Mini Lemon “Cheesecake” with Gingered Date Crust (AIP, nut free, dairy free, refined sugar free)
- Yield: Makes 18-20 mini cheesecakes 1x
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- CRUST:
- 10 Medjool dates, soaked in warm water if hard
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)
- FILLING:
- 3/4 cup raw coconut butter (I use Artisana)
- 1/2 cup palm shortening (I use Spectrum Vegetable Shortening. The only ingredient is palm oil.)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons organic pure lemon extract
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- lemon zest for garnish(optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Line a mini muffin pan with mini paper liners.
- Drain dates if soaked, then pit and roughly chop.
- Spread shredded coconut onto lined cookie sheet and toast in oven until golden brown. Watch carefully as it will burn easily. Allow to cool.
- In a mini food processor, pulse all of the crust ingredients until it comes together into a ball. Chill, if desired, while working on the filling.
- For filling, measure out coconut butter and place filled measuring cup into a larger cup or bowl filled with hot tap water. This will soften the coconut butter, making it easier to work with. Be sure that no water gets into the coconut butter.
- Once coconut butter softens, beat all filling ingredients with either a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until smooth and shiny. (It’s ok if there are some small bumps.)
- To assemble, make little balls out of the crust and press into the bottoms of the mini muffin cups.
- Pour filling into a zip-top bag, seal top and cut a corner off the end of the bag.
- Pipe filling onto the crust.
- Chill in fridge or freezer until set.
- Store in the fridge. Best served cold.
- Garnish with grated lemon zest.
- Enjoy!