Chocolate Crust

• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil melted
• 2 tablespoon maple syrup
• Dash of pink salt

Red Velvet ‘Cheesecake’ Filling

• 2 1/4 cups raw cashews, soaked
• 1 1/4 cups roasted beets,* peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 cup refined coconut oil, melted
• 1 1/2 tablespoons organic vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/8 teaspoon pink sea salt
• 2 tablespoons grated dark chocolate (optional) for garnish

To make the crust:
1. Line the bottom of a 7” springform pan with parchment paper and lightly oil the sides.

2. Sift the almond flour and cacao together in a small bowl.

3. Add coconut oil and maple syrup and salt. Mix to moisten. Add a splash of water if it’s too dry.

4. Press into the bottom of the springform pan. I like to push the crust down with an empty measuring cup to flatten the bottom evenly.

5. Chill while you make the filling.

To make the filling:
1. Soak cashews in a bowl overnight in room temperature filtered water or boiling water for 1-2 hours. Drain, rinse and shake dry.

2. Process cashews in a food processor for 3-5 minutes until you get a smooth nut butter texture. Scrape down the sides a few times as it processes.

3. Add roasted beets and vinegar, process until smooth.

4. Add remaining ingredients and process.

5. Pour into prepared pan and smooth out the top. Tightly cover pan with a plastic wrap and foil.

6. Refrigerate for about 3 hours until solid.

7. Remove the sides of the spring form pan

8. Grate the chocolate onto a plate using a box grater.

9. Sprinkle grated chocolate evenly over the top of the cheesecake

10. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, cut and serve.

11. Store remaining cake in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to a month. Be sure it is tightly covered.

How to roast beets
I recommend making the beets the day before. I put them into the oven when I’m making roasted cauliflower or other roasted dishes.

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Brush a baking pan with olive oil.

2. Trim leaves and upper stems of the beets, leaving about 2 inches of the stems intact at the top of each beet. Do not trim the tails of the beets.

3. Rinse beets and scrub clean, leave the skin on.

4. Place the beets in a single layer in the bottom of baking dish. Cover with a lid or foil.

5. Roast the beets in the oven for 45 minutes to 2 hours flipping every 30 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife. Roasting time will depend on the size of your beets; small young beets are more tender and take less time to roast.

6. Uncover the beets and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes until you can easily handle them. Cut off the beet stems and tails.

7. If possible peel the skin from the beets while they are still warm. Use glove or baggies so your fingers don’t get stained.

8. Cut into chunks.