Persimmon Cheesecake in a glass! An easy, nearly raw dessert that is perfect for using up persimmons and fun for holiday parties!

I am finally feeling like the holidays are truly here. Mostly because my family and I just got our Christmas tree this past weekend and I decorated it most of Saturday, wrapped some presents that night and tucked them under the tree Sunday morning. Oooh, sparkly. To be honest, I’m not religious. I do enjoy celebrating certain holidays and I really like giving people gifts, even if it is just a big batch of cookies.

Something that I also find fun is going to holiday parties, although Corey hates it so that is sometimes hard to negotiate. Either way, socializing and eating delicious food is a great time to me, and if I get to wear gaudy Christmas sweaters while doing so, even better!

Speaking of delicious holiday eats, I saw this idea for Cheesecake Shooters from The Pioneer Woman recently. I just knew that I had to do my own interpretation of it! Meaning, that I needed to up the portion size just a tad and use much healthier ingredients. Some of you may have made my raw desserts in the past, so imagine one of those recipes and cut the waiting time by 75%. Crazy-easy, right?

This persimmon cheesecake in a glass is sweetened with dates, coconut sugar and a touch of maple syrup. No overly-processed sugar here! Now, you have another way to use those persimmons that are in your CSA baskets. These are also great for your next holiday party. And, if you’re worried about breaking stem-ware get some small plastic cups and do it up. 🙂 EDIT: Or use stemless glassware like I did in the updated photos!

Substitutions & Tips:

• Raw cashews – for this recipe, I don’t recommend switching this out with anything, as it will change the ratio of the remaining filling ingredients. However, if you want to get a head start on soaking them, you can leave them in the refrigerator for up to 1 or 2 days, soaking in water, in an airtight container.
• Vegan yogurt – personally, I prefer soy or almond based yogurts, but pretty much any base will work here. We’re using the yogurt for it’s tang, as opposed to texture.
• Maple syrup – nearly any liquid sweetener will work here, if you don’t have maple syrup on hand.
• Raw almonds – I love the crunchy texture these provide for the “crust”, but raw buckwheat groats, pumpkin seeds, or even Brazil nuts can work here.
• Dates – These have a great, caramel-like flavor, but other dried fruits like raisins or dried figs will also work.
• Hachiya persimmons – These are the almost strawberry-shaped persimmons (as opposed to Fuyu which look like tomatoes). They must be soft and not hard to be used in this recipe. If you don’t have soft hachiyas on hand, slightly firm Fuyu persimmons could also be used.
• Coconut sugar – I like that this isn’t too sweet, but if you don’t have it, light brown sugar will do just fine!

One Year Ago: Persimmon Oatmeal Cookies // Two Years Ago: Quick Curry Tofu with Sauteed Kale

I hope that everyone is having a great December, so far! (And below, I shared a pic from the original set on this post!)