You don’t need an excuse to have pretty little cheesecake cups in your fridge, but in case you need one, these No-Bake Cashew Cheesecakes are here for you.
Made with just 10 ingredients, and with zero baking or set time required, “cheesecake” literally couldn’t be faster, easier, more fool-proof, or more perfect for spring. The reason? We’re sidestepping the dairy for a hot second + pumping up the protein to keep ourselves going.
To be clear, I am a lover of dairy, and I highly recommend incorporating well-sourced, grass-fed, organic dairy products into a balanced diet whenever possible and seasonally appropriate. This last part is what trips people up: all whole, real ingredients are MEDICINE, but there are some times of year that call for specific medicines. And spring is one of those times of the year when setting aside dairy for a hot moment can be very beneficial for us. Enter, creamy, rich cashew cheesecake.
Just like there are times of the year when a cashew cheesecake isn’t the medicine you need either. (SUMMER, for one.)
But before I lay this baller recipe down on you, I want to make sure that I set you up to scoop up dairy again when the season warrants it.
For the most part, dairy products are sweet in flavor and therefore help to reduce inflammation, calm the nervous system, nutrify the body, and bolster the cells. Hard cheeses are typically more warming and sweet than soft cheeses. Cows milk is more cooling than goat’s milk and sheep’s milk, making it more difficult to digest but also more beneficial in times of the year when we want to harness its cooling properties. Cheese in general is a cooling, sweet food, that will lower the energetic body temperature, reduce the digestive strength, and generally slow things down. This is why cheese is a wonderful food for overactive vata types, but not as great for kapha types.
Hard cheeses are more appropriate for us to enjoy in the winter and fall months when our bodies require and crave nutrient-dense foods that will help to bolster the system through the cold. Because they promote moisture in the cells, they help our bodies to do their good work of repairing and restoring all winter long. But, come spring, when we are trying to shed that moisture and lighten up, cheese can stifle the process. Hard cheeses are also not spring products; they’re typically made from spring milk that has been fermented throughout the year, making them a super winter food.
Soft cheeses are more appropriate for springtime, because this is the time of year when goats and sheep are producing the milk to make them. These are called “fresh cheeses” because they are eaten before they ferment, sensibly in the spring.
Yogurt and cottage cheese are different in the dairy category because these foods have a sour flavor, and therefore amplify digestion and get things moving. If you’re addicted to dairy (raising my hand) these are the most beneficial dairy products to enjoy in the spring.
Nuts and super fatty foods are less appropriate for our bodies in the summer because summer itself is hot and oily, and too much fat dampens our digestive system. If you don’t have a severe food allergy to dairy products, eating a cool milk product in the summer would give you a more balanced nutritional boost without hampering your digestive system like nuts, which can cause digestive issues, which often cause summer acne and skin troubles, as well as poor nutrient absorption.
YES! This is the time. Enjoy this protein-rich treat in the spring, when our bodies still need the super-boost, and can handle the fat, but don’t need the extra moisture of dairy.
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