These mini pumpkin vegan cheesecake jack-o-lanterns are so easy to make, and perfect for Halloween parties! You’ll never know they’re healthy, gluten free, paleo friendly and only 200 calories!
Can we just take a moment to “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE”
Like as in “EEEEEEEEE-the-mini-pumpkin-jack-o-lantern-cheesecakes-that-my-eyeballs-are-peeping-right-now-are-just-TOO-CUTE.”
Let’s be clear though: NOT to cute to eat.
I am all for some cute food (I mean, HELLO mini gluten free brownies) but nothing is ever too cute to eat. Because, well, FOOD.
You get it.
Hoooookay so. These magical-in-your-mouth bites of ULTIMATE creaminess, crunchy CHOCOLATE crust-i-ness with a sprinkle of straight up CUTE are basically going to be your newest Halloween treat obsession. Move over paleo witch finger cookies and spooky mini banana cupcakes, because you ain’t got NOTHING on these.
[Tweet “Have a #healthy Halloween with a #Vegan Mini Pumpkin Jack-O-Lantern Cheesecake! @udisglutenfree”]
Nothing can compete with spicy bursts of cinnamon, caramely-coconut sugar and a RIDICULOUS amount of velvety smoothness being brought in a MAJOR way from swirls of toasty cashew cream sauce.
And then mixed with flax (superfood SAY WHA), poured onto the simplest, richest, crunchiest chocolate crust that your cheesecake-loving-mouth has ever munched, and then BAKED.
AND THEN, the sequel, the necessary jack-o-lantern faces are piped on with MORE chocolate. Because chocolate and pumpkin are ALMOST as good a combo as chocolate and YOUR FACE.
Finishing touch? MINT LEAF. We don’t want no sad, stemless jack-o-lantern cheesecakes raining on our Halloween party amiright?
SRSLY guys. These are yummy.
AND you can actually not feel terrible about all the refined sugar that you’re pumpin’ into your kiddos when you whip these cuties out at that epic Halloween party that I know your super-organized-party-planning self is cookin’ up in your brain, just like me.
Read: wearing last year’s costume, sitting home alone and handing out not-refined-sugar-free candy to the negative 2 kids that come to our house. POTENTIALLY eating bag of said non-refined-sugar-free candy.
You know, quality control.
Anyway. Back to cheesecakes.
I probably don’t have to remind you of the gluten free carrot cake vegan cheesecake that we ate at Easter (also brought to you by my tasty gluten-free dessert lovin’ friends at Udi’s Glute Free!) Yep, these are similar to those.
Except the cute level? SO MUCH HIGHER RIGHT NOW.
And, I do have to say that the delicious level reads a little more of “I ate 3 cheesecakes in one sitting” as opposed to the carrot cake cheesecake which was more “I ate 2.5 slices in one sitting”
VRY VRY similar in yummy qualities, but my mouth tells me that the spicy-sweet pumpkin version? A LITTLE more on point.
Probably because I am on some secret-inner-quest to pumpkin spice all the things. I told you this already back when we ate that pumpkin spice latte vegan crepe cake.
You know that your inner-pumpkin-loving soul is ALSO on the same quest. There is just ZERO denying it.
Real talk though: as much as I love cheesecake (like, so much. Borders my love of homemade almond butter) the ONE thing I hate about making them is that it requires patience in the form of being able to wait for cheesecakes to peak to ULTIMATE creamy-but-firm texture OVERNIGHT.
My patience game? IT IS NOT STRONG.
However, my love for the spicy-sweet flavors of fall is JUST a little bit stronger. So, I did some adulting, and waited.
I can’t confirm or deny that I did not sleep in anticipation of my early-morning date with a (3) super-cute, rich and creamy cheesecake. Food-excitement insomnia. It’s a real thing that exists on this earth.
Listen closely my friends. I think that I have found the cure for those sleepless, restless night when you basically have to super-glue your eyeballs open in the morning.
Jack-o-lantern cheesecakes awaiting in your refrigerator.
Whoever said he best of waking up, is coffee in your cup was SRSLY mistaken.
Mini Pumpkin Vegan Cheesecake Jack-O-Lanterns
Ingredients
- For the cheesecake:
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Flax meal
- 3 Tbsp + 2 tsp Warm water
- 1 1/4 Cups Roasted cashews* covered in water and soaked overnight (170g)
- 2/3 Cups Pumpkin puree
- 5 Tbsp Coconut sugar
- 2 1/2 Tbsp Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 2 1/2 Tbsp Maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp Coconut oil melted
- 1/2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- Pinch of salt
- For the crust:
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil at room temperature (it should be the consistency of softened butter)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Maple syrup
- 6 Tbsp Coconut flour sifted (31g) **read notes!
- 1 Tbsp Unsweetend cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
For the face:
- 2 Oz Dark Chocolate dairy-free for vegan option
- 1/4 tsp Coconut oil melted
- Mint sprigs for the stems
Instructions
-
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
-
In a small bowl, whisk together the flax meal and warm water and place into the refrigerator to gel while you make the cheesecake.
-
Place the soaked cashews into a high-powered blender (make sure you drained the water into the sink first!) along with all of the other ingredients for the cheesecake. Puree until thick, smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary. Set aside while you make the crust. Note: you want to be able to pour the cheesecake onto the crust as SOON as it’s out of the oven, which is why it’s best to prepare it first.
-
In a large bowl, beat together the coconut oil and maple syrup for the crust, until smooth. Stir in the coconut flour, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt until well mixed.
-
Divide the dough by lightly heaping teaspoons between a 12-cavity mini-cheesecake pan, pressing out evenly.
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Bake until the the crust just appear set, about 5 minutes
-
When the crust has about 2 minutes left to bake, transfer the cashew mixture into a large bowl and pour in the flax eggs from the refrigerator. You want to leave them into the refrigerator as long as possible, so they can really gel up. Stir until the flax is evenly mixed into the cashew cream.
-
Remove the crusts from the oven. Your crust with most likely have risen in a few spots. Just use a small spoon to pack it back down flat, making sure you don’t leave any cracks.
-
Immediately fill each cavity, just over 3/4 of the way full, with the pumpkin cashew mixture.
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Bake until the cheesecakes have slightly risen and the outside appears set and firm, but just a small circle in the center still appears slightly jiggly, about 11-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the counter. Then, cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours to overnight to completely set.
-
Once set, place the chocolate and coconut oil and in small, microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave using 30 second intervals on half power, stirring between each interval, until smooth and melted.
-
Drizzle the chocolate over each cheesecake to create a Jack-O-Lantern face (I put my melted chocolate in a small squeeze tube to make it easier.)
-
Stick a mint sprig in the top of each pumpkin to create the stem.
-
DEVOUR.
Notes
**I’ve made this crust with different brands of coconut flour and, to get 31g, some brands need less than 6 Tbsp So, I STRONGLY urge you to weigh your flour to make sure you get perfect results.
Nutrition
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAG @FOODFAITHFIT AND #FOODFAITHFITNESS ON INSTAGRAM! I LOVE SEEING YOUR RECIPE RECREATIONS!
Want more vegan pumpkin desserts?
Pumpkin Edible Cookie Dough Cups with Kettle Corn
Pumpkin Spice Paleo Magic Cookie Bars
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