YIELD: 10 SERVINGS
This cheesecake has a super-secret special ingredient: black beans! But you can’t tell—in gluten-free baking, oftentimes beans and legumes can be our best friends, providing a little bit of rise and a lot of binding power, along with a totally neutral flavor, so you won’t taste anything but chocolaty goodness.
Directions
Grease the sides of an 8-inch springform pan and preheat oven to 400°F.
In a small bowl, stir together the hazelnut meal, cocoa powder, and sugar.
Drizzle in the melted margarine and stir to combine.
Press the mixture onto the bottom of the springform pan to form an even layer.
Bake for 9 minutes.
Remove from oven and decrease temperature to 375°F.
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the filling, one at a time, in the order listed, making sure that all the ingredients have been completely blended before adding in the melted chocolate chips.
Spread filling mixture evenly on top of the prebaked crust.
Bake for 30 minutes, and then reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Bake for an additional 40 minutes.
Turn oven off and allow cheesecake to remain for 2 hours.
Chill completely—overnight is best—before serving.
Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 4 days.
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Ingredients
CRUST
1 cup hazelnut meal (finely ground hazelnuts)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons melted non dairy margarine or coconut oil
FILLING
⅔ cup sugar
3 (8-ounce) tubs nondairy cream cheese, such as Tofutti
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup non dairy milk
¼ cup brown rice flour
2 cups non dairy chocolate chips, melted
