September 05, 2019 at 10:30PM by CWC
Didn’t think a healthy, delicious cheesecake existed? Think again.
There’s a reason why The Cheesecake Factory has a 45-minute wait during prime time dinner hours at every major mall across America. Who doesn’t love cheesecake? But when I called up a dietitian a few months ago to ask if there was a somewhat healthy dessert order at the beloved chain restaurant, all I heard were crickets on the other line of the phone.
Thankfully, cheesecake isn’t automatically off the (healthy) table. Leave it to Alt-Baking Bootcamp hosts chefs Mia Rigden and Jenny Dorsey to give the classic dessert a healthier twist as well as make it 100-percent vegan and high in fiber and protein.
For the crust, they use raw walnuts, pitted medjool dates, sea salt, cinnamon, and cardamom, key warming spices for rounding out the flavor. Those dates aren’t just a great way to add sugar without using the refined stuff—they also offer up lots of other nutrients, says Rigden. “[Dates are] a wonderful source of fiber,” she says, key for a healthy digestive system, while also adding in some antioxidants and vitamins and minerals (like potassium).
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Plus, with the walnuts in the crust and the cashews in the cashew cream base of the cheesecake, you’re getting lots of protein along with omega-3 fatty acids, copper (which is good for collagen production), and yes, more antioxidants. That means every slice of this dessert is both high-protein and high-fiber—a major nutritional win.
The absolute best part: You don’t even have to use the oven to make this dessert tonight. Sold yet? Watch the episode above to see exactly how it’s done, and alas, let them eat cake!
Another healthier, vegan dessert you’ll love: this birthday cake. And here are 10 desserts that are all low-glycemic.
Author Emily Laurence | Well and Good
Selected by CWC
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