AIP Mixed Berry Coconut Cheesecake

If you’re looking for a showstopper dessert for National Cheesecake Day, you’ve got to try this Mixed Berry Coconut Cheesecake! This easy AIP cheesecake is a no-bake recipe that comes together very quickly with few ingredients. The cheesecake filling is made with fresh berries and is the perfect balance of creamy and fruity. It will be hard to stop after just one slice… but the good thing is that this cheesecake is loaded with healthy ingredients, so you don’t have to!

AIP cheesecake

You don’t have to miss out on National Cheesecake Day, which is March 24! This AIP no-bake cheesecake will satisfy all your cheesecake cravings without any inflammatory ingredients that go into traditional cheesecake.

This cheesecake is made with frozen mixed berries, coconut cream, dates, and coconut flakes, along with AIP-friendly tapioca starch and gelatin.

Gluten-free no-bake cheesecake crust

The crust for this cheesecake is made by blending softened dates, coconut flakes, coconut oil, and a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness of the dates. In addition to a natural sweet flavor, dates contain a lot of nutrients, such as fiber, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese, and Vitamin B6. However, I caution against using dates when following a protocol for Candida or SIBO. Since dates are naturally high in sugar, I recommend using a store-bought gluten-free crust or substituting for another gluten-free crust recipe.

Unsweetened organic coconut flakes give this cheesecake crust a nice texture, while coconut oil helps bind the crust together when blending the ingredients in a food processor. Coconut flakes contain a lot of fiber, which is good for our digestive systems, and coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which helps the body burn calories and keep you full.

To make the crust, simply combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process until you get a uniform mixture that is the texture of a thick paste or putty. Transfer the date mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and press down gently with a spatula to spread the mixture all around the pan.

Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the rest of the cheesecake.

Dairy-free AIP no-bake cheesecake

The filling for this cheesecake is dairy-free and made with frozen mixed berries and coconut cream. This recipe uses 5 cups of mixed berries, which are very nutritious and loaded with fiber and antioxidants, which help keep us full and help protect against oxidative damage. The coconut cream gives the cheesecake a creamy texture without introducing any inflammatory dairy. You can buy canned coconut cream for this recipe, or you can buy full-fat coconut milk and store the cans in the refrigerator overnight, which makes the coconut cream rise to the top. Open the cans without shaking or disturbing them and scoop out the white coconut cream. If 2 cans of coconut milk don’t yield 1 full cup of coconut cream, you can use some of the coconut water from the bottom of the can to make a total of 1 cup.

You can use any mix of berries you like for this cheesecake recipe. I used a frozen mix of cherries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries because it is convenient and budget-friendly to use frozen fruit. Fruit is typically frozen within 24 hours of picking, which preserves their nutrients. Frozen fruit is a great option for dessert in the winter, when many berries are out of season.

The cheesecake is thickened with tapioca starch and gelatin, which help it set without needing to use eggs, flour, or cornstarch. Tapioca starch is a gluten-free flour alternative which helps thicken the cheesecake, and gelatin helps the cheesecake set and become solid.

To create the cheesecake filling, you simply combine all the ingredients in a saucepan big enough to hold all the fruit and heat it over medium-low heat. As the fruit begins to melt, start stirring gently to combine all the ingredients. Continue heating and stirring until all the tapioca starch and gelatin have dissolved, and until the fruit has thawed and little bubbles start forming around the edges of the pot. Do not bring the mixture to a boil, you just need to heat it enough to activate the gelatin.

Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Pour the mixture on top of the prepared crust and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours until the cheesecake sets.

To release the cheesecake from the pan, run a sharp knife along the edge of the pan to loosen the cheesecake from the pan. Make sure the knife reaches all the way down to the crust so that the cheesecake filling does not get stuck to the cake pan. Then open the springform pan and remove the top part.

I chose to decorate the cheesecake with fresh berries and coconut flakes. You can also make a simple berry sauce following the instructions for strawberry sauce from this strawberry waffle recipe.

Slice the cheesecake into 8 slices and enjoy chilled or at room temperature. The cheesecake will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days, just make sure to keep it covered so it does not dry out.

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