I'm not vegan. And while there are certainly many benefits to a vegan diet, as a nutritionist, I can say with confidence that an ideal diet (if there were such a thing for the general population) would be a vegan/paleo split.

What does that mean?

It means eliminating most dairy from the diet (if you're strict paleo, you'd remove all dairy), significantly reducing your grain intake and improving/reducing your source of sugar. It also means increasing your fruit & vegetables and relying on those fruits & veggies as your main source of carbs/fibre.

It means having no fear of increasing your fat intake and getting your protein from quality animal products (red meat and organ meats too!).

Your shopping list would look like this:

• Grass-fed meats (including red meat, organ meats, dark poultry)
• Wild caught fish
• Stable fats & oils (avocado, lard, ghee, coconut oil)
• Olive oil (unheated or gently heated - no frying)
• Coconut meat, coconut milk, coconut cream & coconut butter
• Avocados
• Nuts (raw or roasted gently at home) and nut butters
• Lots and lots of green veggies, colourful veggies & starchy veggies
• Fruits
• Fibre sources like chia seeds, flax seeds & hemp seeds & their oils
• Pumpkin, sunflower & sesame seeds (raw or roasted gently at home)

So I don't make these because "I'm vegan and I have to come up with some alternative to the real thing."

They're truly delicious. They're creamy, tart and sweet. They're also satisfying. They provide the body with nutrients and usable energy. They don't supply empty sugar and stomach-cramping artificial dairy. Their fat profile is miles ahead of traditional cheesecake recipes, which will help to balance the hormonal response and will not increase cravings for more sugar.

These little guys are perfect for a quick morning bite, a pre or post-workout snack or an after dinner sweet.

And one more thing: no fat = no fat soluble vitamins or minerals; vitamins A,E,D & K and minerals iron, calcium, magnesium, chromium & zinc.

Let's get started!

The Crust

This is an almond crust. Start off with 2/3 cups of raw almonds in the processor and and grind to a rough crumble.

Like this. It's not quite a flour, but close. It's nice to have a bit of texture here.

Add about 12 - 14 pitted dates and pulse away.

When the dates and almonds look like this, you can add 2 tbsp. of coconut oil, 3 tbsp. of raw almond butter, a pinch of sea salt and a bit of cinnamon.

Pulse until everything is combined. When it's ready, it will have a bit of texture but should be soft and malleable. Set this aside and move on to the topping.

The Berry Topping

In a medium-sized pot, combine 3 cups of mixed berries (mine were frozen) with coconut oil, a bit of raw honey, lemon juice, sea salt and a dash of cinnamon.

Did you know that cinnamon is really good for you? It balances blood sugar, helps to reduce sugar cravings and it's a powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. Anyone with cardiovascular disease, diabetes or chronic pain would benefit from including cinnamon in the diet. Look for Ceylon Cinnamon, as it's the one with a slew of scientific studies behind it.

Gently heat everything together until it's quite fluid.

Puree and set aside to cool while you whip up the filling.

The Filling

Now, the recipe for the filling come from this beautiful site and I've made very few changes.

Start off with soaked raw cashews. Soak them in filtered water in the fridge for a few hours or, better yet, over night.

Pop them into a good, high powered blender

Add a beautiful, heaping half cup of coconut cream.

Add the remaining ingredients - lemon juice, melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla & sea salt.

And just for fun, I like to throw in a pinch of the pureed topping, about 1/4 cup.

Blend all of this on high until it's very smooth and creamy.

Grease a muffin tin with coconut oil or fill the tin with muffin cups. Press the crust into the cups and fill with the filling.

Leave just a pinch of space at the top for the berry topping.

Before pouring the topping, put these guys in the freezer for about 8 minutes, just to firm up enough to be supportive. 

When ready, pour the cooled topping onto your little cakes and place the whole thing back in the freezer for a few hours - over night is best to avoid the crust separating from the filling when you're trying to get them out.

Use a butter knife to remove them from the tin.

Once removed from the tin, you can store these babies in freezer bags in the freezer for up to three months (probably longer). Allow them to defrost slightly before digging in.

Little Berry Cheesecakes

Crust

• 2/3 cups raw almonds
• 12 - 14 dates, pitted
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• 3 tbsp. raw almond butter
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1. Pulse almonds in food processor until roughly crumbled
2. Add pitted dates and pulse until combined
3. Add remaining ingredients and pulse agian, until combined
4. Set aside

Berry Topping

• 3 cups mixed berries
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• 2 tbsp raw honey, maple syrup or coconut nectar
• Juice from 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ceylon cinnamon

1. Combine all ingredients in a heavy sauce pan
2. Heat gently until the coconut oil has melted and berries are soft
3. Puree until smooth
4. Set aside to cool

Filling

• 1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked, drained and rinsed
• Juice from 1 lemon
• Heaping 1/2 cup coconut cream
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup berry puree (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients in a powerful blender
2. Blend on high until smooth

Put it all Together

• Grease a muffin tin with coconut oil (or line with muffin cups)
• Press the crust into the tin
• Fill 3/4 way up with the filling
• Freeze for 8 minutes until slightly firm
• Fill the remainder with the berry topping
• Freeze over night to fully firm
• Pop the cakes out with a butter knife (they will come, I promise!) 
• Defrost slightly to enjoy
• Store for up to 3 months in the freezer

Enjoy!