cashews, rinse in fresh water until water runs clear, and drain again.
Place cashews in the food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes until a nut butter forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add all other filling ingredients, except for spinach and mint, and blend until smooth and homogeneous, at least 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add spinach and mint leaves, then blend again until smooth and mixture is evenly green. Add more peppermint extract to taste. If you don’t mind little pieces of leaves in your filling (we don't), move to the next step. Or, you can stain the filling through a nut milk bag to remove the pieces.
Assembly
Pour filing into cooled crust and set in the freezer for 1 hour, or at least 3 hours in the refrigerator.
Once ready to serve, heat a knife under hot water and run the knife along the edges of the pan, in between the parchment and the cheesecake. Once it comes loose, use the parchment paper overhang to lift the cheesecake out of the pan. Set on a cutting board, and using a warm knife, cut into 2-3 inch slices. Top with shaved dark chocolate and fresh mint leaves if using.
Wrapped tightly in plastic, the loaf will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, or about a month in the freezer.
Notes
*Most of the preparation time listed is inactive, so don't let it scare you!
If you don't have a loaf pan, you can easily make the dish in a square baking pan, or even in individual ramekins. Just make sure and use the parchment so you can easily remove the dessert once chilled.
To yield a really creamy filling, soak the cashew overnight. In a pinch, you can boil a few cups of water, remove from the heat, and add cashews. Let sit for an hour then proceed with preparing the filling.
Keyword Chocolate, Christmas, Holiday, Keto, Make ahead, Paleo, Raw, Treats and sweets, Vegan