WHATTTT?!? Yes. Avocado mango cheesecake. You can stop giving me weird looks right about now. I already know what you’re thinking.
Everything about this just sounded right. A nice, cool dessert for a summer day and an excuse to get that good HDL boosting avocado fat. And it’s actually quite light, also. The gelatin cuts down the need for the typical 4 packages of cream cheese type recipe. You really can’t even taste the avocado, either. The citrus zests with the lovely anise-spiked graham cracker walnut crust compliments it all very well.
The recipe recommended topping it with a raspberry sauce but for some reason I thought I could improve on the suggestion. Luckily I didn’t have to go much further than my freezer because thank goodness I already had some frozen pureed mango! AHA! Avocado + mango = pure love. Yay!
Anyway, yeah, this is awesome and definitely making its way into my “keeper” recipe box. It should make its way into yours, also.
Cheers to making more avocado incorporated desserts in the future!This one’s next. And probably a few of these, too.
Look… I’ve already eaten so much of this my nails are turning green!
Just kidding! I’m on an avocado lime green kick, though and I’m sure loving it.
You know you want this.
Avocado Mango Cheesecake
serves 10
adapted from The Amazing Avocado
3/4 cup shelled walnuts
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon crushed anise seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt (lemon salt and/or fleur de sel)
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 lemon and/or 1 lime
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 fully ripened avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
8 ounces neufchatel, softened and cut in pieces
Heat oven to 350°F. In food processor, pulse walnuts until finely ground. Add graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, anise seeds and salt; pulse just until combined. Add 2 tablespoons water; pulse until ingredients are thoroughly combined and resemble wet sand. Press into bottom of an 8 1/2-inch springform pan. Bake 18-20 minutes until lightly browned; cool completely.
In measuring cup or small bowl, combine gelatin with 2 tablespoons water; let stand for 5 minutes. With vegetable peeler, remove strips of lemon/lime zest (skin portion only). In saucepan, combine milk, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla and zest; bring to boil. Add gelatin; simmer until gelatin has completely dissolved, about 1 minute; strain and discard lemon zest. In food processor, combine avocados and cream cheese. Pour hot milk mixture into processor; process until very smooth. Pour into baked crust; cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set. Remove side of pan; cut cheesecake into 10 slices. Serve with mango sauce (if desired).
For the mango sauce: puree frozen cubes of mango or buy the already pureed frozen packs at Trader Joe’s. Submerge into warm water to liquefy and snip an end of the packet. Drizzle on top of individual cheesecake slices. Trust me on this.
