These no-bake mini vegan pumpkin cheesecakes are so good and it’s truly remarkable how easy to make they are! There’s no excuse, so go make them now! Gluten-free, grain-free, vegan, low-carb.
Not all of my recipes turn out as perfectly as I envision them. I have to tell you guys that this recipe was created in place of another recipe that I just cannot seem to get right…grain-free pumpkin waffles. I think I got in a little over my head on that one. It was actually pretty comical how bad they turned out, but that’s the fun of cooking, it’s all a giant experiment!
So instead, I came up with these delicious no-bake mini pumpkin cheesecakes. While it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to make these, I’m incredibly happy with how they turned out. They’re so light, flavorful and perfect for a fall treat.
The unseasonably warm weather is still sticking around here in the Northeast. This past week we almost hit 90 degrees several times! It’s insanity, but I’m hopeful that it means we will have a mild winter. That’s how this works, right? 🙂 While we still have the sweaty weather, I’ll take advantage of it by making no-bake treats that don’t warm up the house.
These can simply be popped in the freezer for a few hours to set and then thawed for 10-15 minutes before consuming. This way, they have a bit of time to soften up before you dig in. But don’t take that to mean that these are only good when the weather is too warm.
These also set perfectly in the fridge, so if you prefer your treats that way, we’ve got you covered as well. It should be noted that they will become liquidy if you leave them out on the counter for too long, so I recommend storing them in the fridge and taking them out when it’s time for dessert.
The no-bake mini pumpkin cheesecakes are pretty simple to make. For the crust, you’ll want to start by mixing almond meal or nut meal (pro tip: use the leftover meal from your homemade almond milk) with cinnamon, melted coconut oil and a sweetener of choice (I used brown sugar).
Place a teaspoon into each of 12 muffin cups (I love reusable ones like these), and gently tap it down into the bottom of the cups.
For the filling in these no-bake mini pumpkin cheesecakes, you’ll mix canned pumpkin (be sure to use 100% pure pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie filling with stuff added to it), with more sweetener, the coconut cream from two cans of coconut milk (more on this in a minute) and pumpkin pie spice.
If you are familiar with full-fat canned coconut milk, you know that the top layer is usually solid and the bottom is liquid. We want the solid stuff at the top, which is the coconut cream, so that these will set in the fridge. If your house is at a warm temperature (70F or over), you should place your cans of coconut milk into the fridge for several hours to solidify.
After a few hours, open the two cans up and scoop out the solid stuff into a microwaveable bowl. You’ll then need to warm that back up, so it can be mixed in with the other ingredients.
If your house is on the cooler side, you should already have mostly solid coconut milk, so simply open them up and scoop out the top half. We want enough coconut cream to amount to roughly one can.
If that means adding in a few tablespoons of liquid, that’s fine. Simply mix the coconut cream with the other filling ingredients and spoon it into each baking cup on top of the crust. Pop them into the fridge or freezer and enjoy a few hours later!
I hope you guys enjoy these no-bake mini vegan pumpkin cheesecakes. Be sure to follow us on Facebook so you don’t miss a recipe!
Mini Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecakes (Gluten-Free, Grain-Free)
Ingredients
For Crust:
- 3/4 cup almond meal or other nut meal
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted
- 1 tbsp brown sugar or other sweetener of your choice
- 1 tsp cinnamon
For Filling:
- 2 cans full-fat coconut milk we want the coconut cream from the top half of each can
- 3/4 cup canned pumpkin 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling
- 2 tbsp brown sugar or other sweetener of your choice
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
For Crust:
- Mix all crust ingredients together in a bowl. By the teaspoon-full, scoop crust into muffin cups and gently press down into the bottom.
For Filling:
- If temperature is warmer than 70F in house, chill two cans of coconut milk in the fridge for several hours. Once chilled, scoop out hardened coconut cream from the cans and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in 30 second intervals until liquefied. If the amount of coconut cream is less than the equivalent of one can, add a bit of the liquid.
- Mix melted coconut milk, pumpkin, pumpkin spice and brown sugar together in a bowl until all lumps are removed. Spoon filling over the crust.
- Place in fridge for 2-3 hours or until solidified. Alternatively, you can place them in the freezer for an hours or so. Before consuming, thaw out for approximately 10-15 minutes if frozen.
