Chocolate Marble Cheesecake, Paleo, Vegan, Sugar-free

Ingredients

Chocolate Crust:
• 1 3/4 cups nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, soaked and toasted if possible. (See All About Nuts)
• 1/2 cup sweetener to taste such as Swerve Sweetener, or 4 teaspoons PureLo Lo Han Sweetener by Swanson, or 1/3 cup raw honey, or your favorite sweetener
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon unprocessed salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup pure cacao powder
• 2 - 3 tablespoons lukewarm water if needed to blend
Filling:
• 1 3/4 cups full-fat unsweetened coconut milk, as thick as possible (Lite coconut milk and coconut beverage are too thin.)
• 1 1/4 cups Swerve sweetener, or 5 tablespoons PureLo Lo Han Sweetener by Swanson, or your favorite sweetener
• 2 lemons, peeled, sliced and seeded (150 grams pulp)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon unprocessed salt
• 200 grams (that’s about 1 cup, very tightly packed) coconut butter (not coconut oil)
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil (place jar in lukewarm water to melt oil)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons agar flakes
• 1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk, to cook agar
Chocolate Marble:
• 1 1/4 cups Swerve sweetener, or 3 1/3 tablespoons PureLo Lo Han Sweetener by Swanson, or 3/4 cup raw honey, or your favorite sweetener.
• 1/2 cup warm filtered water
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil (place jar in lukewarm water to melt oil)
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup pure cacao powder

Instructions

Crust:
1. In a food processor, add all the crust ingredients. Mix well until it resembles a paste. If your nuts are dry you may need to add a bit of water a tablespoon at a time to reach a pliable consistency. Press into a 9-10 inch pie pan and chill briefly while you make the filling.
Filling:
2. In a blender, combine the coconut milk, sweetener, lemons, vanilla, and salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add the coconut butter. Blend again until smooth.
3. Add the melted coconut oil last, and blend again. Add a tablespoon more of coconut milk if necessary to blend.
4. In a shallow non-stick pan over medium heat, stir the agar into the 1?3 cup of coconut milk. Cook and stir gently for 2 to 3 minutes until it is bubbling and gummy, and the flakes begin to dissolve. Add the agar mixture to the blender immediately and blend well to remove any lumps.
Chocolate Marble:
5. In a small pitcher, a mixing bowl or any blender, add the sweetener, warm water, coconut oil, and vanilla. Blend briefly until the sweetener is dissolved.
6. Add the cacao powder and blend until smooth. Sweeten to taste. The mixture should be quite thick. You can thin it by adding a teaspoon of warm water or more, until it reaches your desired consistency. If you prefer it thicker, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more cacao powder.
Assemble and Chill:
7. Pour the cheesecake filling into the crust, then pour two-thirds of the chocolate sauce on top of it in irregular globs. Fold or stir with a knife or spatula, in circular motions, to make a marbled effect.
8. Refrigerate for 3 to 5 hours. You can chill it faster in the freezer 30 minutes. But freezing completely will make it too difficult to cut. Garnish with the remaining chocolate sauce and shaved chocolate if you wish.