No Bake Vegan Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites | Dairy Free & Gluten Free
Sugar Free Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe – Mini VEGAN Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Desserts!
Gluten Free & Dairy Free NO BAKE Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites with 1g Net Carbs Each
These no bake vegan keto pumpkin cheesecake bites are a deliciously clean holiday treat that you can feel good about! Gluten free, dairy free, sugar free LOW CARB pumpkin cheesecake bites made for noshing, no oven required.
You get the best of three worlds. Not just a low carb and KETO pumpkin cheesecake dessert that’s free of added sugars. But also an easy VEGAN pumpkin cheesecake recipe that’s completely plant-based! And, since they’re NO BAKE pumpkin cheesecake bites, they’re unbelievably easy to prep.
Plus, they’re conveniently portion controlled, and irresistibly delicious! They’re each like a mini keto pumpkin pie cheesecake with the textures of the crust, creamy filling, and crunchy topping in every bite. They’ve got a perfectly salty sweet flavor, with the classic tang of a real cheesecake—even with no dairy, no gluten or grains, and no sugar!
Give these no bake pumpkin cheesecake bites a try and, trust me—it’s tough to eat just one… A great option for anyone looking for low carb desserts, vegan holiday treats, or both!
The Secrets Behind Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
I know what you might be thinking—if these are sugar free gluten free DAIRY FREE pumpkin cheesecake desserts, then what the heck are they even made of?! It might seem like some kind of keto magic, but it’s really not.
The ingredients are surprisingly clean and simple, and they consist of some classic low carb and keto foods: nuts, seeds, and coconut! I’ve also used granulated erythritol as my low carb sweetener, since it’s a sugar alcohol that doesn’t affect blood sugar like other carbohydrates.
Plus, I managed to make this vegan keto pumpkin cheesecake recipe with REAL pumpkin and still keep the net carb count at just 1g per bite—with 13g of nutritious fats each! Like luscious little keto fat bombs, holiday edition.
So, what’s the secret?
Grain Free Low Carb Pie Crust + Ultimate Vegan Keto Cream Cheese Alternative
For my grain free and gluten free pumpkin cheesecake crust, I’ve gone with a classic nut-and-seed-based mixture. Made with almonds, pumpkin seeds, and coconut oil, it keeps the carb count low, boosts the fiber content, and requires NO baking! Just press the dough into your desired molds and refrigerate to set.
Then, for the vegan pumpkin cheesecake filling, I took a detour from the beaten path… Rather than using a pre-made or cashew based vegan cream cheese, I made the filling using raw macadamia nuts! The result is indulgent, fat-rich, low carb pumpkin cheesecake bites that are TRULY keto friendly.
Pre-made vegan cream cheese often isn’t very clean. And, though many recipes feature a cashew based vegan cream cheese, cashews actually aren’t ideal for a truly keto pumpkin cheesecake recipe because they’re higher in carbs than many other nuts.
Luckily, macadamia nuts are one of the most keto friendly nuts you can find—with 23g of fuel-filled fats per ¼ cup!
How to Make No Bake Cheesecake Bites that are Vegan AND Keto
This is actually an extremely easy vegan pumpkin cheesecake recipe that only has a few simple steps. And, since they’re in bite-sized form, you don’t have to fuss with making a big pie crust.
Just press your gluten free low carb pumpkin cheesecake crust mixture into molds and refrigerate to set, then top with your non dairy pumpkin cheesecake filling and freeze! Altogether, the physical prep work will take you around 30 minutes in the kitchen.
But, since these is a NO BAKE pumpkin cheesecake recipe, you will have to wait patiently while your bites freeze for a couple of hours… And, it helps to plan ahead a little bit.
Mainly, there’s one step for this vegan keto pumpkin cheesecake recipe that I recommend doing the night before you want to make it.
Step #1: Soak Macadamia Nuts Overnight for Vegan Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
First thing’s first, soak your raw macadamia nuts in a bowl of water overnight to soften them. But, if you forget to get them soaking ahead of time, no biggie! Just get them soaking in the morning in a bowl of hot water for at least 3 hours.
Since we’re making a keto AND dairy free pumpkin cheesecake filling, we need a vegan AND low carb substitute for the traditional cream cheese. That’s where the macadamia nuts come in—as the main ingredient for our DIY vegan keto cream cheese base!
The rich fat content of macadamia nuts makes them nice and buttery, but they also tend to be fairly dense and hard. Giving them a good soak before preparing your vegan keto pumpkin cheesecake dessert bites will make them easier to blend up in the food processor.
#2 Prepare Dough for Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Dessert Crust
The next day or after your macadamia nuts have had sufficient time to soak, start by making your gluten free dairy free pumpkin cheesecake crust mixture. It’s super simple, with just 2 main ingredients: raw almonds and pumpkin seeds!
Add those to your food processor and pulse to grind them up into small pieces. You don’t want to blend them into a complete butter, but just pulse your food processor until they’re finely chopped.
Then, with the ground almonds and pumpkin seeds still in the carafe, add your remaining keto pumpkin cheesecake pie crust ingredients: coconut oil, a bit of salt, and some optional low carb sweetener like erythritol, if desired. Pop the lid back on and continue to pulse, until a sticky dough forms. (It should hold together when pressed.)
Finally, you can add the sugar free low carb pumpkin cheesecake crust into your desired molds!
#3 Press No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Crusts into Molds & Refrigerate
Scoop as much keto pumpkin cheesecake pie dough as needed to cover the bottom of each mold. You want a fairly thin layer of crust, about ⅛- to ¼-inch thick, and press it down to flatten.
Of course, depending on the size of your molds, the exact amount of gluten free pumpkin cheesecake crust needed may vary. For my round silicone molds (which are about 1-oz each in volume and 1.5-inches in diameter), I found that 1 tsp of crust dough was just enough to fill them.
Once all of your molds are filed, transfer to the fridge for at least 20-30 minutes to set! (I was able to prepare around 32 vegan keto pumpkin cheesecake bites using 1 tsp of crust dough per mold.)
#4 Blend Vegan & Non Dairy Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
While the crusts set in their molds, you can make your vegan pumpkin cheesecake filling. This step’s even easier!
Simply drain your soaked macadamia nuts, then blend them in a food processor with the remaining filling ingredients: pumpkin puree, coconut butter, coconut oil, erythritol*, lemon juice, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt.
(*I recommend starting with a bit less sweetener at first and adding more as needed—sweeten to taste.)
When it’s done, your vegan keto pumpkin cheesecake filling should be smooth, thick, and creamy!
Feel free to chill the mixture in the fridge for a few minutes if your crusts haven’t yet had enough time to harden. But if they’re ready, grab the molds from the fridge and your no bake pumpkin cheesecake bites are ready to assemble.
#5 Assemble Sugar Free Low Carb Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites to Freeze!
Portion some of the filling mixture onto each of your firmed-up vegan keto pumpkin cheesecake crusts. (For my silicone molds, using a 4-tsp cookie scoop worked perfectly!) Smooth out the filling so it’s in an even layer, flush with the top of your molds.
Then, you can top each of your low carb pumpkin cheesecake bites however you like. For some festive holiday flair and nutritious keto goodness, I went with pecan halves and pumpkin seeds! I love the fun color and shape that they add, and especially the satisfying crunch in every bite.
Finally, transfer the molds with your prepared no bake pumpkin cheesecake bites into the freezer this time, for at least 2 hours. Giving them enough time to firm up will be worth it. The more they’re able to set, the easier it will be to pop clean, perfect bites out from your molds!
Before you want to enjoy them, pop your frozen vegan keto pumpkin cheesecake bites out from their molds and transfer to a plate. Thaw in the fridge for just 1-2 hours, to soften slightly, and devour!
Vegan Keto PUMPKIN Recipes | Keto Vegan Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cheesecake & More!
No Bake Vegan Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
Ingredients
Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie Crust
- 1 cup almonds
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp erythritol, optional, to taste
- ¼ tsp salt
Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 1 cup raw macadamia nuts, soaked overnight (or in boiling water for 3 hours)
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- ½ cup coconut butter
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup erythritol, to taste
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
Optional Toppings
- 3 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 3 Tbsp pecan halves
Instructions
The Night Before:
- Add 1 cup raw macadamia nuts to a bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight to soften.
- (Or, soak in boiling water for 3 hours before making vegan keto pumpkin cheesecake filling.)
To Make Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie Crust:
- The next day, start by pulsing almonds and pumpkin seeds in food processor until ground into small pieces.
- Add remaining crust ingredients and pulse together, until a sticky dough forms.
- Scoop ~1 tsp of dough into base of each silicone mold, depending on size, pressing to flatten. (Aim for a crust layer around ⅛- to ¼-inch thick.)
- Transfer molds to the fridge for 20-30 minutes to set while you make the filling.
To Make Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
- Drain soaked macadamia nuts and add to food processor with remaining filling ingredients. Blend everything together until smooth and creamy. Adjust sweetener and seasonings to taste.
- Using a 4-tsp cookie scoop, add filling on top of crust in molds. Smooth into an even layer with an offset spatula.
- Top each vegan keto pumpkin cheesecake bite with a pecan half, pumpkin seeds, or whatever you like! Freeze for at least 2 hours.
- Pop out of molds and thaw in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving.
- Yields 32 mini vegan keto pumpkin cheesecake bites, depending on size of silicone molds.
6 Comments on “No Bake Vegan Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites | Dairy Free & Gluten Free”
I’ll probably be returning to see more, thanks!
Glad you enjoyed! 🙂
This looks SO good! If I’m not worried about being dairy free, how much cream cheese would I need to use in place of the macadamia nut puree? Honestly, I just might make it both ways because I love macadamia nuts too. Thank you for creating such yumminess!
So glad you like the recipe! 🙂 Unfortunately, we haven’t tried making this recipe using cream cheese so it’s tough to say how much you’d need to substitute for the macadamia nuts (or if that specific swap would even work with the coconut butter, coconut oil, etc. this particular recipe).
Of course, you can absolutely try it out and see how the texture turns out! We’d recommend starting with 8oz of cream cheese to start instead of the 1 cup of macadamia nuts, though you may need to adjust other ingredients/amounts as well.
Or, we also have another light pumpkin cheesecake recipe using real cream cheese if you’d like to check it out!
https://youtu.be/chhNiQ8ZLlk?t=257
I love all your recipes. However, my Doctor had me tested and I am extremely allergic to almonds, eggs, cow’s milk, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, walnuts, sunflower seeds. I also am sensitive to wheat but not as severely as the afore mentioned but still avoid it. What can I substitute for the almond flour. I got some Bob’# Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour which is made mostly from rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, and tapioca flour. I can tolerate it just fine. Do you think I could substitute this for the almond flour? Same amount? Thank you, Pat Stone. I just signed up for your newsletter and ebook recipes. I also will try purchasing from Thrive Market. Fgstone@bellsouth.net.
Hi Pat, thank you so much for being a part of this community! 🙂 Since this is a no bake cheesecake recipe, it would be tough to substitute a grain-based flour for this crust that’s made of finely chopped almonds and pumpkin seeds held together with coconut oil. The crusts go into the freezer to set, and a grain-based flour won’t be very tasty when eaten frozen and raw…
However, if you’re able to eat the pumpkin seeds, you could substitute the 1 cup of almonds in this recipe for 1 cup of pecans, cashews, or another nut that better suits your dietary needs! I hope this is helpful! 🙂