Almost-raw Cranberry Cheesecake Bars  

Makes 12 bars 

The only cooked ingredient in this creamy treat is cranberry sauce. Otherwise, it’s raw, grain-free, gluten-free and made mostly of fruit and nuts—a truly good-for-you treat. Or go totally raw, with a simple topping of pureed berries.

3 cups raw cashews    

1 cup frozen cranberries

1/4 cup raw, unfiltered honey

1/4 cup apple juice

1 cup raw walnuts 

1/4 cup raisins 

1 cup macadamia nuts 

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup coconut oil, softened, plus extra for greasing pan 

3 tablespoons water 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Soak 2 cups of the cashews in cold water to cover, for at least three hours, or overnight. Reserve remaining cashews.

To make topping:  combine cranberries, 2 tablespoons of the honey, and apple juice in a medium pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cranberries pop.  Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pulse in a blender until sauce is thick and about the smoothness of jam. Set aside to cool.

To make crust:  grease bottom and sides of an 8-inch square glass pan with coconut oil. Combine the unsoaked cashews,  walnuts, and raisins in a high-powered blender or food processor. Process on high until crust begins to stick together. Press crust into prepared pan, and place in the refrigerator to chill for 20 to 30 minutes. 

To make filling: while crust is chilling, drain and rinse soaked cashews. In a high-powered blender or food processor, combine soaked cashews with macadamia nuts, lemon, remaining 1/4 cup honey, coconut oil, water and vanilla extract. Puree until completely smooth. If you’re using a food processor, this may take several minutes, so turn food processor off to rest for a moment halfway through, to avoid stressing the motor.

To assemble bars: remove crust from refrigerator, and spoon filling over crust, smoothing top.  Spoon cranberry sauce over top of cheesecake, and smooth; cut through cheesecake with a butter knife to make a marbeling effect.  Freeze cheesecake for one hour before serving. Thaw for 5 minutes, then slice into 12 bars and serve cold.