Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars with Oatmeal Crust (vegan, gluten free)

Full of creamy pumpkin and pumpkin spice!

It’s fall… I’m not ready for summer to be over but pumpkin spice is something I always look forward to. This is the perfect, decadent fall dessert! It smells irresistible. It tastes like real cheesecake (maybe better?) – you won’t miss the dairy or gluten. Cheesecake is high in calorie so that’s why I made these “mini” bites. They’re creamy, full of pumpkin and pumpkin spice, and the crust is crispy and melts in your mouth. You can find pumpkin spice in the spice aisle of your grocery store or make it yourself combining equal parts of cinnamon, ginger powder, clove powder, and nutmeg. I recommend using Tofutti cream cheese or any other brand of soy based cream cheese. Nut milk based cream cheese may not hold up in the oven. For the crust, you can substitute regular oats and all purpose flour if you’re not gluten free. You can top these squares with pecans or coconut whipped cream.

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites with Oatmeal Crust (vegan, gluten free)

Servings: 36
Time: 1hr45min prep time (refrigerate overnight)
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

2 8 oz containers of Tofutti or soy cream cheese
1 16 oz can of pumpkin puree
1 cup organic powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin spice
2 tbs almond milk
1 tbs arrowroot powder
1 cup gluten free oats
1/4 cup gluten free flour
1/2 cup muscovado or organic brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 tbs almond milk
36 whole pecans
1 13 oz can of coconut cream refrigerated overnight
1/4 cup organic powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 9 inch brownie pan with olive oil spray and set aside.
To make the crust: Place oats, muscovado (or brown sugar), flour, salt, oil, and almond milk in a food processor or high powered blender. Blend until it forms a grainy paste (like wet sand). You may need to scrape down the sides a few times. This may take about 5 minutes depending on your blender. Press crust mixture evenly into greased pan and bake at 350F for 15 minutes – crust will appear golden brown. Set crust aside to cool.
To make the filling: Place cream cheese, pumpkin, pumpkin spice, vanilla extract, almond milk in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Next add powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time and blend for a few seconds at a time until smooth. Last scrape down sides and add arrowroot powder and blend for a few more seconds. Scoop mixture into the crust pan and smooth the top with a spatula to even out. Bake at 350F for 40-42 minutes. Top will be golden. Let cool for 30 minutes and refrigerate overnight. Cut bars into 36 squares after refrigerated. Top each square with a whole pecan or with a dollop of coconut whipped cream before serving. Can store in airtight container in the fridge for 2 days.
To make coconut whipped cream: Remove can of coconut cream from fridge without shaking it. Carefully scoop hardened top layer of refrigerated coconut cream out of the can and place in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip on high speed adding powdered sugar a few tbs at a time until fluffy. Refrigerate or use right away. Can store leftover whipped cream in fridge for a few days in an airtight container.

Nutrition Information: