Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

Since Halloween is right around the corner I think it's okay to keep piling on the pumpkin themed recipes. Especially when I found the most adorable little pumpkin for a dollar, just crying out to be roasted and made into pie. Last night was the windiest one I can ever remember, but since I was hiding away in my apartment, I didn't see too much of the storm. So much to be grateful for, my power didn't go out, and since there's no trees around my condo that wasn't a worry either. On the second hand I don't know if the no tree thing is great or awful, but it worked for last night! My heart goes out to all the people who are affected by Sandy, I can't believe the photos that keep popping up on Instagram and twitter. A strange age we live in now where the most up to date and reliable news sources are social media, no?

I made a raw cheesecake for the first time last week, and was so in love with it I thought it could only be improved with pumpkin thrown in to the mix. And a spooky topping for the holiday! My spider web looks a little like the spider making it may have had a few too many, but we're not judging it. This cheesecake's almost raw, but I don't think raw pumpkin would taste too great, which is why it's roasted. You can sub canned pumpkin for the roasted chunks, I think the ratio would be about 1 cup of puree, but I'm not positive since I haven't tried it.

In most raw crusts dates are the usual, but raisins are a little more affordable, taste great, and work fine for sticking the crust together. A little water is needed to get it to stick, since they're usually a bit drier.

Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:
1 cup almonds
1 cup raisins
1/2-1 tablespoon water
Dash of cinnamon and cloves
Pinch of salt

Cheesecake
1 cup roasted pumpkin cubes(roast a seeded pumpkin for about 35-40 mins, remove skin and cut into pieces)
1 1/2 cups soaked cashews(at least 5 hours)
juice from 1 lemon
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/6 cup maple syrup
1/6 cup agave(or other liquid sweetener)
1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Blend crust ingredients in a food processor til fine and they start to stick together. If it's not sticking, add water a little at a time. You don't want it to be mushy, just until it starts to clump. Press into a springform pan, and let set in the fridge.

Blend cheesecake ingredients(except for pumpkin) in a blender until super smooth. Remove 1/3 of the mixture and set aside. Add in pumpkin and blend again. Pour into crust, and let set in the fridge while you're making the topping.

For the topping, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil together. Cover the cheesecake in the rest of the filling mixture, then draw circles onto the cheesecake like a bulls eye. Run a knife through from the outside to the middle to create the pattern.

Leave in the freezer for 2 hours to let set, remove 30 mins before serving.

How To: Make Nut Milks

Almond milk is one of the first raw things I tried making. It can be as simple as dumping a tablespoon of almond butter in the blender with water, or you can go the whole route of soaking your nuts, then blending and straining the mixture. I don't mind either way, leaving it unstrained gives it a little more texture and fiber. My favorite is a blend of cashews and almonds, cashews for their creaminess and texture, and almonds for their flavour. Almonds are a little easier to blend after soaking, but cashews can go straight in. Soaking is beneficial for removing enzyme inhibitors on nuts which aids in digestion, and removes phytic acid which can inhibit mineral absorption. Sometimes I soak my nuts, sometimes I don't. It's not the end of the world if you don't have the time! If you don't own an high speed blender you'll get better results if you soak them however.

Yeah you can buy almond milk from the store, but things that sit on shelves for long periods of time give me the heebie jeebies sometimes. Making it is super quick, and it'll last in your fridge for about 3 days fresh.

You can make nut milk from pretty much any combination of nuts you like, some of my favorites are cashew, brazil nut, and macadamia nut. The proportions are the same, and you can experiment with adding more or less water for thicker milk if preferred.

Cashew Almond Milk

Raw, vegan, gluten free, soy free

1/4 cup cashews

1/4 cup almonds

1 1/2 cups water

Blend until smooth. A Vitamix is best for the best texture. 

Optional: Strain through cheesecloth into a container for a smoother milk

If desired you can add some stevia, vanilla extract, or cocoa powder for a different flavor.

Coconut Dream Bars

As of late I've been on a coconut binge. No shame though. Coconut is awesome for you! It may have gotten a bad rep in the past due to it's saturated fat content, but since it's natural saturated fat, not man made, it's not bad for you. Some fats are healthy for you, and the fat in coconut oil can improve your heart health, boost your thyroid, increase your metabolism, and support your immune system. The magic ingredient in coconuts is lauric acid, which has unique health benefits. Your body converts it into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-protozoa properties. The medium-chain triglycerides in coconut oil are also smaller, so they're easier for your body to digest and use as fuel. Whereas long-chain triglycerides, which are harder for your body to break down, and therefore easier to store as fat.

Farmers discovered this back in 1940 when they tried to use low grade coconut oil to fatten their livestock. It didn't work! Instead it made the animals leaner and more active. Coconut oil has shown to help optimize body weight, and can improve healing and immune function. All the more reason to scarf down these bars!!

Coconut Dream Bars

Raw, Vegan, Gluten and Soy Free

2 cups pitted dates

2/3 cup almonds

2/3 cup cashews

2/3 cup shredded,unsweetened coconut

2 tablespoons coconut oil(melted)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Topping

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil

2-3 packets stevia

coconut for sprinkling

In a food processor process dates, almonds, cashews and coconut oil until thoroughly mixed, but a little chunky. Add in coconut and chocolate chips and process until combined. Press into a 9x9 pan.

Topping: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, pour over bars. Sprinkle with coconut.

Place bars in fridge or freezer to set, cut into pieces!