If you've been chasing the ultimate fall treat, these pumpkin cheesecake bites are it! With an outrageously delicious gingersnap crust and a pumpkin filling made with creamy cashews, canned pumpkin, and autumn spices, this is the perfect, healthy dessert that doubles as a Thanksgiving crowd-pleaser.
Quick Look: Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
- Equipment Needed: High-powered blender or food processor, muffin tin
- Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
- Serves: 12 desserts
- Calories: 290 per serving
- Protein: 6 grams per serving
- Dietary Info: Dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: An outrageously delicious gingersnap crust and a pumpkin filling made with creamy cashews, canned pumpkin, and autumn spices, this is the perfect, healthy dessert that doubles as a Thanksgiving crowd-pleaser.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
I've been making vegan cheesecakes for over 10 years, and this style of dairy-free cheesecake (made with cashews instead of cream cheese) is my favourite to make!
I'm not vegan or gluten-free, but I make this because it's nutrient-dense with nuts and whole-food ingredients! I still feed this to my friends who eat dairy and gluten, and they all love it too - it's perfect for friendsgiving! Next, try my strawberry no-bake, dairy-free cheesecakes!
Why you will love this recipe:
- Warm fall flavors: Pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice bring it together for this no-bake pumpkin cheesecake bite recipe! Instead of a graham cracker crust, a healthy gingersnap crust makes this recipe perfect for the pumpkin time of year. Just like my pumpkin snacking cake and my pumpkin muffins with pumpkin seeds.
- Wholesome ingredients: This creamy pumpkin cheesecake is made from real, unprocessed ingredients that will make you feel energized (not leave you in a sugar overload or slump, which is the goal for all my recipes)! And 6 grams of protein for each cheesecake bite!
- Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free mini cheesecakes: The gingersnap crust is made from ground-up oats, making a simple gluten-free cheesecake crust. The cheesecake filling is made from cashews instead of cream cheese, making this cheesecake dairy-free. This vegan cheesecake is sweetened with maple syrup! If you are avoiding dairy, I have a resource with all my dairy-free snack recipes and ideas!
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
- Why you will love this recipe:
- Key Ingredients
- Healthy pumpkin cheesecake bite variations
- How to make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
- My top tips for Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecakes
- Pumpkin Puree FAQ's
- More Incredible Healthy pumpkin snacks
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites (vegan + dairy free)
- Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
Key Ingredients
As always, the ingredients for recipes here at Beside the Mountain are as nutrient-dense as possible, but also not too hard to come by, with the goal that most of them are already in your kitchen.
Gingersnap crust:
- Rolled oats: The crust base is ground-up rolled oats, giving a nutty flavor to the gingersnap base. Use gluten-free oats if needed!
- Almond butter: Nut butter makes the base of these cheesecake bites stick together.
- Coconut oil: I use melted coconut oil for this recipe; it keeps the cheesecake crust together. Alternatively, you can use butter if you are not dairy free.
- Molasses: You can't have a gingerbread crust without molasses! This makes the full flavor explode!
- Powdered ginger: If you don't have powdered ginger, you can use the real thing; just grate ½ teaspoon of fresh ginger.
Vegan pumpkin pie cheesecake filling:
- Cashews: Raw, unsalted cashews are the base of these no-bake cheesecakes. Using cashews for this cheesecake instead of cream cheese makes these bites naturally dairy free and high in protein. The cashews need to be soft to make the creamy cheesecake batter; they need to be soaked for 2-8 hours or boiled for 20 minutes.
- Pumpkin purée: You can use canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree for this recipe. If you use homemade pumpkin puree, I found you need to make sure it is thick; if not, strain it to thicken.
- Maple syrup: To sweeten this recipe, instead of white sugar, I use maple syrup.
- Pumpkin pie spice: Pumpkin pie spice is sold in the baking aisle with the spices. If you can't find it, I have a recipe to make your own pumpkin spice blend using cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. These spices make the bold pumpkin flavor.
See the recipe card below for full quantities.
Healthy pumpkin cheesecake bite variations
Here are a few ways you can change these easy pumpkin cheesecakes to suit your preferences!
- Pumpkin cheesecake bars: To make these into healthy pumpkin cheesecake bars instead of individual bites, make the recipe in an 8x8 square pan.
- Crunchy pecan crust: To add another crunch, sprinkle chopped pecans onto the gingersnap crust before placing the cheesecake filling on top.
How to make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
Step 1. Start by soaking cashews in water for 2-4 hours to make them soft.
Make the crust: Start by grinding your oats in a food processor by blending until it forms a flour-like texture, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 2. Pour ground oats into a bowl and add the almond butter, coconut oil, molasses, and powdered ginger. Stir until well combined; it will form a smooth dough.
Step 3. To easily remove these cheesecakes from the muffin tin, place a strip of parchment paper in the tin first, make sure it's long enough to pull out of the muffin cups once they are ready! Or line the muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Using a muffin tray, press 1 tablespoon of the gingersnap dough into the bottom of each muffin cup. Set aside.
Step 4. Make the cashew cheesecake mixture: In a high-powered blender or food processor, place the soft cashews, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, sea salt, and molasses.
Step 5. Blend for 5 minutes or until very smooth and creamy.
Step 6. Assemble: Scoop filling onto each gingerbread crust. Add pecans on top and drizzle with almond butter. Put into the fridge to set for 2-4 hours then store in the fridge for up to one week.
My top tips for Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecakes
I have tested this recipe over 5 times to make sure the pumpkin filling firmed up and tasted incredible.
- Soak the cashews. I have made the mistake of not soaking the cashews first, and the texture becomes grainy! Make sure to soak the cashews for at least 2 hours or boil them for 20 minutes to make them soft. This is important in making the best cheesecake/pumpkin pie filling!
- Use a high-powered blender or food processor. The cashew filling will not become completely smooth without a high-powered machine; it will stay slightly grainy. My blender takes about 3-4 minutes to make it smooth and when I used a food processor,, I blended it for 7-8 minutes.
Pumpkin Puree FAQ's
Yes, you can freeze pumpkin puree. Whether it's canned pumpkin puree or homemade pumpkin puree, you can place it in a sealing bag or sealing container; remove any air to prevent freezer burn and place it in the freezer for up to 12 months. The texture and taste will slowly deteriorate, so use the pumpkin puree sooner rather than later.
Leftover pumpkin puree can be used for various recipes, including pumpkin snack cake, creamy pumpkin hummus, baby food, pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cheesecake, homemade pumpkin spice latte, or savoury dishes like pumpkin soup. There are so many awesome pumpkin puree recipes!
More Incredible Healthy pumpkin snacks
Here on this corner of the internet, you will find my wholesome yet simple snacks and healthier treats to enjoy every day. Next, try this pumpkin snack cake with cheese cheese frosting - it's moist and fluffy!
🎃 If you made this recipe for pumpkin cheesecake bites, please take a moment to give this recipe a star rating and leave a comment below. I see every single one and it helps my recipes get found on the internet!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites (vegan + dairy free)
Ingredients
Gingersnap Crust:
- 1 cup rolled oats or almond flour
- ¼ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup coconut oil or butter
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 teaspoons powdered ginger or ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
Cheesecake Filling:
- 1 ¾ cups cashews soaked 2-8 hours
- ½ cup pumpkin purée
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or butter
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1 tablepsoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice make your own
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Garnish:
- pecans
- almond butter
Instructions
- Prepare: You will need to soak the cashews for 2-8 hours before making these cheesecakes. To easily remove these cheesecakes from the muffin tin, place a strip of parchment paper in the tin first; make sure it's long enough to pull out of the muffin cups once they are ready! Or line the muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- To make the crust: Start by grinding your oats in a food processor by blending until it forms a flour-like texture: about 1-2 minutes. Then, pour the ground oats into a bowl and add almond butter, coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of molasses and the powdered ginger. Stir until well combined; it will form a smooth dough. Using a muffin tray, press 1 tablespoon of the gingersnap dough into the bottom of each muffin cup. Set aside.
- To make the cheesecake filling: In a high-powered blender or food processor, place the soft cashews, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, ⅓ cup coconut oil, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, sea salt, and 1 teaspoon molasses. Blend for 5 minutes or until very smooth and creamy.
- Assemble: Add about 1 heaping tablespoon of pumpkin batter to each gingerbread crust. Add pecans on top and drizzle with almond butter. Put into the fridge to set for 2-4 hours. Storage: They will stay good in the fridge for up to one week. These no-bake cheesecakes will last in the freezer up to three months.
Notes
-
- Soak the cashews. I have made the mistake of not soaking the cashews first and the texture becomes grainy! Make sure to soak the cashews for at least 2 hours or boil them for 20 minutes to make them soft.
-
- Use a high-powered blender or food processor. The cashew filling will not become completely smooth without a high-powered machine, it will stay slightly grainy. My blender takes about 3-4 minutes to make it smooth and when I used a food processor I blended it for 7-8 minutes.
Nutrition
Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
I create snack recipes with healthy ingredients that are mostly already in your kitchen. I'm certified in Holistic Nutrition and I care about giving my kids real food. Let me share my nutrient-dense easy snacks with you.
Abby says
These were a little time consuming, but so very delicious!!
Danika Vanderpyl says
Thanks for sharing Abby! You can also put the batter into an 8x8 pan to make it less time consuming, and then cut them into bars.
Rebecca says
For those who are not dairy free, how much cream cheese would be needed for the filling?
Danika Vanderpyl says
Hi Rebecca, I have never made this recipe with cream cheese; that would be quite a different technique. The special thing about this recipe is that it uses cashews instead of cream cheese, sorry I haven't tested it with cream cheese.
Rachel B says
Always one of my favorite fall treats!
Danika Vanderpyl says
Awe! Great to hear Rachel! Glad you made them again this year!
Amanda says
SO good, whole family loved them!
danikavanderpyl says
Amazing! Love hearing this!!