No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites | PALEO, Vegan

Nothing says fall like pumpkin, am I right?  Trips to the pumpkin patch, pumpkin flavored drinks & treats.

It's such a festive & cozy time of year.  Until you layer on your boots & flannel and head out for a crisp fall day, only to realize it's still 80 degrees outside!  Can you relate!?

I'm somehow shocked by this every year living in California, but I should be used it by now since I've lived here my whole life.  I think social media has a big something to do with it, because I see the weather changing much more drastically by the season in other parts of the country.

So I'm keeping my positive perspective by going for a lightweight flannel, maybe swapping my boots for slides or flats for now, and keeping with some no bake pumpkin treats!  So I can get all those fall feelings without overheating.

These treats are something I've been brainstorming for awhile, and they came out just right on the first try (I love it when that happens).

I used the recipe for my No Bake Berry Tarts as a starting off point, then added in all the pumpkin spice goodness and some pumpkin puree for flavor.  

While I was at it, I decided to add some Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides- my favorite ingredient for mixing into soups, sauces, drinks, and baked goods for some sneaky protein and awesome nutrition benefits.

You can read all about why I take collagen in this post here.  I also talk about my thoughts on collagen during pregnancy, which is something I get asked about daily.  Spoiler:  I love it and have at least one serving per day, two now in the third trimester when I really want to keep my skin & joints healthy and strong (and baby's too!)

So if "no bake", pumpkin spice, paleo cheesecake, and added protein that you'll never taste haven't caught your interest yet... maybe you should try my Apple Cinnamon Muffins instead.  ;) 

Meanwhile, I'll be over here getting my cool, creamy, pumpkin cheesecake on!  Hope you join me & give them a try!  Tag me in a picture on Instagram if you do:  @justjessieb

Ingredients:
For the Crust

• 1 cup almond flour
• 5 pitted dates
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

For the Filling

• 1 1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked for 2 hours or up to overnight and drained)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup Vital Proteins collagen peptides
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp clove
• pinch of salt
• optional garnish:  chopped walnuts or pecans, additional cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse the crust ingredients until a "dough" consistency forms and the dates are chopped up fine.
2. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cups, then scoop about 1 Tbsp of the dough into each cup.  Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to press the crust into the bottom and just slightly up the sides.
3. Rinse out the food processor, then work on your filling.  Combine all of the filling ingredients, blending until super smooth.
4. Spoon the filling mixture evenly into each of the 12 cups.  Top with nuts and a dash of cinnamon if you'd like.
5. Transfer to the freezer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until firm.  Store in the refrigerator, and serve chilled!

*Notes:

• If you don't have collagen, you can always omit it for this recipe.  I just love adding it when/where I can for all of the protein & health benefits!

This post is brought to you in partnership with Vital Proteins, a brand I have loved and worked with for years!  All opinions are of course my own, because they are amazing to work with- and I recommend their products to everyone!