Raw yoghurt coconut lemon pie or how to make a fake cheesecake vol. 2.

Making desserts without using any sugar in whatever form it comes can be a tricky thing. Even more with cheesecake. Whether you’re using curd, ricotta or cream cheese, you always need a lot of sugar to balance the acidity of the cheese. The recipe I came up with is actually a lemon ”cheesecake”, but doesn’t contain any sweetener. Where’s the trick?

The secret ingredient is coconut flour. It is sweet enough to balance the acidity of yoghurt and lemons. Besides, it’s packed with dietary fibers and good fatty acids. Also, one of the main properties of coconut flour is that it will soak up all the excess water, so you don’t have to use any firming agent, like gelatin or vege gel. So yes, it’s gluten free and vege friendly.

When you mix all the ingredients you will get a sort of light and airy yoghurt coconut lemon mousse. If you’re in a hurry, you can always combine it with fresh berries or peaches and make some lovely verrines. If not, make a coconut date walnut crust to add a hint of sweetness to this light and fresh summer dessert.

Ingredients (makes approx. 2 mini cakes):

Crust:

• 25 g finely ground oatmeal
• 25 g coconut flour
• 25 g dates
• 25 g walnuts
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• 3-4 Tbsp water

Cream:

• 400 g plain yoghurt
• 80 g coconut flour (I use Vegalife coconut flour)
• peel of 3 untreated lemons
• 4 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil

Preparation:

1. Finely grind oatmeal and walnuts (I use coffee grinder).
2. Coarsely chop dates, than using a mortar transform them into a paste.
3. Mix ground oatmeal, walnuts, coconut flour and add date paste. Mix with fingertips.
4. Add coconut oil and water. Use 3-4 Tbsp of water, but add some more if the dough doesn’t hold together.
5. Mix everything, form a ball and set aside for at least 2 hours. Than roll and form pie crusts using a cake ring.
6. Mix all the ingredients for lemon cream.
7. Using cake rings, assemble crust and cream and set into fridge overnight.