Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Matcha “Cheesecake” (Dairy Free/Vegan/Gluten Free)

I was recently contacted by Peanut Butter & Co, which you may know is one of our favorite peanut butters if you are a regular readier, about joining their Yum Squad food blogger club. “Yum Squad members are given the chance to participate in thematic food and recipe projects and challenges throughout the year with the purpose of creating and sharing delicious, inspiring recipes with the world.” Of course when asked the answer was YES! The first challenge is a #MysteryIngredient Challenge. Having watched mystery box challenges on Master Chef Jr. with the family and other shows on Food Network on occasion I was down for the challenge but a little worried about what I might get. Thinking fish, umm yeah sure peanut butter fish, or something exotic that I would have no clue what to do with. I was pleasantly surprised and excited when my box arrived and my mystery ingredient was matcha powder! I’m a big fan of tea in general and love matcha powder so instantly the ideas started rolling in my head and with in minutes I had a dozen ideas. Of course I could go with a drink, smoothies are my thing, or power balls I decided to have a little fun and make something really special…. a Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Matcha “Cheesecake”! Yep chocolate crust, white chocolate peanut butter cheesecake topped with matcha mousse, a dark chocolate peanut butter mousse, and if desired sprinkled with matcha powder! Each layer carefully constructed and taste tested and together they are amazing! I have to say if your whole family isn’t crazy about matcha you can use less and the dusting on top really makes the matcha flavor shine and it can be omitted.

Another benefit of being a Yum Squad member means my friends at Peanut Butter & Co are letting me give one away 2 jars of peanut butter! One winner will win a jar of White Chocolate Wonderful and a jar of Dark Chocolate Dreams so they can make my creation, or just eat with a spoon out of the jar, whatever your heart desires! See details and enter below!

NOTE: You will need to refrigerated the canned coconut milk and soak the cashews the night before making this cheesecake. I like to use So Delicious Culinary Coconut Milk which comes in a small box, or Trader Joe’s or Thai Kitchen cans. These have been the most consistent and have the thickest coconut cream where others will be more watery. You want to make sure to get full fat, not light. You will 3 cups total which 2 cans should produce more than enough, and have some left over but in case you don’t get as much thick cream with other brands or cans you may want to put 3 in the refrigerator just in case. I often put an extra in, you probably won’t need to open it and can keep it for something in the future but it is never fun to get a dud can and not be able to make the recipe. However should this happen the So Delicious boxes usually are all thick cream and you can try to save the recipe using a box right without refrigeration.

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Matcha “Cheesecake”
Makes a 9″ Springform Pan, 12- 16 servings

Chocolate Crust:
1 3/4c raw cashews and or almonds
1/3c cacao powder (used Navitas Naturals Cacoa Powder)
1c Medjool dates, pitted and soaked if dry (about 6 large )
1 TBSP coconut oil, melted

White Chocolate “Cheesecake” Layer:
1 1/2c raw cashews, cashew pieces (soaked 4 hours or overnight)
1/3c agave or pure maple syrup
1/3c Peanut Butter & Co White Chocolate Wonder Peanut Butter
1/3c coconut oil, melted
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

Matcha Mousse Layer:
1 large ripe, but not too ripe, avocado (you want it to be soft but not mushy)
1c full fat canned coconut milk, thick cream part, refrigerated overnight (used So Delicious Culinary Coconut Milk, Original)
1- 2TBSP matcha powder (start with 1 tablespoon and test and add more to personal preference)
1/2c agave, or honey/maple syrup
1 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP coconut oil, melted

Chocolate Mousse Layer:
2c fat canned coconut milk, thick cream part, refrigerated overnight  (used So Delicious Culinary Coconut Milk, Original)
1/2c Peanut Butter & Co Dark Chocolate Dreams Peanut Butter
1/4 c pure maple syrup or agave
2 TBSP cacao powder

Start by soaking 1 1/2 cups of cashews (only the cashews for the cake not crust) 4 hours or overnight and placing the canned coconut milk in the refrigerator the night before (or sooner). If your dates are dry and need to be soaked you can soak them in warm water 10 minutes before making the crust.

All of the layers can be made back to back if your freezer is very cold. Ours is set to 0 and the top of the previous layer is set before I pour on the next layer. If I use our older freezer (just a upright freezer) it will not set and I need to leave 20 minutes between layers so sometimes I will make a layer and then make another layer later and space them out if I am prepping or making other food as well.

Place nuts for crust (almonds and/or cashews) into a food processor and pulse until ground. Add dates, cacao powder, and coconut oil to the food processor and pulse until combined. Press mixture into the bottom of a springform cheesecake pan. Place the pan in the freezer while you make the filling.

Rinse and drain the soaked cashews and place with the agave/ maple syrup, and lemon juice into your food processor, or Vitamix, and blend until it starts to get creamy. I find my Vitamix works better for the cheesecake and mousse layers but either will work. Add in coconut oil and white chocolate peanut butter and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides as needed. Remove pan from the freezer and pour/scoop your filling into the pan on top of the crust. Shaking the pan side to side to even out and carefully tap the pan on the counter to get out any possible air blubbles. Place in the freezer, being sure it is on a flat level surface.

Rinse and wash your Vitamix or food processor, which ever you are using and make the matcha mousse layer. Slice your avocado in half, remove pit and scrap insides into your Vitamix/ food processor. Blend avocado, agave, lemon juice, and coconut oil, until smooth and creamy scraping down sides as needed. Add matcha powder and blend, starting with 1 tablespoon. Remove canned coconut milk from the refrigerator and drain any liquid into a bowl to use for something else (great for smoothies) and with a spoon scoop out one cup of the thick coconut cream. Blend coconut cream with the avocado matcha mixture until just combine, do not over mix. Test the mixture and add in more match if desired, blend until just incorporated. Pull the cake out of the freezer and pour and smooth over the top of “cheesecake” layer. Again carefully shaking the pan side to side to even out. Place cake back in the freezer, being sure it is on a flat level surface.

Rinse and wash your Vitamix or food processor, which ever you are using and make the chocolate mousse layer. It usually works best to mix chocolate peanut butter, agave, and cacao powder in a small bowl, especially if using a larger food processor as you don’t want the cacao powder to get stuck on the sides. It can be mixed in a Vitamix but just don’t turn it up too quick or again you will have the cacao stuck to the sides of the container. Remove canned coconut milk from the refrigerator and drain any liquid, you should still have some left from the previous carton/can, with a spoon scoop out two cups of the thick coconut cream. Blend in coconut cream until just combine. Pull the cake out of the freezer and pour and smooth over the top of matcha mousse layer. Again carefully shaking the pan side to side to even out. Place cake back in the freezer, being sure it is on a flat level surface.

Freeze for an hour or until ready to enjoy. Sprinkle with optional matcha powder just before serving, or on top of cut slices, if desired. Enjoy!

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As a member of Peanut Butter & Co.’s Yum Squad food blogger club, I received product to create the recipe for this post but was not compensated. If you are a regular reader of my blog you know that Peanut Butter & Co is one of our favorite peanut butters and we have been purchasing and using it for years before being contacted by Peanut Butter & Co to join the Yum Squad food blogger club.