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Turtle Cheesecake Squares (Grain and Dairy Free)

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Turtle Cheesecake Squares

My friend, Lauren from Mindful Mama, told me she made something that I just had to have. She knows how much I love cheesecake (my fav!), but she said this was no ordinary cheesecake. This was turtle cheesecake and it was grain and dairy free and would knock my socks off.

  turtlecheesecake

When Lauren says it will knock my socks off, I believe her. After all, she is the genius behind one of our favorite meals of the summer, the Italian Chicken Lasagna using zucchini as the noodles. She also created the easiest cauliflower pizza recipe ever and I can’t wait to share my favorite pizza recipe with you using her crust recipe as the crust. Let me tell you, that Italian mama can cook.

 

So she shared her turtle cheesecake recipe with me, I made it, and yes, I got my socks knocked off just like she said. These turtle cheesecake squares are so rich, creamy and decadent and tasted just like the old favorite (even better, actually!).

  turtle cheesecake

She is so generously sharing her recipe with all of you and I can’t wait for you to try it. It’ll knock your socks off, too! Please don’t forget to visit her blog for other goodies and connect with her page on facebook.

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Who doesn’t love turtle? And turtle cheesecake is a whole other level of delight.  This grain-free, refined sugar-free ‘Turtle Cheesecake Squares’ are absolutely decadent.  There are three steps to making them, but all it requires is a food processor and you’re golden.  No turning that oven on for these.  If you have never enjoyed the absolute silkiness of cashews as a ‘cream cheese’, here is your chance to be blown away.  This dessert will wow any guest you entertain, little and big mouths alike.

Turtle Cheesecake Squares (Grain and Dairy Free)
 
Author:
 
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Crust
  2. Combine all crust ingredient in food processor until fine crumbles.
  3. Brush tart pan (I used a 4x14 rectangle) with coconut oil and press crumble into pan evenly. Stick in freezer to harden.
  4. Filling
  5. Put drained cashews with all other filling ingredients in food processor, mixing until very smooth.
  6. Topping
  7. Heat topping ingredients on low on stovetop until bubbling and thickened (few minutes), stirring continually.
  8. Assemble by pouring filling into frozen crust and spreading caramel nuts over the top. Push nuts down gently into filling. Freeze for 3-4 hours until firm and ready. Enjoy! (Keep in freezer until serving)

 

Meet Lauren from Mindful Mama!

  mindfulmama

Lauren is emergency department RN, doula and soon to be nutritional therapy consultant. Her heart is to encourage mothers to greater mindfulness in their decisions related to their family’s health. Her experience and growth in natural health has come primarily from mothering her three beautiful young children. Growing up in an Italian family she is passionate about real food– that tastes delicious! Currently her family is following the GAPS diet in order to address digestive symptoms and other lingering health problems.  Her and her counseling husband are planning on living overseas as missionaries in the next couple years, where she aspires to support international workers in maintaining healthy lifestyles. She presently lives in upstate NY, near family and friends, enjoying time together before her family moves overseas.  Visit her at www.mindfulmama.org and connect with her on Facebook and Pinterest.

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12 comments

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    Looks so good!!

    Do you recommend honey or maple syrup for this? (Which one did you use?) Also, is it really a whole TBS of vanilla? That seems like kind of a lot…

  2. Avatar

    Made this last night and am enjoying the fruits of my labor for breakfast! Yuuum!! <3 Definitely nice and rich…I should have had only one piece, heh heh.

    I could definitely taste the salt in the topping; can't figure out if that's a good thing (like salted caramel type goodies) or a bad thing… Next time I'll probably cut the amount of salt in half and see what happens.

    I used the maple syrup option for the sweetener. And I used butter in the topping (just realized it was salted butter, so perhaps that's another reason why the topping was a bit too salty for me). Oh yeah, and I reduced the amount of vanilla and lemon juice in the filing to 1tsp each. Next time I make it maybe I'll be brave and try a little more of each.

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    Could you use a different kind of pan? I don’t own a tart pan and I would really like to try this. Thanks.

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    This was amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing. I made it last weekend (used honey as sweetener and coconut oil instead of butter) and will make it again this weekend. I used a 9″x9″ glass pyrex but I’m going to use plastic tupperware the 2nd time.

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    My absolute favorite dessert recipe! I’ve made this SO many times – almost always for people who eat the SAD and there is never a single crumb left on any plate!

    Because I can never leave a recipe alone, I do always add chocolate liquor to the topping when melting it, but that’s the only change I’ve made. (You can never have too much chocolate!)

    This is the BEST cheesecake – bar none.

  6. Avatar

    People … do yourselves a favor and make this recipe right away! Best cheesecake ever!!! All my guests LOVE it and they do not eat grain and dairy free!!!!!

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