Raw Chocolate-Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Whether you’re throwing a Super Bowl party tomorrow or not, you should make these ASAP:

Chocolate + Cheesecake = a match made in Heaven.

And since these are all-natural, raw and vegan– you can go back for seconds guilt-free!!

–

Raw Chocolate-Swirl Cheesecake Bars
Makes about 9-12 squares

Chocolate Crust:

1 cup raw pecans
2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

In a mini-food processor (like mine , or a Magic Bullet ), process the pecans until they are crumbly:

Be careful not to process too long– you don’t want pecan butter!! Well, maybe you do… but not for this recipe.

Add in the rest of the crust ingredients, and process until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides if necessary. Then transfer the crust to a square 6″ Tupperware, lined with plastic-wrap, and press down evenly.

Place the crust in the freezer to set for at least 10 minutes, while you make the cheesecake filling.

Cheesecake filling:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least an hour
1/2 cup zucchini, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1/4 cup agave
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Throw all of the ingredients into a blender (note: if you’re using a high-powered blender, like the Vita-Mix , you can skip soaking the cashews!) and blend until silky and smooth. Pour the filling over the chocolate crust and smooth the top with a spatula:

Now it’s time for the fun part–> adding the chocolate swirls!!!

Chocolate Swirl:

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 Tablespoon coconut oil, in liquid form

Directions:

Whisk the ingredients together until smooth:

With a spoon, gently pour 3-4 lines across the cheesecake bars:

It’s okay if it’s messy, because you’ll be dragging a knife through those lines next! With a light touch, drag a knife back and forth in the opposite direction of the lines you made– creating a look like this:

Don’t they look like little hearts? Perfect for Valentine’s Day coming up!!

Once your cheesecake bars are “swirled” to your liking, place them in the freezer to set for at least 4 hours. Once they are firm, you can slice and serve chilled!

Be sure to store these in the freezer– they will melt quickly at room temperature!

But don’t worry, these taste so good, they won’t last long on a plate anyway…

Enjoy!!