If you've ever lived in a house or apartment without air conditioning, you know that turning on the oven to bake a cake or pie on a hot summer day is not exactly a winning idea.
That's why summer is the perfect time to look to our freezers and refrigerators for our sweet treats. From popsicles and granitas to ice box cakes and now this Raw Strawberry Chocolate Dessert Pizza, there's no need to fire up the oven for dessert this summer.
Even better, this raw dessert pizza recipe is made with healthy, whole food ingredients, which is the best part about raw desserts.
If you're strict about adhering to a raw diet, or if you're making this for someone who is, you'll want to use raw cacao powder and chopped raw chocolate for the chips, and make sure your rolled oats are raw and your vanilla extract is alcohol-free.
The scrumptious "crust" of this pizza is made by pureeing dates and almonds along with cacao powder and dark chocolate chips for a rich, chocolatey result.
The creamy filling? Lightly sweetened cashew cream, brightened with just a touch of lemon. And then there's that luscious pile of mouthwatering strawberries, which couldn't be more perfect this time of year.
Top it off with a sweet chocolate drizzle, and I'm pretty sure that everyone—young and old—will be clamoring for seconds.
In fact, maybe you should double the recipe and make two pizzas, which is easy because raw desserts like this one are a cinch to make—although it will look like you went to a lot of trouble. Aren't those the best kinds of recipes?
Consider this recipe a jumping-off point. The sky's the limit! You can use virtually any in-season fruit to produce an exceptional dessert pizza that will impress.
Try a mixed berry topping with blueberries and raspberries for a more patriotic pie, or swap in fresh cherries for a spin on the classic chocolate-covered cherry.
In winter months, an orange-and-chocolate combo would be perfect. Heck, we may never use our ovens again!
More Recipes
If you love this strawberry chocolate dessert pizza, check out all my vegan desserts or these other delicious ideas:
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup Medjool dates pitted and chopped
- ½ cup raw almonds
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 2 tbsp raw cacao powder or cocoa powder
- ½ tbsp coconut oil in solid state + more for greasing the pan
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- generous pinch of kosher salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Cashew cream "sauce":
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked for at least 2–4 hours, drained, and rinsed
- ½ cup water
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp agave syrup
- pinch of salt
Chocolate sauce:
- 2 tbsp coconut oil in liquid form
- 1 tsp agave syrup
- 2 tbsp cacao powder or cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
- 1 ½ cups sliced strawberries
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Lightly grease the bottom and 1 ½ inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan with coconut oil. Set aside.
- Combine the dates, almonds, and oats in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-blade. Process for 1–2 minutes, until all of the ingredients come together like dough and are similar in size with no large chunks remaining. Add the cacao powder, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and salt, then process to incorporate.
- Add the dark chocolate chips to the processor and pulse until the chips are incorporated into the dough, but not chopped.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and gently press the crust into it, beginning in the center and working towards the edges. Be mindful to keep the crust even across the bottom, then work the dough about an inch up the side of the pan to form the "crust." Set aside.
Make the cashew cream sauce:
- In a food processor fitted with the S-blade, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, agave, and salt. Blend until smooth, about 3–5 minutes (depending on your machine).
- Pour the blended sauce into the center of the prepared crust and gently spread it towards the edges, leaving a 1-inch border. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Make the chocolate sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted coconut oil, agave, cacao powder, and vanilla. If you have a small squeeze bottle, you can transfer the syrup to the bottle at this point, otherwise you can drizzle the syrup with a spoon later. Set aside in a warm place—don't refrigerate this mixture or it will solidify!
Top the pizza:
- Remove the springform pan from the freezer 10 minutes before you want to start decorating the pizza; allowing the crust to thaw slightly will help it separate from the pan. Remove the pizza from the pan and transfer it to a serving platter. Layer strawberries on the crust, starting at the 12 o'clock position on the outer edge of the cashew cream and working in a circle towards the center, gently overlapping each layer until you have reached the middle. If you have any strawberry slices left, gently tuck them in wherever you see a gap.
- Drizzle the strawberries with chocolate sauce, cut the pizza into wedges, and serve immediately. You can also store the pizza in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours until ready to serve.
Katy says
I love no-bake desserts and especially ones full of nuts like this one! Plus chocolate and strawberry are a classic combination, always delicious. Looks beautiful!
Meg van der Kruik says
I totally agree Katy! Chocolate and strawberry are two flavors that are meant for each other.
Julia says
This is magnificent, Meg!! I've been wanting to make more gluten-free raw desserts and haven't had the patience to figure it out on my own. This dessert pizza looks so tasty and I bet it's a cinch to make! 😀 I'm making googly eyes at you right now.
Meg van der Kruik says
I am making googly eyes right back at you Julia! Ha! This pizza is so easy to make, I hope you enjoy it:)
EA-The Spicy RD says
Gorgeous pie! And the best part is, I can make it, even though my oven door is broken and I can't use it to cook. Thanks for thinking of me 🙂
Meg van der Kruik says
I am so glad this dessert will work for you! Broken ovens are no fun.
Anne @AVeganAdventure says
I can't even describe how yummy this looks! I love the idea of incorporating more raw foods into my diet, especially now that summer temperatures are here. Can't wait to try this out!
Meg van der Kruik says
Anne, I hope you love this as much as we do!
dishing up the dirt says
Meg this is AMAZING! we don't have air conditioning and god forbid we turn on the oven this time of the year. I am all over this dessert!
Meg van der Kruik says
Girl, I feel you! We don't have A/C either. No bake desserts are a must around here.
Holly FLaxbeard says
I didn't know that RAW could taste so good! This is a beautiful dessert!
Meg van der Kruik says
Thanks Holly!
Vicky says
Oh! Awesome recipe, will definitely try making this!
dina says
this looks delicious!
Annie says
Yummy! Can you leave it in the fridge overnight instead of a freezer?
Roll on the weekend so I can make this! Thank you.
Meg van der Kruik says
Annie, you can totally leave it in the fridge overnight instead of the freezer it just won't set up as well.
Millie l Add A Little says
Love the look of this, especially the raw crust Meg!
Lindsay @ The Local Taste says
Wow! This looks SO good! What a unique recipe. Can't wait to try it!
Gretchen @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
As if the pictures weren't gorgeous enough, I just about ate my screen when I read 'cashew cream.' With lemon?? Oh my goodness. And they the strawberries on top. Yep. This will be in my kitchen quite soon! My heart is happy!
Meg van der Kruik says
Gretchen, I am so glad that this recipe makes you happy! I hope you love it as much as we do.:)
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
I don't necessarily seek out raw food, but I love the health factor they add to normally unhealthy dishes. This recipe looks so delicious! Thank you so much for sharing it!
Martina @ snapshotsandwhatnots says
Drooling over these pictures! This looks and sounds scrumptious!
Olivia - Primavera Kitchen says
This recipe is seriously perfection!!
Courtney @ The Fig Tree says
Oooo! This looks so so delicious! Yum! 🙂
Joanne says
I cannot believe this is raw!! i could have sworn that was an oreo crust and a heavy cream-based filling. What a pleasant surprise! Because turning on my oven in the middle of July is not going to be fun...but neither is going without a after dinner sweet treat!
Meg van der Kruik says
Joanne, I am so glad we could surprise you with a healthy dessert option! I love raw desserts, especially easy ones like this.
Kristin says
I made this last Sunday. It was so delicious and easy to make! Thank you for sharing.
Meg van der Kruik says
Kristin I am so glad you liked it!
Maria says
Do you suggest soaking the dates? I store mine in the fridge. They are fresh just not necessarily soft. And can you replace the agave with either honey or maple syrup in equal amounts.?
Sarah says
this was amazing, thank you so much. I made it for Christmas Day dessert and everyone loved it. I couldn't get strawberries though so I subbed for blueberries.
naomi says
Hi
This looks amazing. Could I freeze it for a week before we eat it or will it effect the end result?
Tina says
Really wonder recipe and the way it is presented is awesome.. I really loved it reading and now planning to make one..