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There’s A Veggie In My Cheesecake

Raw desserts are delicious, and raw desserts are healthy.

But if there’s one thing raw desserts aren’t, it’s lower in calories…

Until now.

zucchini cheesecake

I’m not a raw foodist, but I do enjoy eating raw desserts. One of the things I like most about raw treats is that they’re high in calories without also being high in bulk. That can be a true blessing for people like me, who require a lot of calories but who don’t wish to give up so-called “bulky” foods such as salads, huge helpings of veggies, and other extremely filling dishes. I rely on calorie-dense foods to supplement my high-bulk diet so I can take in enough fuel without ending up with a stomachache.

However, not everyone needs a high-calorie diet, about which Healthy Tiffany reminded me a few weeks ago. In her comment, she asked if I could create a raw dessert that everyone can enjoy. If you’ve been reading my blog and have only learned one thing about me, I hope it’s that I genuinely care about people and want everyone to be happy. Most of my recipes are easily adaptable for different lifestyles: depending on a recipe, you can sub water or applesauce for oil, use a gluten-free flour, or even pick and choose which sweeteners to use.

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Please ignore the fact that it looks like a hockey puck. It’s delicious, I swear!
Thanks to Tiffany for the challenge.

Raw “Secret Veggie” Cheesecake

  • 1/2 cup cashew butter, such as Artisana (about 110g)
  • Heaping 1/2 cup raw zucchini (80g)
  • Heaping 1/8 tsp salt
  • Scant 2 tbsp lemon juice (20g)
  • 1/2 tbsp coconut oil OR water (8g)
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Stevia or sugar of choice, as desired – If you use a liquid sweetener, omit the water/oil.

Add all the ingredients together and blend very well. If you’re using a Magic Bullet, you might want to blend the zucchini a little first, so it doesn’t stay chunky. Transfer your mixture to a pie-crust or cheesecake mold (I actually use an empty soy cream cheese container) and freeze. Thaw before eating. This makes a mini cheesecake. For a true-sized cheesecake, double or triple the recipe.

Variations:

  • Raw Cookie Dough Pie: add chocolate chips to the batter!
  • Piña Colada Pie: omit the lemon, and blend in crushed pineapple
  • Coconut Cream Pie: omit lemon, use coconut butter for cashew butter
  • Cashew Freezer Fudge: freeze in a shallow pan and cut into squares
  • Cheesecake Popsicles: freeze in popsicle molds
  • Peanut Butter Pie: omit the lemon and use peanut butter for the cashew butter. Top with chocolate! (I did this! Photos coming soon!)

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Still in cheesecake mode? Check out my Raw Banana Split Cheesecake recipe.

If, like me, you’re not watching your weight, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy this recipe too. Just be sure to cut yourself a big slice. So easy, so good, so healthy! Don’t tell your kids there’s a veggie inside. Or do. I’ve never been a proponent of lying to kids to get them to eat there veggies. ‘Cause someday you’re not going to be there to feed them, and if they haven’t learned to love veggies, they’ll make non-veggieful choices when out on their own. Sorry Mrs. Seinfeld, but I don’t subscribe to your “Deception.” Tell kids the truth!

What do you think of the “hiding veggies” movement made popular by books such as Deceptively Delicious?

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Published on September 21, 2010

Meet Katie

Chocolate Covered Katie is one of the top 25 food websites in America, and Katie has been featured on The Today Show, CNN, Fox, The Huffington Post, and ABC's 5 O'clock News. Her favorite food is chocolate, and she believes in eating dessert every single day.

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255 Comments

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  1. Jennifer - jcd says

    Just like anything in life, the sooner kids learn the peoper way to do things, such as eating and loving vegetables, the better off they will be. Most kids I know LOVE their veggies; even broccoli disappears off their plates. When in doubt, add a sauce or dip of some kind. The simple action of dipping something (veggies, crackers, fingers) into a sauce/dip is too fun and yummy to resist. Other ways to get kids to eat their veggies: set a good example and eat them yourself, make exciting nicknames for them (x-ray vision salad, souper power soup, raninbow kebabs), or arrange the veggies in a fun pattern on the plate. A red bell pepper, some raisins, and a medjool date make a really cute ladybird snack. Disguising them only makes the problem worse when kids are faced with actual veggies on their plate. Sorry, Seinfield, I disagree with you too!

    On the other hand, I completely agree with Miss Katie!! High calorie, high nutrient density raw desserts are super yummy and very important for an active girl like myself. I may have to pass on this recipe though, I like your original raw cheesecake too much.

  2. Angela says

    This looks delicious. I love that you used cashew butter and zucchini, such an interesting mix.

    I’m okay with the hidden veggies thing, but I’m fine eating veggies raw as well. Maybe if I weren’t into veggies it would bother me more. I’ve never known children who refuse to eat veggies (seriously) so it does seem extreme that they won’t eat them unless there hidden, but to me that begs the question where did they develop this behavior or distaste? I feel like its learned. As a kid my brother loved broccoli, mostly because my mom told him he was eating green trees. It didn’t take much to get him to try them so I feel like there might be better ways to going about it.

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      I don’t see why not. But I’m always hesitant to give amounts for sweetener, because I have absolutely no sweet tooth, so the amount of sweetener I usually add is nowhere near what others find palatable. I’m guessing that maybe a packet would work for normal taste buds? It’s always a good idea to start with less and add more if needed. You can’t take any away once you add it!

  3. VEGirl says

    Holy Moly! I am SO making the coconut cream pie variation. I just have to wait until my free samples come…

    Thanks for the recipe for all the people who need higher-cal foods– though most of your recipes can be adapted to do that (obv.- since you do it!). Your explanation was very eloquent and I just loved it 🙂 Gosh I love you!!!!! By the way, the 1st photo of the cheesecake is absolutely beautiful– I could tell you didn’t use flash 😉

    Lotsa love,
    VEGirl

  4. Raychel says

    I DEFINTELY agree with the no-hiding-veggies from kids. Otherwise, they wont grow up to like them. That being said, I have some friends (TEENAGERS- seriously 14 and 19, two different families) who refuse to eat vegetables of ANY kind! Now in those cases, I think these recipes might be (pathetically) appropriate.

  5. Erika @ Health and Happiness in LA says

    People think that kids won’t like lots of foods so they don’t even give the kids a chance to try them without saying, “Oh, they won’t like that.” If parents are enthusiastic about vegetables and don’t see them as some nutritional obligation serving as a roadblock on the way to dessert, kids will be, too.

  6. (M.S.)^2 says

    Hmm…this is a really hard one, because if your kid thinks it’s good and you tell them it has veggies in it, they would either be grossed out or they can say “Wow! Veggies are good!” It totally depends on how your kid responds. I’d like to tell them the truth, but if I actually have my own kids, I might not tell them.

    And really really cute cheesecake, btw!! It looks really small though…Is the plate small, or is the actual cake small??

  7. Namaste Gurl says

    Awwwh, Katie this recipe is amazing…. i’m not suprised though, all your creations turn out spectacular 🙂

    I have ALL these ingredients on hand, so maybe when I’m feeling indulgent I’ll give this one a try. Do you use grated zucchini in the recipe? You just put zucchini, so i’m wondering if it should be grated to just cut julienne- style 🙂

    Love what you said about fats not being “bad or scary”. They SOOOO aren’t– I depend on them, like you, to supplement much of my diet when I eat lots of veggies, grains, legumes, etc. I’m glad I have others who relate with my of eating high- calorie foods to stay healthy 🙂

    xoxo

  8. Sonya says

    I used to believe my kids should at least try something before they decided they didn’t like it – so I never thought about being sneaky… That is, until my now 3yr old came along. He has autism and is an extremely picky eater. I sneak in veggies and other good for him things in everything that I can – otherwise he would live on chips and cheese 🙁 I bought a Vitamix just so I could hide stuff better 😉 Thanks for the great recipes!!!

  9. Amy says

    I am not a proponent of hiding veggies. I agree with you when you say children will make unwise decisisons when left alone if they have not learned to make healthy choices and like vegetables.

    The adult should be an example by eating a variety of veggies and other healthy foods, and then the child will follow their example. Monkey see, money do.

    What you said here — “I rely on calorie-dense foods to supplement my high-bulk diet so I can take in enough fuel without ending up with a tummy ache!” — really resonated with me. I had to learn that that was my style of diet by trail and error (aka getting many tummy aches), but now I am feeling much better by eating less, but eating foods that are higher in calories.

  10. couchpotatoathlete says

    I don’t really like the “hidden veggies” thing — I think with time (and lots of trying and different ways of preparation) most people will learn to love veggies. I remember not liking veggies as a kid, but guess what veggies my parents wanted us to eat: canned peas and corn. Ugh. There are so many delicious vegetables and ways of preparing, why stick with those?

    I do like to put veggies in stuff: shredded zucchini in baked goods, lots of veggies on pizza and on pasta, but I wouldn’t consider them “hidden”.

  11. Kiki says

    I totally agree with you about hiding veggies. When I grow up and have kids, I plan on leading by example and showing them that veggies are delicious! I think parents should let their children try each veggie once, in recipes where you can actually see them, and if the kids doesn’t like a certain type, it’s okay. Probably in a few years their tastebuds will change anyway, so why spend all that time and effort trying to put veggies where they’re not supposed to be?

  12. Kelsey @ Clean Teen Kelsey says

    I guess I can understand why people try to hide veggies in kids’ food, but if they’d been raised with a love of different food and vegetables there would be no need for it. Take Skylar, Averie’s daughter. She eats raw vegetables all the time and loves them, because that’s how she’s been raised. I hope I can raise my kids the same way. 🙂

    2 questions for ya:

    1. Can this be made with regular raw cashews? How could I substitute that? I have some cashew butter packets… but I’m not sure if I want to use them all up quite yet. 😛
    2. Does the zucchini do anything in particular, like add texture or fluff? Or is it just there to prove that you can’t taste it? Just curious. 🙂

    Your pictures in this post are beautiful! Love them.

  13. spoonfulofsugarfree says

    Ha! My gosh, I’ve been waiting for this recipe 🙂 I’ve been telling everyone, “Katie is making a cheesecake with veggies!” Hehe..

    But what I do with my little brother is give him the food, and tell him before he eats it that it doesn’t have any of the foods he has never tried before or doesn’t like. He has this mind-block where he refuses to eat it if he has never tried it before. Then, after he tries it and says he likes it, I tell him what is in it.

    Kids can be tricky 🙂

      • spoonfulofsugarfree says

        Katie! I just tried this! I don’t know if I used the exact measurements, but I did 1/2 zucchini, small handful of cashews, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, and some dried coconut in the magic bullet! It looks like an alien-green color, but it tastes so good! It’s in the freezer now, and it will be officially ready for me tonight for dessert 🙂

  14. Lyza says

    I definitely think we should CELEBRATE veggies with children 🙂 Hiding them brings such a negative connotation!! Veggies are wonderful and make you feel good, I don’t understand the weirdness in our culture that is attached with veggies! If we get them excited for veggies and health from the start, there’s no reason to hide them! And there’s so many kinds to choose from, there’s bound to be some your child will like. I guess if there are children in the world who can’t stand ANY kind of veggie, maybe hiding them would be effective, but I doubt that’s the case if you are endorsing them and getting excited about them from the start. It’s easy to make them fun, they’re so colorful and there are so many textures! I can think of a million more veggie or fruit fun activities to make than I could meat or sweets.

  15. melissa @ the delicate place says

    ha sneaky veg! i don’t hide mine at all, i love them! i kinda get upset about the chef boyardee commercials because i feel like that stuff is made of the devil haha BUT at least they are *trying* to get something healthy in there!

  16. Bianca- Vegan Crunk says

    Oh Katie, this looks yummy!!!! I wanna make! That’ll be on the list for next raw day, for sure! I’m not a big fan of limiting fats either (I do count calories, but I like to get my calories from plenty of healthy fats), but this just means that I can eat two cheezecakes instead of one. 🙂

  17. Michelle (Housewife in the Raw) says

    I think you can both ‘hide’ veggies and serve them. I occasionally add pureed veggies into a dish, but more so to up the nutritional value than to trick my kids. I think it is very important for your kids to be exposed to lots of vegetables in their natural form from the start and also important for them to see you eating them too. I see some moms who eat no veggies, wondering why their kids won’t try them. Kids learn so much by watching their parents. It’s scary and humbling, but true.

    It’s also very important to respect your kid’s tastes and not force too many things. My daughter loves raw red bell peppers and eats them whole. My son despises them. I see no reason to force either of them to eat things they truly don’t like. They must try a good size bite of everything on their plate and then they can choose what to eat.

    I could talk forever about feeding kids, as it is something I am very passionate about and in the midst of, so I’ll bow out now….

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Oh Michelle, terrific insight! I always cringe when I hear parents say, “You HAVE to finish everything on your plate.” Give kids a choice and let them know that having an opinion is ok! My parents never forced me to eat any particular food, either (aside from a “no thank you” taste if I’d never before tried it). When I was little, I hated mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, etc. But now I love them all. Perhaps if they’d forced the foods on me, I would’ve always HATED these foods simply out of resentment (not to mention how much I might’ve resented my parents for making me eat them).

  18. Mary @ Bites and Bliss says

    I love raw desserts/bars but I agree..most of them are way too high in calories for just a snack. I prefer to have big, bulky veggie filled meals over a small bar anyday. Even though they’re about the same nutrient-wise..big meals are just way more fun to eat!

  19. Eleanor says

    I love the using vegetables for puddings etc thing – I’ve made cakes with potato, courgette, aubergine, beetroot, butternut…! Not just to get them, in because I love veg anyway, but they give the food amazing texture and add to the taste without making things taste vegetable-y, if that makes sense!
    Courgette/zucchini is brilliant for that; I’m experimenting with bread made from it at the moment and it’s great (although turning out as verrry small loaves!) 🙂

  20. Tanya says

    That cheesecake looks great! I’m all for raw desserts, but yes, one thing I’ve noticed from a lot of raw food bloggers (& a lot of vegan ones too) is the use of very high calorie foods, which I have to limit. I’ve worked really hard at losing a ton of weight and don’t want to mess it up. I do eat nuts and avocados, etc….but I limit them….just can’t eat as much of them as everyone else.

    About the “hiding veggies” thing….I’ve seen a lot of tv commercials lately about this very thing. Certain companies are trying to hide the amount of vegetables in their foods and I don’t really like it. Maybe the first time they try it….but when they like it…you should tell them it’s good for you too! Don’t keep it a secret…then they’ll grow up still thinking that vegetables taste bad. We don’t want that, do we??

    T.

    • StraightOutTheGardenGirl says

      Hi Tanya- you really can eat more healthy fats than what your’e eating. I too lost a lot of weight after having my daughter and guess what one of my big focuses was: I ate nut butters throughout the day. It actually makes you feel fuller than eating a smaller amount, and they help you melt the fat right off. The ones that worked the best for me are coconut (oil) and peanut butter. Make sure you are eating only natural/ raw, organic (if the budget allows) and virgin c.o. I put the c.o. on everything!

  21. Chelsea says

    I personally don’t care if there are vegetables in my desserts or anything else, but I don’t like the idea of “hiding veggies” when it comes to kids. This just puts in their minds that vegetables aren’t something worth enjoying on their own and they’re unlikely to ever come around to like veggies once they realize they’ve been hidden in their favorite dishes.

  22. Kiersten says

    I don’t feel like we should try to hide veggies all the time, especially in regards to kids. I “hide” veggies in baked goods and in other things I cook, but that’s because I like veggies, not because I am trying to trick anyone into eating them. When I was younger my mom used to make dinner and that was it. If you didn’t like it, then you didn’t have to eat it, but she wasn’t going to make anything else for you. The veggies were there, so I ate them. I learned how much I loved veggies because I simply tried them. Personally, I don’t think parents should try so hard to hide veggies in things. I think it’s a better idea to try different ways of preparing things so that kids can figure out what they actually do/don’t like. I think a lot of kids claim to not like veggies because of the “kids won’t eat veggies” theory our society seems to have adopted.

  23. Jen 'Fresh' says

    This looks amaaaaazering.
    I think I might just have to make it … Maybe stick a date/cinna/nut crust on it. =X
    You inspire great things, m’lady <3

    Also I realize cashew butter has continuously evaded my palate …
    I must change this.

  24. snackgirlgoeshealthy says

    OH GOODNESS! that looks like an amazing hockey puck! jk, it looks really good! i love cheesecake even though i am not lookin to lose weight i don’t like to use sooo many calories on dessert i want my real food! im definitely gonna have to try that plus your carrot cake!
    your so cute Katie!

  25. Sarah says

    Okay, maybe my kids are just weird, but they love veggies! I usually end up fighting with them to get some type of protein on their plate in addition to salad, or any veggies. You’ll love this–when I make broccoli, there are times it doesn’t even make it to the steamer,cause they eat it raw! I find feeding them the veggies just steamed or as ‘naked’ as possible helps them appreciate their great flavor without too much seasoning or sauce etc. I also agree with others about setting the example, let them come to the store or farmer’s market and let them pick out something they think looks interesting or crazy and try it out! We do this lots, sometimes with success, sometimes with a big ‘YUCK’! But it makes eating an adventure–veggies rock!

  26. Jessica (Fit and Clean) says

    Kids are funny…even if you tell them there’s NOT any vegetables in something, they could smell it (or the lie) a mile away! Once they get past the age of 2, anyway. I agree with you, Katie! It’s not right to be deceptive to them. I had one kids who would only eat canned veggies. I was like, “where did I go wrong”? LOL It’s all about each individual child. As long as they live in my house, they have to eat them. Hopefully that will reach into their adult lives as well, the need to be healthy!

  27. Alanna says

    I love being the wet blanket (NOT) But I am trying to lose weight, and I entered this recipe into a calorie counter. With 4 ( servings) of cashew butter for 1 person, this one cheese cake hsa nearly 800 calories, which is alot to me. The zucchini is a good idea, but this is not a low-calorie recipe 🙁

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      No, you’re right that it’s not a low-calorie recipe. But it is lowER in calories than other raw desserts the same size but with JUST cashews (no veggies).
      And I definitely don’t recommend eating an entire cheesecake in one sitting. As with all raw desserts, a small slice is rich enough to satisfy.

    • Melissa says

      Oh sweet.
      I was thinking this guy would be 4 servings (since Katie said she made it in a empty Tofutti container I had a pretty good idea on the size, definitely not a single serving!)… at only about 200 a pop, that’s a VERY doable amount of calories for such a rich dessert! 🙂 Thanks for doing the math, I’ll stil plug into sparkpeople so I can track but this makes me more apt to make the PB version soon. 🙂

      Oh, and a traditional SLICE of cheesecake can have 400-600 calories in just one small slice! Ditto frosted cakes. Desserts are freaking calorific. I make some with just stevia and no oil and have perfected a delicious BIG brownie for around 100 calories but it took some doing!

  28. BroccoliHut says

    I’m not a fan of the whole veggie deception either. If you act like veggies are supposed to taste bad and need “hiding” then your kids are going to think that way. Why not let the kids try veggies early and let them decide for yourself? Besides, adding black beans to brownies sounds like a good way to ruin a perfectly tasty dessert.

  29. Ann Claire says

    I totally agree with you on the whold hiding veggies thing. Those Chef Boyardee commericals where the lady doesn’t want her son to know there’s veggies really bothers me. It’s saying that most kids automotically don’t like something just because they know it is has veggies in it, regardless of taste…where did kids learn to dislike veggies? Clearly, they weren’t born disliking them, somewhere they learned that veggies = bad. Why does society have such a thing aganist vegetables?? They are so awesome! If only more people knew of awesome veggie recipes like the ones you so kindly share with all of us….

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      I haven’t seen those commercials, but so many people have mentioned them that now I’m really curious.
      Society needs to stop the veggie hate and close-mindedness. I thought we were supposed to encourage free thought and expression!

  30. MoniMeals says

    Great points all around! One thing I can tell you is when you tell a kid something is Healthy or Organic- they seem to crindge and freak out.
    For exapmle, I use to nanny some amazing kids and when I bought Ketchup that had the “organic” label, they were done with their meal and repulsed, Same thing when I bought “organic” chocoalte-chip cookies, they spit them out…geesh! You have never seen someone turn their back on something so fast!
    I say it is very important to keep introducing food to picky eaters and not lie. 🙂

  31. Meghan says

    I don’t know if I can truly weight in since I don’t have kids yet, but I do not agree with hiding veggies. I think you have to teach children to appreciate foods and you can be creative about it–telling them it will make them stronger, grow etc. I think hiding them doesn’t give kids a chance to find out if they really like the veggies or not.

  32. Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) says

    “But if there’s one thing raw desserts aren’t, it’s lower in calories”–Totally true! which is why readers write to me sometimes a little confused b/c they assume that “raw vegan” means healthy. And it does. Just not necessarily lower calories & fat. And in fact, downright full of fat, i.e. nuts & nut butters. Not a bad thing but something to be mindful of.

    Hiding veggies, oh I did a big post on this a few months ago. Most people said that they dont agree with it, nor do I. If your kid absolutely wont eat veggies, then sneak some in to just get anything in them BUT the parent MUST also put out REAL veggies on the plate at every single meal and snack. They have to see what veggies look like and accept them for what they are, on their own. Cuz mama ain’t gonna be sneaking spinach into your smoothie in college 🙂

    And I can attest that just providing veggies works…Skylar, 3.5 yrs, eats raw kale, brock, cauli, zukes, cukes, tomatoes, squash, she eats like I do 🙂

  33. Erica says

    I officially love you thanks to this recipe.

    I tried it with peanut butter and there is no way anyone could ever tell there was zucchini in there (though I did peel it to avoid any telltale green flecks). I was actually hard pressed not to eat it out of the blender with a spoon. Sooo delicious, it didn’t need toppings or anything.

    I noticed a bunch of comments about it still being fairly high calorie – it’s not actually too bad if you split it into tart moulds like I did. One recipe divided into 8 mini cheesecakes = 110 kcal each. Cute, reasonably nutritious and absolutely delicious.

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Oh wow, I’m so impressed you made it already! You are so much better than me; when I see a recipe I like online, it takes me AGES to make it!
      Anywhoos, I’m also so glad you liked it. I made it with pb the other day too, and I’m going to blog about it tomorrow. Mine did *look* a little green, but it tasted only like pb (oh, and chocolate, because I HAD to top it with chocolate hehe)

  34. Dana says

    for the giveaway-peanut butter always wins in my mind!

    P.S. I just stopped studying for my exam to read your post and comment on this raw cheesecake. Oops!

  35. Jen says

    Your blog has become my morning “me-time” in the past few months. I love all of your ideas. I’m not vegan, but I’m allergic to dairy so a lot of what you post works great for me. Also, I’ve been working hard to incorporate veggies into my routine and you’ve sure given me a lot of new ideas that make eating veggies FUN! I think I’m going to try the PB chocolate chip combo raw veggie cheesecake and see if I can trick my husband – otherwise he’d never touch zucchini! He is the perfect audience for Seinfeld’s book. In fact, we own that book but I haven’t even used it since we bought it!

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Aw, thank you so much, Jen! And LOL I might be against sneaking veggies into kids, but I TOTALLY support sneaking them into grown men! ‘Cause unlike with kids who will grow up and leave the house, you CAN continue to sneak veggies into your husband for the rest of his life… and he’ll never need to know 🙂 :).

  36. Kat says

    I think the raw cookie dough pie sounds awesome! maybe with some raw almond butter swirled in…mmmm 😉 but I’m sure the regular is great too 🙂

  37. Jen @ Joy of Living Raw says

    O.K. I like you Katie, am a raw chef dessert girl and I am constantly making my own recipes. Most of them include Artisana coconut butter oil, or cacao bliss. I love your ideas and creations. Some are similar to mine! We must think alike.
    Anyways, so I tried your cheesecake, because I was curious to see how the zucchini would work out. I used 1/4 c of cashews ground to a butter and 1/4 of Artisana Coconut butter. I was going to add in cacao bliss as well but opted out. I ended up adding a little more zucchini because it turned out to0 runny. I then added in some cacao nibs and put in the freezer.

    I think my creation of your regular version and the coconut cream pie combined sounds the best!!

    I am going to keep playing with ideas!

  38. radioactivegan says

    Looking at the other comments, I realize that it’s not very original, but I think the peanut butter version sounds pretty amazing. And smother that with some chocolate … yum.

  39. Amy says

    I’m going to have to go with your original version. Because I made it last night, and it was so delicious I ended up eating a lot of it straight from the blender. That didn’t leave much room for a cheesecake. Next time I’m doubling the recipe for sure.

  40. Molly says

    I’m thinkin’ either the Pina Colada or Cookie Dough pie sounds the best, even though they all were making me drool just reading about them! Thanks for the recipe Katie!

  41. Sharon says

    i think hiding veggies is a super awesome idea! especially for younger kids who hate eating veggies, but i’ll try buttersquash mac ‘n cheese anyday, because i’m like a big kid anyway 😉 the
    Raw Cookie Dough Pie & Coconut Cream Pie variations sound delish but i would love to make the Cheesecake Popsicles then maybe dip them in vegan melted chocolate, roll them in nuts, or other fun toppings 🙂

  42. Albizia says

    Coconut cream pie sounds like a dream come true. I am addicted to coconut and I love zucchini so i think they can make a great combination.

    And I don’t think we should hide veggies. Children must be taught how important vegetables are for their health and think of eating them as something good, not as a torture. There are a million (or more) different recipes including vegetables that are so good that no kid could resist. Their mothers just have to find the right ones 🙂 .

  43. Jen says

    I think I like the hidden veggie one best… not because it is lower in fat, but because sometimes those dense raw desserts give me a stomach ache! Plus, whats not to love about hidden veggies : P

  44. Gloria says

    Peanut butter is number 1 in my heart.. but chocolate is a close second so I’d have to combine the 2. Chocolate PB cheesecake!!

  45. Sarah says

    I think the peanut butter variation sounds best. I’d also love a version with some fruit whizzed up in there, I love me something fruity in my desserts!

  46. nmgrandma says

    I made the mistake of posting my response on today’s blog so I will repeat it here. I am going to try the Pina Colada version for my husband. He is a perfect example of what happens when a person is forced to eat something that they don’t want to eat. His step-mother forced him to eat cooked carrots and to this day (he just turned 70 on Sept. 11) he won’t touch cooked carrots, except for carrot cake, of course!

    I had no problem with my daughters eating all vegetables when they were young, but now, my younger daughter basically eats only bagels, ice cream and soda, with only occasional “real meals.” Her husband considers vegetables non-essential and makes nasty comments when I try to feed them healthy, so their three sons have very bad examples being set. One detests vegetables, but the other two are better about eating them. Their daughter is a vegetarian, as is my older daughter, and they have a good influence on two of the grandsons. Needless to say, I, as a vegetable lover, am very frustrated with this family’s behavior!

  47. Toby says

    I think the Peanut Butter Pie version sounds the best, but really – I’m highly skeptical it could resemble cheesecake in anyway at all. Guess I’ll have to give it a try and find out for myself. 😉

  48. brazilgrrl says

    Yummy!!!!!!! I’m thinking peanut butter with some cocoa powder thrown in. Reese’s cup raw cheescake!!!! I definitely will be using your recipe very, very soon.

  49. Katie says

    I would say the peanut butter Cheesecake sounds the best but maybe add a little chocolate to it. I want to try a variation with Pumpkin too.

  50. Raychel says

    I think the zucchini-cheesecake popsicles sound amazing! I have always wanted to make-my-own popsickles, but all of the recipes usually call for just straight-up sugar. This is a great way to get veggies+healthy fats in fun popsicle form! 🙂

  51. Desi says

    Maybe it’s my obsession with Autumn or the fact that it’s already September and I use that as an excuse to eat as much pumpkin as humanly possible… but I definitely think some sort of pumpkin version would be heavenly. 🙂

  52. VEGirl says

    Personally I *heart* them all. But it’s a battle between the pb chocolate cake and the coconut cake. Although for the coconut I think I would leave the lemon in– yummy twist! My samples might even come today! I’m obsessively checking the UPS order tracking thing.

    Well, since it’s such a tie I may just *HAVE* to make both. Oh so sad (NOT!)!! 😉
    VEGirl
    ps: can’t wait to see the chocolate cheesecake. Eek! I’m getting excited already!

  53. Kianni says

    Somewhat hard for me to admit, becuse I feel I should always choose (therefore supposed to like more) the “healthier” foods, like with fruit, etc…but I think the Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough sounds the best! >.< *Tries not to feel guilt or embarassment*

  54. Diana (Soap & Chocolate) says

    You are so right about the Seinfeld book! Maybe good for sneaking in the veggies now, but you’re right on point that then kids might not know how to make good decisions later on! But I guess that’s a whole ‘nother book for her to write.

    This little cheesecake sounds divine! I would like to try it the original way and the coconut butter way! Sadly my coconut butter supply is dwindling…

  55. Demelza says

    Pina colada pie or coconut cream pie sound best to me. Although,
    I think I would have to at least throw some coconut extract in to the pina colada version. ;]

  56. Amy says

    I am a chocolate lover like you, so I think the raw cookie dough pie and the peanut butter pie (with chocolate on top) sound amazing!!!!

    I love raw desserts! They are delicious and don’t make me feel stuffed or sick afterwards.

  57. nmgrandma says

    Katie….HELP!!!

    Somehow I seem to have signed up to be notified every time there is a new comment to your blog. I have tried to “Unsubscribe” to no avail. I want to receive your blog but not every comment that is posted!

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Eek, I don’t know. I’m so sorry… I know it’s going to sound strange, coming from someone who runs a blog, but I am not tech-savvy at all! I just learned two weeks ago that there was even such a thing as a blog subscription! I hope you get it figured out :(.

  58. courtney says

    Even though summer is fading fast, I think cheesecake popsicles sound really delicious! And you can never go wrong adding peanut butter to pretty much anything…

  59. MollyG says

    Peanut butter pie covered in chocolate. I do not love chocolate like you, CCK, but if peanut butter is thrown into the mix… Sign me up! And though I’ve never had coconut butter, it sounds delicious!

  60. Monica says

    Cheesecake has always been my favorite dessert 😀
    I would try the Raw Cookie Dough variation, anything that tastes like cookie dough is a thumbs up in my book.

  61. Karen Andrews says

    I’m gonna have to go w/the raw cookie dough pie as my potential fave! YUM! Thanks for all the time you take to organize your blog and giveaways. I always smile when I see the notice in my in-box!!!

  62. dragonmamma/naomi says

    I don’t believe in “hiding” vegetables in other foods; I’d rather “flaunt” it. I love being able to tell people that the delectable thing they just ate was not junk food, but actually filled with nutrition.

    If I could make only one of those cheesecake variations, it would definitely be the coconut creme pie.

  63. hmcclees says

    Okay, I’m definitely going with the zucchini based cheesecake as my favorite to win the Artisana Cashini and Hazlenut butter, which I am DYING to try both!:) I LOVE the coconut butters, but everytime I eat them, they make my stomach hurt so bad. I think the raw coconut is just harsh on my tummy, but it LOVES shredded.

    Anyway, I love cashew butter and tahini, but would love to try the cashini:) How cute of a name!!! Hazlenuts are my favorite nut or pecan:) If I were lucky enough to win, I’d let you pick between the last 2 choices:)

    *Got your Wildbars in the mail today:) Love ya dear!:)
    http://www.thesoulfulspoon.com

    *Check out this CUTE link I saw today in an email and thought of you- I think I’ll order one! I mean seriously….. how great is this??
    http://www.foodnetworkstore.com/ProductDetail.aspx?R=272025

  64. Sabrina says

    The cheesecake Popsicles sound awesome! For someone trying to lose weight – that’s perfect sweet portion control! YUMMY!

  65. sarah says

    Cashew Freezer Pie…only because I am unable to turn down anything cashew. Ever since I was three year olds, I would give my dad a huge can of cashews for every birthday, father’s day, Christmas…etc…Then, we would sit together in his lazy boy chair, reclined and all, and eat ourselves into a cashew oblivion! GO HEALTHY FATS! 🙂

    This father’s day… Cashew Freezer Pie in the recliner? (That is, if we both still fit!)

  66. Kristina says

    All of the variations sound AWESOME! BUT…. I’d have to go with the Peanut Butter Pie! I mean come on, who can deny peanut butter and chocolate? 🙂

  67. Shirley says

    although i see nothing wrong with raw desserts as they are, this is a nice ‘light’ variation packed with nutrients, so props! about hiding veggies…honestly, it’s hard to taste ’em when you hide ’em – and i like to taste them! but that’s just me. i had a piece of chocolate zucchini cake last week…it tasted like regular chocolate cake and it immediately lost its appeal.

    i still think this is a neat recipe though! what about a chocolate raspberry coconut cream pie variation? 🙂

  68. Rachel Lubben says

    I would have to say the cookie dough cheesecake! Yum, yum! Before I was a vegan, I ate cheesecake all the time but haven’t found a recipe that has worked out yet. Can’t wait to try yours!

  69. alain says

    hi katie! i have to admit you had me at “cookie dough.” Nothing else could compare although peanut butter cheesecake did come close. Can’t wait to see your photos of that one!

    • Arielle says

      What’s carob like, compared to cocoa? I’m intrigued but I’d like to hear about it’s taste before shelling out for the stuff 😀

  70. Jade Belzberg says

    I would undoubtedly go with the raw cookie dough option. Those cookie dough babies are delicious…but an entire cake worth of amazingness!?

  71. Arielle says

    I completely agree with you about raw desserts being a fantastic way to fill up on calories without FILLING up! I stuff myself with coconut cream concentrate, nut butters, your fudge babies and other raw desserts when I’m trying to gain some weight (actually, just about all the time). But this sounds intriguing because I can’t stand eating zucchini, blech. Since they’re in season and cheap, this will help me stretch out my cashew butter. Great idea girl!
    As for variations, I’m thinking cherry cheesecake! Perhaps using some banana as a base, but mostly cherries. Oh yes, I may have to make this.
    Would carrot be too weird??

  72. Sünne says

    Ooooh … Chocolate cookie dough with cocoa powder added – because there can’t be too much chocolate in one cake, right?

  73. Megan @ Healthy Hoggin says

    I make a “sneaky” raw zucchini cheesecake, too! I love how it just blends right into the cashews, and leaves it lighter than traditional, dense raw cheesecakes.

    My aunt’s co-worker actually saw the recipe on my blog and made it for her office a few weeks ago, and no one could tell it was RAW or VEGAN or had ZUCCHINI in it!! Love that.

    Glad you’re sharing the “sneaky veggie” love! 😀

    • Chocolate-Covered Katie says

      Woah, Megan, I just looked at your recipe… I thought I was the only one crazy enough to think to put zucchini in a cheesecake lol. (Actually, I didn’t come up with the idea; I got it from a reader.) Your photos look better than mine, though! Yours looks like a real cheesecake, while mine looks like a hockey puck! 😉

  74. charlotte says

    Dear lord, this will be INCREDIBLE!! I am marching to the grocery store right away and buying a cartload of cashews and zucchini.

    I think adding some chocolate chips would be so delish–even better, toffee or butterscotch. With a drizzle of fudge sauce. MMMMMMM.
    Love the lower-cal version of a raw cheesecake. I really appreciate it!

    You never cease to amaze me, Katie.

  75. Katherine says

    the coconut sounds deeeeelish!
    but i actually made my own version the other day using CARROTS instead of zucchini (slightly steamed to take the bite off and to lend a nice, smooth texture) and almond butter (TWO kinds: barney smooth and raw crunchy variety from whole foods… forgot the brand name but there is a cute bear on the container). I added a couple tiny pieces of old banana, some salt, vanilla extract and sweetener, bit of soymilk for optimal blending and voila! very orange-looking from the carrots, but yum nonetheless!

  76. Rachel Ramey says

    This looks yummy!

    I am all for “hiding” veggies, in the sense that one can’t taste them (or can’t taste them much). No one in our household (including myself) really likes most vegetables, so if I can “sneak” them in around our tastebuds, that’s good for all of us.

    But I’m opposed to lying to my kids about anything. (I might not go out of my way to tell them there’re vegetables in something they’re eating, until *after* they’ve eaten it, so they’ll actually give it a chance. But I would not pretend they’re not there, overall.) Santa Claus doesn’t come to our house, either. 😉

  77. StraightOutTheGardenGirl says

    For all those who want their children to eat vegetables without making a fuss, here it is… If you have the time and the dirt, grow a garden and have them help. I guarantee they will love vegetables if they see where they come from and that they made them with their own two little hands. This is how I got hooked on veggies as a kid, especially raw ones straight out the garden! My dad was a master gardener! I miss him so much!

  78. Minerva says

    This recipe looks amazing. Do you peel the zuchinis for the recipe or do you blend them with skin on?

  79. Lily says

    Katie, Katie, Katie! Long-time lurker Lily here . . . I finally made this lovely dessert . . . but I subbed coconut butter for the cashew butter and threw in a couple tablespoons of raw cacao powder at the end and it became this chocolate-coconut-zucchini-mousse-cake-thing. Absolutely divine. Thanks for the inspiration!

  80. kel says

    I totally agree with you about that book…. a friend let me borrow it and I handed it right back… She did have one good idea, which I do almost every day… When the kids get home from school, before dinner… they get a huge veggie plate. If they are hungry, they will eat their veggies! And they DO! And, they are used to it… I’m sure my kids eat more veggies than anyone they know!
    The above comment is great also… I couldn’t get my kids to even try a raw tomato until they picked one from our garden.

  81. Kathleen says

    I am, admittedly, not a vegan. I love me some meat and dairy (even though I’m lactose intolerant), and this was an INCREDIBLE cheesecake! I made the peanut butter variety, and put a little twist on it. I melted chocolate and put a layer of it on a graham cracker crust, then froze it. After it was frozen, I put the cheesecake on top and put it back in the freezer. SO. GOOD.

  82. Ariana says

    Hey Katie! this is the first one of your recipes that i’ve not only sat in awe over but then cooked! I made a pnb version, and my friend suggested i make it as dip since i didnt have anything for a crust. I made it to share to appeal to their tastes and they suggested a lot more pnb , sugar and vanilla i dont have a big sweet tooth either so im glad i got their feedback in process of making it! but it was such a big hit at the party i brought it to! thanks! Im looking forward to making some of your other recipes for other events coming up! next will be healthy chocolate chip cookies! 🙂

  83. Katherine says

    I just made this and it’s amazing! My whole family loves it and none of us are even raw or vegan(though I am trying to incorporate more of these foods). I used five medjool dates as the only sweetener and added an extra 1/4 cup of zucchini, and it tastes delicious. I also added a crust made of dates, raw walnuts, and flaxseeds. I can’t wait to try some more variations on this recipe- the zucchini is ingenious!

  84. Susan says

    Thanks for the recipe I’m gonna make this for my dads B-day today! I think it will compliment the fish curry dish we’re having 🙂 I like how this recipe does not have tofu in it, that you use vanilla stevia like I do, and it looks pretty easy to make! We shall see if I do stevia exclusively or not I might add 1/2 tsp-1tsp of maple syrup with the vanilla stevia 😛 I’m gonna make a pecan cinnamon paleo nut crust with it and maybe toast some coconut flakes to put on top! Yum Coconut Extravaganza Tonight 😛

    –Thank You!

    • Susan says

      Oh ha ha I totally thought this recipe was based on coconut butter not cashew butter! thats why I said Coconut Extravaganza 😛 well I still made it using coconut butter since I didn’t have any cashew butter it was A-mazing melt in your mouth good -so glad I added the coconut oil…. modifications: 8 drops vanilla stevia, No added vanilla, did recommended amount of lemon but I think it might have been too much since I had to add 1/2 tsp of maple syrup to balance out the sourness, dash of salt instead of an 1/8 tsp–Coconut base–1/4 cup coconut oil (used the coconut oil at the top of the new coconut butter container) and 1/4 cup pure coconut butter (hard portion) melted all of this, added all the ingredients and blended! I totally forgot there was zucchini in this when my dad asked what it was made out of Lol I told him coconut butter and oil and about 10 mins later I was like oh yeah there was zucchini in it ha ha 🙂

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