Vegan & Paleo Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Jack-O-Lanterns

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a small bowl, whisk together flax meal and warm water and place in the refrigerator to gel while you make the cheesecake.

Place soaked cashews into a high-powered blender (make sure you drained the water into the sink first!) along with the remaining ingredients for the cheesecake (not including the flax egg in the refrigerator). Puree until thick, smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary. Set aside while you make the crust. (You want to be able to pour the cheesecake onto the crust as soon as it’s out of the oven, which is why it’s best to prepare it first.)

For the crust, in a large bowl, beat together coconut oil and maple syrup until smooth. Stir in coconut flour, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt until well mixed.

Distribute the dough by lightly heaping teaspoonfuls among the wells of a 12-cavity mini-cheesecake pan, pressing out evenly. Bake until crust just appears set, about 5 minutes.

When the crust has about 2 minutes left to bake, transfer cashew mixture into a large bowl and pour in the flax eggs from the refrigerator. You want to leave them in the refrigerator as long as possible, so they can really gel up. Stir until flax is evenly mixed into the cashew cream.

Remove the crusts from the oven. Your crust with most likely have risen in a few spots. Just use a small spoon to pack it back down flat, making sure you don’t leave any cracks.

Immediately fill each cavity with the pumpkin cashew mixture, just over 3/4 full. Bake until cheesecakes have slightly risen and the outside appears set and firm, but just a small circle in the center still appears slightly jiggly, about 11–12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the counter. Then cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours to overnight to completely set.

Once set, place the chocolate and coconut oil and in small, microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave using 30-second intervals on half power, stirring between each interval, until smooth and melted. Drizzle the chocolate over each cheesecake to create a Jack-O-Lantern face (I put my melted chocolate in a small squeeze tube to make it easier).

Stick a mint sprig in the top of each pumpkin to create the stem. Devour.

Notes:
1. I buy my cashews pre-roasted. If you’re aren’t, stick them in a 400ºF oven for just a few minutes, until lightly golden brown.
2. I’ve made this crust with different brands of coconut flour and, to get 31g, some brands need less than 6 tablespoons. So, I strongly urge you to weigh your flour to make sure you get perfect results.