Raw Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake with Orange Cream Layer & Berry Coulis

A three-tone raw cheesecake — bright lemon, deep blueberry, and a sunset orange-cream layer, under a glossy berry coulis.

YIeld: Serves 12

Season: Spring/Summer

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup raw almonds

• 1 cup raw walnuts

• 1 cup medjool dates, pitted

• ¼ cup shredded coconut

• 1-2 tbsp coconut oil

• pinch sea salt

Base cheesecake filling

• 3 cups raw cashews, soaked and drained

• ¾ cup full-fat coconut milk

• ¾ cup coconut oil, melted

• ½ cup pure maple syrup

• juice of 2 lemons

• 1 tbsp lemon zest

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• pinch sea salt

For the three layers (divide the base filling)

• Lemon layer: ⅓ of base + extra 1 tbsp lemon juice

• Orange cream layer: ⅓ of base + zest and juice of 1 orange (blood orange if available) + pinch turmeric for color

• Blueberry layer: ⅓ of base + ¾ cup blueberries (fresh or thawed)

Berry coulis

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1–2 tbsp pure maple syrup

• 1 tsp lemon juice

Method

1. Crust: Process almonds and walnuts to a meal, add dates, coconut, coconut oil, and salt, process to a dough. Press into a parchment-lined 8-inch springform. Freeze.

2. Base filling: Blend all base ingredients until completely smooth. Divide into three bowls.

3. Leave the first third as the lemon layer (whisk in the extra lemon juice). Pour over the crust; freeze 25 minutes.

4. Blend the second third with the orange zest, juice, and turmeric until smooth and pale gold. Pour over the set lemon layer; freeze 25 minutes.

5. Blend the final third with the blueberries until deep purple. Pour over the orange layer. Freeze 5 hours until fully set.

6. Coulis: Gently warm or blend the blueberries with maple and lemon to a loose sauce; cool. Spoon over the top just before serving.

7. Thaw 25 minutes, then slice with a hot, dry knife. Garnish with fresh blueberries and orange slices.

Nourishment Notes

This cheesecake layers three of citrus and berry season's brightest gifts. The lemon and orange bring vitamin C and the aromatic peel oils that traditional kitchens have always prized — zest carries far more of these compounds than juice alone, which is why both go into the cream layers here.

Blueberries crown the cake with anthocyanins, the deep blue-purple pigments that give the berry both its color and much of its antioxidant strength. Folding them in raw, rather than baking them into a batter, preserves these heat-sensitive pigments at their fullest.

Built on cashews and coconut rather than dairy and refined sugar, the dessert delivers its richness through whole-food fat and the gentle sweetness of maple. A slice in the early afternoon offers a bright, citrus-forward lift that suits the lengthening light of spring.

Storage: Keep frozen up to 2 month; add the coulis only after thawing, just before serving.