These pumpkin cheesecake bites are 100% dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, and require no baking! They’re made with a handful of wholesome ingredients including cashews, pumpkin, maple syrup, and oats. Quick, easy, healthy, and oh-so-delicious!

I’ve been taking full advantage of pumpkin season in the past few months, using them in both sweet and savory recipes. I recently made pumpkin chocolate cheesecake bars which were easily the highlight of the season! The crust in that recipe is grain-free, made with mainly coconut flour and Detox Organics chocolate superfoods powder. I understand that some of you might not have access to these ingredients, so I decided to make a very similar version, with an oat-based crust. I like using gluten-free steel-cut or rolled oats, but if you are celiac or have trouble digesting oats, you can opt for raw buckwheat groats instead.

Similarly, this recipe includes cacao butter that helps the bars firm up and lends them a subtle white chocolate flavor. You can find cacao butter online or at your local health food stores. But if you don’t have it available, feel free to replace it with coconut oil. As I’ve explained in the recipe notes, if you’re using coconut oil, you can just melt it directly on low heat. However, with cacao butter, it’s best to use the double boiler method. Heating cacao butter directly–even on low heat–can affect and change the delicate flavors!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites #Vegan #Glutenfree #Dairyfree Quick Easy & Delicious Healthy Dessert #Nutriholist

Have you tried these yummy healthified pumpkin cheesecake bites yet? Please leave a comment below when you do and share your photos with me on Instagram or Facebook by tagging me @nutriholist #nutriholist. Always a joy to see your creations! XO

watch how-to video

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

Yields ~20 squares

Ingredients

Crust

  • 1 cup steel-cut or rolled oats (or raw buckwheat groats)
  • 1/2 cup almond flour (or almond meal)
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons water

Cheesecake

  • 1 cup cashews, soaked for 2+ hours {See Notes}
  • 2 tablespoons cacao butter, melted (or sub coconut oil) {See Notes}
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice {See Notes}
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

  1. For the Crust: Pour oats into a blender or food processor and blend until you get oat flour. Add the almond flour, almond meal, maple syrup, and water, and blend until evenly combined. Press onto the bottom of a 5×10-inch dish lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer to firm up while you prepare the cheesecake layer
  2. For the Cheesecake: Rinse and drain the soaked cashews and throw them into the blender with the melted cacao butter or melted coconut oil and the rest of the ingredients. Blend until completely smooth and pour on top of the crust. Return to the freezer and let it set for 2-3 hours until firm
  3. To Serve: Remove cheesecake from the dish, cut into squares, and enjoy! Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze it for long-term storage and thaw for about 30 minutes before serving

NOTES:

  • To Soak Cashews: Cover them with warm water for 2 hours or longer (up to 24 hours). If you forget to do so, you can cover them with hot water that was brought to a boil. Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then rinse, drain, and use in the recipe.
  • To Melt Cacao Butter (Double Boiler Method): Fill a small pot about 1/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and fit a heat-resistant bowl into the pot. The bottom of the bowl should not reach the water (at least 2″ to 3″ space between the bowl and water). The intention is to heat the bowl with steam and not the water. Chop cacao butter into small chunks and place in the bowl. Once the cacao butter is melted, remove the bowl with oven mitts and let it cool for a few minutes
  • To Melt Coconut Oil: Pour it in a small pot over and heat directly over low. Remove from heat after a few minutes when melted
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice: Alternatively, you can use 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves (or allspice)