Beet Your Sweet Tooth Cheesecake

 Calling all adventurous bakers! And health food nuts! And creative cooks!

This cheesecake is not going to appeal to everyone. But you have to admit it's colorful!

If you love beets, and appreciate desserts that are not too sweet, then this cheesecake is for you. I have a few more beet-related dessert recipes in this blog, so use the search option if you want to check out my chocolate beet cake or chocolate beet muffins.

Yes, this cheesecake also combines beets and chocolate. The blind-baked crust is made from rolled oats, mixed nuts, seeds, and maca. Chocolate chips are sprinkled over the warm crust, then the vibrant pink batter is poured in. If you like your cheesecake to be sweet, like what you find at Cheesecake Factory, you are going to need to add at least a cup of sugar to the batter. If you prefer a subtle sweetness, go with the recipe as it is written.

Ingredients:

1 cup mixed nuts (I used walnuts, cashews, and macadamia nuts.)

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 TB flax seeds

1 TB chia seeds

2 TB maca powder (optional)

1-2 TB boiling water

6 ounces dark chocolate chips or chunks

For the crust: Place all dry ingredients in food processor and pulse until ground finely. Add boiling water and pulse some more until mixture becomes sticky. Dump into a deep dish pie pan and press with fingers to form a crust. Bake at 350F for 11 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle chocolate chips over bottom of crust. Set aside while making the filling.

Filling ingredients:

24 ounces cottage cheese

1 medium-sized cooked beet

3 large eggs

3 oz cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

pinch of sea salt

Preheat oven to 325F. Using a handheld blender, blend all ingredients until completely smooth and uniform in color. Pour filling into pie pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until completely set. Let cool on wire rack until room temperature, then chill in the fridge for several hours or overnight. Serve cold. Makes 8 servings.