Hi, I’m Savanna and I’m a Cheesecake-aholic. Phew, I feel so much lighter now. And hungrier. Oh hey, someone left this cheesecake here…all alone…just begging for someone to eat it. Yes, please!
Allow me to introduce you to this amazing Strawberry Rhubarb Ginger Cheesecake. It’s the cousin of last week’s Earl Grey Lemon Cheesecake and it’s absolutely perfect for Spring.
This cheesecake is creamy, refreshing, lightly sweetened and perfectly tangy. It’s honestly my new favourite thing (sorry all past favourite things! I promise we can still be friends though, Peanut Butter and Jam Cookies).
You know what else this cheesecake is perfect for? Mother’s Day!
This would be the most perfect dessert to surprise your dear mom with – I promise she’ll love it! And she’ll be super-duper impressed by your new baking skills!
I was inspired to make this Strawberry Rhubarb Ginger Cheesecake after receiving an email from Food Bloggers of Canada about their May recipe round up. A new member, I was super stoked about the idea of making a recipe around the idea of one common ingredient: rhubarb! Rhubarb was a favourite of mine as a kid – I always loved the tangy sweetness that it invoked, leaving you with the lovely pucker sensation after eating it. Yes, I’m a pucker-er and I’m not ashamed to admit it 🙂
After contemplating some ideas, and trying to not fall victim to the obvious scapegoat of a rhubarb crisp, I remembered how rhubarb and ginger go together so well and thought about how I could tailor my Early Grey Lemon Cheesecake to accommodate this ingredient challenge. The results: pure flavour deliciousness!
This Strawberry Rhubarb Ginger Cheesecake starts with a regular strawberry cheesecake base which is lightly sweetened, airy and very, very creamy. Then, it gets topped off with an amazingly tangy rhubarb ginger chia seed jam that is insanely good. Together, the sweet and tangy sensation is perfect.
As Spring starts to blossom in full effect, this Strawberry Rhubarb Ginger Cheesecake is perfectly seasonal and a great way to embrace the new produce that nature is bringing our way.
Rhubarb is a really interesting fruit: it’s leafy greens are actually toxic, so clearly those aren’t included in this recipe. Here are some other fun facts about rhubarb:
- One cup of cooked rhubarb contains just as much calcium as the same amount of milk and it’s actually much better for you. In fact, rhubarb is on the short list with salmon and spinach for the highest amounts of calcium it provides.
- Every serving of rhubarb provides 45% of the daily value in vitamin K, which supports healthy bone growth and can limit neuronal damage in the brain, even to the point of Alzheimer’s prevention.
- It contains infection-fighter vitamin C, the second most prominent vitamin, along with vitamin A, another powerful natural antioxidant for good skin and mucous membranes, good vision, and possible protection against lung and mouth cancers (the red stalks provide more than the green ones), with healthy additions of folate, riboflavin, niacin, B-vitamins, and pantothenic acid.
- Rhubarb is also popular is Chinese medicine for healing stomach ailments and keeping you, ahem, regular 😉 (source)
So, my lovely readers, not only does this recipe taste unbelievably good, it’s also good for you thanks to the wonderful health benefits of our good old friend rhubarb.
Go ahead and try out this incredible Strawberry Rhubarb Ginger Cheesecake for Mother’s Day. You can surprise your amazing mom with this one of a kind flavour concoction, complete with all the awesome health benefits that rhubarb has to offer. I promise she’ll love it and, maybe if you’re lucky, she’ll even share a piece or two with you 🙂
As always, make sure you share your pictures of any recipes you try out from Gluten Free Vegan Pantry. Tag them #glutenfreeveganpantry and post them to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or Google+ so that we can follow along with your own culinary adventures.
- 1 cup almonds
- 1¼ cups dates, pitted
- 1½ cups cashews, soaked for 2-3 hours, preferably overnight
- 1½ cups strawberries
- ¼ cup + 1 Tbsp agave nectar
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup coconut cream
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 cups rhubarb, chopped
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup water
- 3 Tbsp chia seeds
- ½ tsp fresh ginger, peeled
- Add dates to food processor. Process on high for about 1 minute, or until dates form into a "dough" ball. Add the almonds and process for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add crust to 8" springform pan, pressing firmly into base of pan with hands or back of spoon.
- Add all ingredients to blender. Blend on high for 3-4 minutes, or until thoroughly blended and creamy.
- Pour cheesecake filling over prepared crust. Tap pan on counter a few times to ensure there are no air bubbles in your cake.
- Rinse out blender
- Add all ingredients to rinsed out blender.
- Blend for 2-3 minutes, or until no chunks remain. Add additional water, 1 Tbsp at a time, if needed to get things moving.
- Transfer blended rhubarb ginger mix to a small saucepan. Heat over high until mixture starts to boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Allow to cool for about 5-7 minutes and then carefully pour over the cheesecake layer, being careful to not mix the layers.
- Place prepared cheesecake into freezer and allow to set for at least 2 hours.
- Remove from freezer at least 20-30 minutes prior to serving to allow it to thaw a bit. Store in fridge or return to freezer to prolong storage life.
This cheesecake will keep for about a week in the fridge and several weeks if stored in an airtight container in the freezer.
These cheesecake can get rather soft so it should be enjoyed soon after thawing.
Savanna is the photographer, food stylist, head taste-tester and she-brains behind Gluten Free Vegan Pantry. 
Such a yummy treat! I’m curious if the rhubarb ginger layer has a portion or two off/not accurate? I am having to add a significant amount of water to even get it to boil/summer without being a big blob. Can you elaborate?
Hi Jess, I made this the other day and as I didn’t have cashews on hand I used activated macadamia nuts absolutely awesome. I have had to ration the portions for my hubby. this is such a great treat and as no baking your can make it anywhere.
Sounds amazing! I have heard of people using macadamia nuts for cashews. Haven’t tried myself but the consensus seems to be great. I’m really happy that you and your husband enjoyed the cake!
I just made this cheesecake. So excited to get it out of my freezer. I have one question. Rhubarb layer isn’t this beautiful raspberry color, it is actually a very ugly dirty color haha. It tastes good but doesn’t look good. What would you suggest to add for a good color?
Hi Anastasiia,
I’m so excited to hear that you tried this recipe! I’m sorry to hear the rhubarb layer didn’t turn out as pretty as expected 🙁 Maybe next time, try blending some extra strawberries with the rhubarb? That should help with the colour issue!
What a unique combination of flavours! It looks so refreshing and perfect for a summer tea party. Thanks for sharing this great recipe 🙂
You’re so welcome, Ariana! I adore your idea of serving this at a tea party!
I LOVE rhubarb, this looks phenomenal! pinned to try soon, thanks !
Me too – the tangy is perfect! So glad you liked the recipe!
Savanna, this looks SO good and it’s the first time I’ve seen rhubarb in a cheesecake before! I would feel content eating this for breakfast 🙂
Well, Arman, you will be happy to hear that I did in fact eat this for breakfast this morning and it was divine 😉
This flavour combo sounds so amazing!! And in the form of cheesecake?! Yes please!! I’ve been meaning to pick up some rhubarb and now I really need to!
Go get some and then have a stab at this – you won’t be disappointed! 🙂
This dessert is absolutely stunning and I just had to share on my blog’s Facebook page. There are so many wholesome ingredients in this dessert, I wouldn’t feel as though I was having dessert! Pinned and Yummed, too!
Thanks so much, Carol. It’s definitely one of those desserts you could eat for breakfast and not feel bad about it 🙂