No Bake Cashew Cheese Cake

I love to learn about all types of diets, so last week while I was looking for some information on the raw foods diet, I came across this recipe for a raw vegan cheesecake. It seemed so simple that I just had to give it a try. I made some changes to the original recipe, but it still came out great! It doesn't taste like a 'normal' cheesecake - it's definitely different -but it was still yummy! Next time, I'm thinking of adding fresh strawberries or blueberries to the filling for a bit of a variation :)

No Bake Cashew Cheese Cake
(Yields: 8 slices)

Crust
1 3/4 Quick Oats
25 Pitted Dates
Splash of water

Filling
1 Cup of Raw Cashews (soaked)
3 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Vanilla Extract
2 tbsp Water
Agave Nectar (to taste - I used 2 tsp's)

Soak cashews overnight (or if you're in a hurry, for at least 3 hours)

Grind oats until they reach a flour like consistency. Add 10 dates and blend together. Once thoroughly mixed, add 10 more dates. Blend. Add the last 5 and blend. If mixture is a bit dry, add a splash of water to lightly moisten the mixture.

Scoop mixture into a dish 9" round dish and press down with your fingers to cover the bottom and sides of the dish.

For the filling, blend together cashews, lemon juice, agave nectar, vanilla extract and water until smooth, fluffy and thick. (add additional lemon juice, agave and vanilla as needed). Note: Be careful not to over blend or you may wind up with cashew butter!

Fill the crust with the filling and spread evenly. Freeze for an hour or refrigerate for a few hours to set.

 The pie should last a few days in the refrigerator. but you can also cut it into slices and freeze them.