Are you more of a festive fall person, like come October 1 you immediately put the pumpkin decor out and want to eat and drink anything and everything pumpkin or pumpkin spice flavored? Or are you more of a fall Scrooge who thinks that pumpkin everything is just plain annoying and it’s all over-played? We kinda' get you either way, cause we fall somewhere in the middle. We do think it’s fun to embrace some of the festive fall flavors and foods, because it’s a nice chance to change gears, shift our diet, and change things up, but all the "FALALALALA FAALLLL," can get annoying sometimes. Regardless of whether you are ultra festive or a pumpkin spice Scrooge, we think you’ll love these pumpkin pie cheesecake bites. Oh, and did we mention they're complete with a chocolate ginger drizzle? Yup.
Bare Nutrition’s mission has always been to make a holistic, healthy lifestyle easy and sustainable long-term, and a main key to accomplishing that is by continuing to enjoy your favorite foods without compromising nutrition OR taste. That’s why we are obsessed with always finding new ways to enjoy our favorite foods without any give or take when it comes to having the healthy lifestyle that we love to live and that keeps us feeling our very best. Plus, life's no fun without cheesecake.
These gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free treats are no different, and you don’t have to be on a special diet to enjoy them! We are almost reluctant to label our recipes with all those dietary restrictions, but we do it for a few reasons. We do NOT do it to suggest that you should completely eliminate some or all of those food groups or restrict yourself in any way. We do it so that as many of our Bare Babes as possible can enjoy them! Many people don't consume certain food groups for good reason. Sometimes it's very serious, like Celiac or even cancer. For some, it's a sensitivity; consuming the foods won't kill or seriously hurt them, but they will experience painful and uncomfortable symptoms that might last days. Some people just want to know that they're consuming a meal or treat that has clean ingredients and won't leave them feeling sluggish. With all that being said, and despite these being a healthier version of a typically decadent dessert, we would challenge you to give these to someone who doesn’t know they are “healthified,” and ask what they think!
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/4 C gluten free oats
1/4 C chia seeds
1/3 C coconut oil (melted/liquid state)
1/4 C coconut sugar
dash of pumpkin pie spice (may sub cinnamon)
Filling:
2 C raw cashews (recommend to soak for 1-3 hrs)
1 BPA-free can or carton organic pumpkin puree
1/3 C coconut nectar (*option to sub half for ginger syrup, may also sub all for organic maple)
1/4 C coconut oil (melted/liquid state)
tsp pumpkin pie spice blend (may sub cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)
tsp vanilla bean powder (may sub vanilla extract)
optional:
Chocolate Ginger Drizzle:
1/2 dark chocolate bar*
a few dashes ground ginger *
2 Tbsp almond milk or non-dairy milk of preference
*may also use Theo organic ginger dark chocoalte bar
Instructions:
1. In a food processor or high quality blender, blend all crust ingredients until there are no oat flakes and everything is ground together.
2. In an 8x8 baking dish or glass container, spoon out your crust mixture and make a thin layer in the bottom of the dish by pressing and spreading the mixture with your hands.
3. Place in the freezer for a few minutes to set.
4. Meanwhile, place all ingredients for the cheesecake filling into your food processor or blender and blend until completely smooth.
5. Remove the crust from the freezer, and pour the cheesecake filling over the crust.
6. Place in the freezer and allow to set until firm, about two to three hours.
7. Option to add chocolate ginger drizzle: melt 1/2 a dark chocolate bar with a ginger and almond milk, then drizzle over the cheesecake.
8. Once firm, cut into squares. Store in the freezer. Enjoy!