This raw vegan blueberry smoothie cake is perfect for a touch of sweetness and a whole lot of goodness! A lighter, dairy-free, gluten-free and naturally sweetened treat, bursting with blueberries.
Post in collaboration with Seasonal Berries and Fruits from Chile.
Ahhhh… January. The month of resolutions. To be more healthy, exercise more, drink less booze and generally be kinder to yourself. I personally have been too distracted by my tax return to do stick to any of the above, other than restrict my wine and cocktails to the weekend. And after I file the return I may need several drinks to pick myself off the floor!
In fact, I have been so busy with it that I haven’t done much cooking at all and the poor blog is a tad neglected as a result. But I did find the time to make a raw vegan blueberry smoothie cake, if only to avoid a mountain of receipts scattered all over the living room floor. Organised chaos is my middle name. Or just plain ‘chaos’.
What the heck is a smoothie cake, you may well ask. Well, let’s start with what it isn’t.
Spoiler alert: it’s not a cake 😉
And let’s focus on what it is instead …
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Naturally sweetened
- Packed with blueberries
- Delicious!
Smoothie cakes are sort of like a no-bake cheesecake, but totally-dairy free. The base is made with yummy dates, almonds, shredded coconut and tiny bit of coconut oil. The main ‘cake’ part is basically a healthy smoothie, made with fresh blueberries, almonds, coconut cream, lemon juice and a little maple syrup for sweetness.
Though, I have to tell you, you really don’t need much maple syrup at all. I used fresh blueberries from Chile, available in the UK supermarkets from now till March, and they were simply bursting with sweetness. I literally went through a punnet while testing the recipe and then had to go and get more in order to finish it!
Smoothie cakes set in the freezer, so they are sort of like an icebox cake in that respect. Though I am experimenting with setting agents like agar agar, so keep an eye on this space… I think a vegan ‘cheesecake’ may well be on the cards!
I used two small springform cake tins to set my raw vegan blueberry smoothie cake in. You can also use one larger springform cake tin, which will result in a deeper smoothie cake. While you can store the smoothie cake in the freezer, be warned that it will need sit at room temperature until soft enough to slice. I found that it was set, but not rock hard, after 2-3 hours and I was able to slice it with ease.
This raw vegan blueberry smoothie cake requires a bit of prep time, so it would be best to start the recipe the day before you wish to serve it. The prep, thankfully, is simply soaking the almonds and chilling the coconut milk in the fridge overnight.
If you wish to omit the coconut cream, you could replace it with a small banana instead. You want your filling to be fairly thick so that it doesn’t run out of the tin or soak the base too much. If it is too thick for your blender to handle, you can add a little of the coconut water which will be left over after you scoop out the solid coconut cream.
Lover of blueberries? You may want to try one of my other blueberry recipes!
- No-bake blueberry and lime cheesecake
- Blueberry gin sour cocktail
- Blueberry and almond traybake
- Blueberry waffles with whipped coconut cream
- Blueberry basil margarita
Raw vegan blueberry smoothie cake
Ingredients
- For the base
- 170 g | 6 oz soft pitted dates about 20
- 140 g | 1 cup whole almonds
- 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
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- For the filling
- 500 g | 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 140 g | 1 cup blanched almonds soaked in 500ml (2 cups) water
- 1 x 400g | 14oz can coconut milk
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2-4 tbsp maple syrup or to taste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or to taste
- Zest of 1 lemon
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- For the decoration
- Handful fresh blueberries halved
- Edible flowers optional
Instructions
- Put the can of coconut milk in the fridge, upside down if it has any easy to open top (otherwise it doesn’t matter which way around). Chill for several hours or overnight.
- Put the almonds in a bowl, add the water and leave them to soak overnight at room temperature.
- The following day, process the dates, almonds, shredded coconut and coconut oil until coarsely ground and sticky. Divide the filling between two 16cm/6in springform cake tins or use one 18cm /7in tin instead.
- Pack the filling into the tin to create an even base layer. Place in the fridge while you prepare your filling.
- Drain the almonds, rinse in cold water and add to the bowl of a high-power blender.
- Turn the can of coconut milk the right way up. Open and pour out any liquid (save to use in smoothies) and scoop out the coconut cream which will have set in the fridge.
- Add to the blender with all the remaining ingredients and blend until completely smooth. Use some of the coconut water if you need to thin out the filling. Taste the smoothie to see if you need to add a bit more maple syrup or a bit more lemon, to your taste.
- Pour the filling over the tin(s) and place on a baking tray.
- Freeze until set - about 2 1/2 hours.
- Arrange the fresh blueberries over the top, slice and serve.
Notes
You can store your smoothie cake in the freezer but it will need to sit at room temperature before soft enough to slice.
You can experiment using your favourite fruit or vegetables in the fillings.
Kate - gluten free alchemist says
I do so love your photos Lucy. This is beautiful…… Amazing colours and lovely ingredients. Stunning! x
Albert Bevia says
This has got to be one of the most beautiful looking cakes I have ever seen! stunning to say the least, love the base of this cake, made with such great ingredients