Name: Pumpkin Spice Latte Vegan Cheesecake Bars
Prep time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 cup medjool dates; 1/2 cup almonds; 1 cup oats; 1/2 tsp ground espresso; 1 tbsp maple syrup; 1 tbsp water; 1 1/2 cups cashews; 1/2 cup canned pumpkin; 1/2 cup almond milk; 1/4 cup coconut oil; 1/4 cup maple syrup; 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg)

That’s right you heard me, get excited, for PSL Vegan Cheesecake! It’s that time of year when the whole world goes insane for pumpkin spice, your truly included. I don’t know why. For me I think it’s about faking it until it really feels like fall outside. If I turn the AC on high, close my eyes, and inhale delicious pumpkin spice scent then I can pretend it is fall outside. But in truth it’s 90 something degrees outside and I’m beyond tired of sweating in this summer heat. We probably have another solid month of summer before it’s cool enough outside to break out my boots and leggings. So I’m stuck inside pretending it’s fall with my Pumpkin Spice Latte Vegan Cheesecake Bars.

You need a high power blender, like a Vitamix, for this recipe. If you don’t have a strong blender or food processor try soaking the nuts in water overnight to soften them. The pumpkin cashew filling for the vegan cheesecake has to be super smooth. You also need parchment paper to line a 8×8 baking dish so that the espresso date crust doesn’t stick.

To garnish I used salted pumpkin seeds and a little sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice. The little bit of salt on the pumpkin seeds pares perfectly with the sweetness of the pumpkin spice latte vegan cheesecake. If you don’t want to buy pumpkin pie spice you can make your own by mixing: cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. I also topped it with a little Non-Dairy Almond Milk Reddi Wip. If you haven’t tried these new canned dairy free whip creams you should because they are just plain fun to use.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Vegan Cheesecake Bars

Course Dessert

Cuisine vegan

Keyword Cheesecake, PSL, Pumpkin

Prep Time 45 minutes

Freeze 4 hours

Servings 16

Ingredients

Crust

1 cup medjool dates
1/2 cup almonds
1 cup oats
1/2 tsp ground espresso
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp water

Filling

1 1/2 cups cashews
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg

Instructions

Line a 8x8 inch baking dish with parchment paper.
In a high power blender, process one cup of dates, 1/2 cup of almonds, one cup of oats, 1/2 tsp ground espresso, one tbsp maple syrup, and one tbsp water until it forms a dough.
Press the dough evenly down into your lined baking dish. If it seems too sticky try adding a little more water to the dough. Place in the freezer to set for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile while the crust is setting you can whip up the filling. In a high power blender combine the cashews and almond milk. Blend until smooth. Then add in the rest of the ingredients for the filling and blend until everything is mixed. The batter should be creamy and smooth.
Pour the pumpkin filling over the crust. Use a spoon to smooth it. You can also tap your pan gently on the counter top and shake it to help smooth it out.
Place your pumpkin spice latte vegan cheesecake bars int to the freezer for about 4 hours to completely set.
When ready to serve you can remove from the baking dish, cut into squares. Garnish with pumpkin seeds, dairy free whip cream, and pumpkin spice!