Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake with Brownie Crust and Strawberry Almond Butter Center
Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake with Brownie Crust and Strawberry Almond Butter Center
A three-layer raw chocolate cheesecake — salted brownie crust, hazelnut-chocolate cashew filling sandwiching a beetroot-pink strawberry almond butter center, garnished with rose petals and chopped hazelnuts
Serves 10–12 (one 7.5-inch springform) · 1 hr active · 10–12 hr total (incl. overnight freezer set) · spring (fresh strawberry peak) or year-round · early evening or after-dinner
Ingredients
Salted chocolate brownie crust
1 cup raw pecans
2–3 tbsp coconut sugar
1–2 tbsp filtered water (to soften the pecans during processing)
1 cup almond meal (or finely ground almonds)
½ cup coconut flour
½ cup raw cacao powder
½ cup pure maple syrup (or rice malt syrup)
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
Hazelnut chocolate cashew filling (use across two layers)
2 cups raw cashews, soaked at least 4 hours and drained
¼ cup coconut sugar
½ cup pure maple syrup
4 tbsp hazelnut butter (or up to ½ cup for a more intense hazelnut profile)
½ cup cacao butter, melted
1 cup full-fat coconut cream (the thick portion of a chilled can)
¼ cup raw cacao powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
Strawberry almond butter center
½ cup almond butter
¼ cup full-fat coconut cream (firm part)
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1–2 tbsp coconut sugar
2 tbsp cacao butter, melted (or coconut oil)
1 tsp beetroot powder (for vibrant pink color)
½ cup fresh strawberries (made into a quick coulis — see method) OR ⅓ cup freeze-dried strawberries, finely ground
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
Optional strawberry coulis drizzle (for final garnish)
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Garnish
2 tbsp raw hazelnuts, lightly crushed
food-grade dried rose petals
food-grade fresh edible flowers (violets, calendula, pansies)
additional fresh strawberries, halved
raw chocolate shavings or cacao nibs (optional)
Method
Prep the pan. Line a 7.5-inch springform cake tin with parchment on the bottom. Lightly grease the sides with coconut oil. A smaller-diameter, taller pan is structurally important — it produces the stripe-visible slice profile that defines this dessert. A larger pan produces thinner, less visually striking layers.
Make the salted brownie crust. In a food processor, pulse the pecans with the coconut sugar and 1 tbsp water until the pecans break down into a coarse, slightly sticky meal. Add additional water if needed.
Add the almond meal, coconut flour, and cacao powder. Pulse to combine.
Add the maple syrup, almond butter, vanilla, and salt. Process until the mixture forms a cookie-dough texture that holds together when pressed.
Press the brownie mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan, packing it tightly. Use the back of a spoon or a small measuring cup to compress evenly.
Place in the freezer to firm while you prepare the filling.
Make the hazelnut chocolate filling. Drain the soaked cashews. In a Vitamix or high-speed blender, combine the cashews, coconut sugar, maple syrup, hazelnut butter, melted cacao butter, coconut cream, cacao powder, vanilla, and salt.
Blend on high until completely silky-smooth — about 2–3 minutes. Scrape down the sides repeatedly. The filling should be glossy with no visible cashew grit.
Pour the first layer. Pour exactly half of the hazelnut chocolate filling over the chilled brownie crust. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Tap the pan gently on the counter to release air bubbles.
Return to the freezer for at least 30 minutes (longer if you have time) to firm. Reserve the remaining filling at room temperature in the blender (or transfer to a covered bowl).
Make the strawberry coulis (if using fresh strawberries). In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the ½ cup fresh strawberries with 1 tbsp maple syrup and a small splash of lemon juice. Cook 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the berries break down and form a thick coulis. Cool completely.
Make the strawberry almond butter center. In a food processor or high-speed blender, combine the almond butter, coconut cream, maple syrup, coconut sugar, melted cacao butter, beetroot powder, strawberry coulis (or freeze-dried strawberry powder), vanilla, and salt.
Blend until completely smooth, vibrant pink, and glossy. Taste and adjust — add a small additional drizzle of maple if needed.
Pour the second layer. Pour the strawberry almond butter mixture over the firm hazelnut chocolate layer. Smooth the top.
Return to the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm.
Pour the third layer. If the reserved hazelnut chocolate filling has thickened during the wait, briefly re-blend or stir vigorously to restore its pourable texture. Pour over the firm strawberry layer. Smooth the top.
Final set. Cover the springform with plastic wrap or a fitted lid. Freeze overnight (at least 8 hours, ideally 10–12 hours).
Make the strawberry coulis drizzle (just before serving). In a small saucepan, combine the strawberries, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Cook over low heat 5 minutes, stirring, until the berries break down. Cool to room temperature.
Unmold and garnish. Run a thin warm knife around the edge of the pan. Release the springform sides. Place the cheesecake on a serving platter.
Drizzle the strawberry coulis decoratively across the top.
Scatter the chopped hazelnuts, rose petals, fresh edible flowers, halved strawberries, and optional cacao nibs.
Slice with a hot dry knife (run under hot water and dried between cuts). The clean stripes — dark brownie, deep chocolate, vibrant pink, deep chocolate, garnish — are the visual signature of this dessert.
Serve cold or slightly thawed (5 minutes out of the freezer is the right window).
Storage: Freezer up to 1 month, well-wrapped (without the fresh garnish). Garnish just before serving. Refrigerator for already-thawed slices up to 2 days, but the texture softens noticeably.
Nourishment Notes
The visual signature — distinct color-coded stripes when sliced — is what distinguishes this dessert from a single-flavor cheesecake; each layer occupies its own position on the palate, and the eating experience is structurally about the contrast between layers rather than a single dominant flavor. The pan size matters more than home cooks usually realize — a smaller-diameter, taller pan (around 7.5 inches across) produces the stripe-visible slice profile that defines this dessert. A larger pan produces thinner layers that blur visually.
The hazelnut-and-chocolate combination is one of the foundational pairings of European confectionery — Italian gianduja paste, the original from the Piedmont region, dates to the early 19th century when Napoleon's blockade of cocoa imports forced Turin's chocolatiers to extend their precious chocolate with the local hazelnuts of the Langhe area. The combination has remained foundational across European pastry tradition: Italian baci chocolates, French praliné, German Nutella (which itself evolved from gianduja in the 1940s). The version here uses raw hazelnut butter and raw cacao butter rather than the conventional roasted-and-emulsified industrial version, which preserves the polyphenol content of both ingredients and produces a slightly fresher, more complex flavor than commercial Nutella-style preparations. Hazelnuts are nutritionally distinctive among tree nuts — particularly high in vitamin E (the full tocopherol complex), oleic acid (the same monounsaturated fat as olive oil), and the polyphenol quercetin.
The strawberry almond butter center is the structural counterpoint that elevates this from a generic chocolate cheesecake to a genuinely composed dessert. The pink color comes from beetroot powder rather than artificial dyes — a small amount produces a vibrant magenta hue that signals "real fruit color" rather than commercial food coloring. Beetroot itself contributes betalains (anti-inflammatory compounds also found in chard and amaranth), nitrates that support cardiovascular function, and folate; in powder form, the dose is small but the visual impact is significant. Strawberries are at peak in late spring through early summer (May–June in most US growing regions), and using a fresh strawberry coulis rather than freeze-dried strawberry powder produces a brighter, more complex flavor — though the freeze-dried version is excellent for year-round preparation when fresh berries aren't in season. The strawberry-and-almond-butter combination is foundational across modern raw-vegan dessert tradition, where almond butter's mild creaminess provides the structural body that lets the strawberry flavor shine through.
The brownie crust is structurally one of the most flavorful raw-cake foundations available. Pecans (rather than the more common almonds) are the structural choice that pulls this crust into deeper, more complex flavor territory — pecans contain the antioxidant compound gamma-tocopherol at levels rare in any single food, and their slightly sweet, buttery character pairs especially well with chocolate. The combination with raw cacao powder, almond meal, coconut flour, and a small amount of almond butter produces a cookie-dough-textured crust that reads as a "salted dark chocolate brownie" without any baking. Coconut sugar and maple syrup together provide the sweetness — coconut sugar contributes deeper caramel notes (it's the dehydrated sap of the coconut palm flower, and contains trace amounts of inulin fiber, potassium, and iron); maple syrup provides the lighter, brighter sweet notes plus its own distinctive quebecol and other syrup-specific antioxidants formed during the boil-down process.
As a circadian and seasonal food, this cheesecake is firmly an evening dessert — the substantial dairy fat (coconut cream + cacao butter), concentrated sweetness, and the dense layered architecture call for a celebration meal rather than an afternoon tea. Spring strawberries at peak make this a particularly fitting late-spring or early-summer preparation, and the fresh strawberry coulis drizzle echoes the seasonal moment. Edible flowers and rose petals must be food-grade — never use florist or supermarket floral-section flowers, which are sprayed with pesticides not rated for food consumption.
Storage: Freezer up to 1 month. Garnish just before serving.
Sourcing: Fresh strawberries from a local farmers' market or pick-your-own farm at peak season — small-farm strawberry varieties (Tristar, Albion, Pink Pearl) carry significantly more flavor than commodity supermarket strawberries; backyard strawberry patches are also one of the easiest crops to grow at home. Raw cashews from a quality bulk supplier — Fresno-based One Degree Organic Foods or Big Tree Farms ship organic raw cashews; avoid bulk-bin supermarket cashews which are often steamed rather than truly raw. Raw cacao powder and cacao butter: Sunfood, Navitas Organics, or Big Tree Farms — all ethically sourced, raw-processed, and widely available. Hazelnuts and hazelnut butter: ideally Italian Tonda Gentile delle Langhe (the world-class hazelnut from Piedmont) from a specialty importer like Gustiamo; for shipped options, Oregon-grown hazelnuts from Freddy Guys Hazelnuts (small Oregon family farm) or hazelnut butter from Big Spoon Roasters (small-batch North Carolina). Raw pecans: Fresh-Pressed Pecans (Texas-grown, single-source) or local farmers' market vendors; avoid commercial pecan halves which are often pre-stale. Raw almond butter: small-batch from Big Spoon Roasters or Artisana Organics. Coconut cream: Native Forest Organic Simple (guar-gum-free) or Aroy-D pure coconut milk in cartons (Thai, single-ingredient, no additives). Pure maple syrup from a local sugarbush or small Vermont/Quebec producer — Crown Maple, Runamok, or any small-scale producer at the farmers' market; avoid commercial maple "table syrup." Coconut sugar: Big Tree Farms or Madhava (organic, single-source). Beetroot powder: Anthony's Goods or Z Natural Foods (both small specialty suppliers). Food-grade edible flowers and rose petals from a local organic farmers' market vendor specifically labeled food-grade, or grown at home; Marx Foods or Gourmet Sweet Botanicals ship nationally.
