As many of you know, I am a slight blueberry fanatic. No, it’s not because my favourite colour is blue (which is a major plus though by the way) and it’s not because you can find these blue delights easily in the wild (for a daily hiker/runner this is huge). My love for this one particular berry is quite simple and dates back to a few years ago, when my crazy food craze began..

For awhile I spent a considerable amount of time trying to figure out why I had substantial dry skin and blemishes on my face. In addition to this, my skin was rough and seemed to lack moisture, regardless of the endless amounts of creams and lotions. Then, when I cut out all chemically-induced hair, body, and face products I thought the issue would be fixed. Nope! It’s never that easy! This actually made things oddly worse for a time, as I was now facing the original questionable problem along with adjustment to new lifestyle changes.

It was summertime at this time, so I indulged in endless berries as I always do. This particular year I had stashed up on the wild goodness and froze it to keep it lasting through the winter. Every day I packed in 1 cup of blueberries along with other mixed berries (raspberries, strawberries, goji berries, boysenberries, tart cherries, basically whatever I could get ahold of). It took about 3 months but I solved my skin problem without realizing it at first! When things cleared up and my skin felt more hydrated, then I started using coconut oil on my body post-shower. WOW! This was the beginning of my berry obsession. Which I’m sure you’ve noticed, as I like to throw berries in and on top of everything. Also, the beginning of my coconut obsession, equally as wild and exciting (errr at least exciting to me that is).

I know we all have these particular foods or in a broader sense, things in our lives that we love and obsess over (in a healthy way of course). Some of you share this with me all the time, in the comments section here or on Instagram. I always find it fascinating to know others feel the same way, making me feel as though I’m part of a higher world flying on the dosage of coconut and berries. However, what really interests me right now, is learning about what you’re into that is completely different then this love I’ve cultivated. Please do share it with me, so I can try it out and perhaps share it with the rest of the world!

Raw Blueberry Cheesecake with Hazelnut Crust Recipe

Makes enough for: 8 – 10 servings

Time to prepare: 20 minutes

Time before you can enjoy: A few hours of freezing

Ingredients:

Crust

3/4 c Hzelnuts

3/4 c Dates, soaked for 10 minutes

2 tbsp Maple Syrup (not raw) or Coconut Nectar (raw)

Filling

1 c Cashews, soaked for 10 minutes

1/2 c Macadamia Nuts, soaked for 10 minutes

1/3 c Coconut Oil, melted

1/3 c Coconut Milk

1/2 c Maple Syrup (not raw) or Coconut Nectar (raw)

1/4 c Blueberries

1 tbsp Beauty Berries Power Blend (optional)

1 Lemon or Lime, squeezed

Directions:

1. In food processor, mix crust until chunky and sticky.

2. Line a small pan with plastic wrap. Press down crust firmly into pan. Freeze for 10 minutes.

3. Blend filling in high-speed food processor until thick and creamy.

4. Pour filling on top of crust and place pan back in freezer.

5. Wait until frozen or firm after 1 – 3 hours. Remove pan from freezer.

6. Run knife under hot water then carefully slice cheesecake. Top with dark chocolate enjoy!

Round 2 of my Cheesecake Series! These bites are creamy and packed with a berry punch. This morning I managed another day of HIIT training and nearly drank 3 litres of water during the 50 minute workout. I packed these cheesecakes with a scoop of plant-based protein but if you prefer just to have your cake simple and creamier I would suggest without!

I love eating these mildly frozen. Pop them in the freezer for 20 minutes and the cheesecake texture melts as you eat it.

Berry Explosion Cheezecakes:

Makes enough for: 8 – 10 servings

Time to prepare: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Crust

3/4 c Pecans

3/4 c Dates, soaked for 10 minutes

2 tbsp Maple Syrup (not raw) or Coconut Nectar (raw)

Filling

1 1/2 c Cashews, soaked for 10 minutes

1/3 c Coconut Oil, melted

1/3 c Coconut Milk

1/2 c Maple Syrup (not raw) or Coconut Nectar (raw)

4 tbsp Beauty Berries Power Blend

1 Lemon or Lime, squeezed

Directions:

1. In food processor, mix crust until chunky and sticky.

2. Line a small pan with plastic wrap. Press down crust firmly into pan. Freeze for 10 minutes.

3. Blend filling except for berry blend in high-speed food processor until thick and creamy.

4. Pour half of filling on top of crust and place pan back in freezer.

5. Wait until frozen or firm after 1 – 2 hours.

6. Mix in Berry Blend to remaining cheesecake mix. Repeat step #4 & #5 to add in another layer.

7. Freeze for 1 hour. Remove pan from freezer.

8. Run knife under hot water then carefully slice cheesecake. Top with dark chocolate enjoy!