Strawberry Cheesecake Dip

Today is April Fool's Day. Maybe I'm being dramatic but why does this day have to exist??? I don't know about you but I don't enjoy feeling like a fool nor do I get enjoyment of making others feel like fools. Ok, so maybe I do a little but only if they're a good sport about it! The worst April Fool's Day joke I've ever been on the receiving end of was in college. I woke up to a voicemail at 3 a.m. on the morning of April 2nd. (Not fair!) It was my friend from out-of-state and she was panicking and crying saying her and her husband just got in a bad car accident. She was calling me from the hospital because her husband was in a coma and wouldn't wake up. I felt sick to my stomach after hearing all that and called her immediately. She picked up the phone and was silent for a long time before she started laughing uncontrollably. Not. Funny. At. All. I should have expected something like that from her though. We were always very close but didn't really bother being all that polite with each other. Just extremely straightforward and to-the-point. I remember when we were probably about 10 or 11, I was talking to one of her friends in her front yard when she randomly runs up to me and kicks me between the legs as hard as she could. Before I could ask what was happening and/or throw up, she yells "I want to learn how to fight!!!" Well, if I ever had any inclination to fight, it had just been kicked out of me. I guess our relationship was always a little strange.

Ok, I like to consider myself a decent writer but I have no idea how to transition from all that to talking about cheesecake dip. I'll give it my best shot:

Fortunately, if you've been fooled into believing your friend almost died or have been kicked in the crotch this April Fool's Day, this cheesecake dip is sure to cheer you up! (How'd I do?) Not long ago, I made a chocolate chip cheesecake dip recipe and would love to continue making more flavors. This version is more of a "deconstructed cheesecake" style. The "filling" isn't strawberry flavored but tastes like plain cheesecake. I saved the strawberries to be used for dipping. The topping is a pecan/coconut sugar/cinnamon crumble that mimics a graham cracker crust.

I used a small dip bowl in the photo because I thought it looked cute but the best way to serve this is in a wide, shallow dish. That way there is topping in every bite. You know what else might be good? Hollowing out the strawberries and stuffing the dip inside them. I haven't tried that yet but it'd probably be a good way to stop people from double-dipping if you serve this at a party. Dang double-dippers. Depending on the size of the crowd you're feeding, you may want to increase the recipe. The recipe below is a good size to share with the family for dessert.

Strawberry Cheesecake Dip

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 15 mins
• Yield: 4-5 servings 1x

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Ingredients

• 1 C cashews, soaked 4 hours or overnight
• ¼ C coconut oil, melted
• 3 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoon coconut sugar, divided
• ¼ C maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ C finely chopped pecans
• 1 lb whole, fresh strawberries

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Instructions

1. Drain water from cashews and add them to a blender or food processor along with the melted coconut oil, lemon juice, vanilla, maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons of the coconut sugar. Blend until smooth and ingredients are fully mixed.
2. Transfer mixture to an airtight container and refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours.
3. Remove the mixture from the refrigerator and transfer to a serving dish. A wide, shallow dish works best since you will be adding a layer of "crust" topping.
4. In a small bowl, combine the remaining tablespoon of coconut sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans. Spread this over the top of the cashew mixture.
5. Serve with fresh strawberries for dipping.

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Notes

Allow at least 4 hours to soak the cashews and another 4 hours for the dip to chill. Because of the "standby" time, it's easiest to soak the cashews overnight and make the recipe a few hours or the day before you need it. I recommend adding the topping immediately before serving though.
This recipe can serve 4 or 5 people and can easily be doubled or tripled if you want to share it at a party.