Pumpkin “Cheesecake” Brownie Bites

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For the cheesecake:

• 1 cup of raw cashews
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup maple syrup + 1 tbsp
• 1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp corn starch
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt

Soak cashews overnight if possible. This creates the smoothest cheesecake! If you’re short on time, pour the cashews into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for one hour.

Then drain the cashews and add to a blender with the pumpkin, maple syrup, and soy milk. Add the spices and lemon juice.

In a small dish, combine cornstarch with 4 tsp of water. Stir to dissolve and add that to the blender too. Blender until very very smooth and refrigerate.

For the brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine one box of vegan brownie mix with 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin, 1/4 cup of melted vegan butter, and a 1/2 cup of water.

Mix very well and then fold in 1/3 of a cup of chopped pecans.

Then add the batter to a muffin tin lined with lightly greased muffin liners (to prevent sticking) and bake for 16-18 minutes or until set but still slightly gooey in the center.

Allow the brownies to cool completely and then add the cheesecake mixture on top and decorate with additional pecans and a sprinkle of cinnamon 🙂 Loosely cover and refrigerate for two hours (overnight is better!) and enjoy!

1. To get the most accurate measurement, measure 1 cup of dry raw cashews, then soak them (as opposed to measuring 1 cup of already soaked cashews, which are larger because they’ve already absorbed so water. Plus it’s easier to measure them dry 🙂

2. For a thinner brownie “crust” divide the brownie batter between 18 muffin cups and add more of the cheesecake filling on top. Either way is good, it’s just about the brownie to cheesecake ratio 🙂 This will require less baking time as well. Note: if you do thinner brownies with more cheesecake on top, make sure you refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours before serving 🙂

3. Spray your muffin liners with cooking spray! It makes a world of difference 🙂

4. Don’t forget the extra sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice on top! It makes it look pretty and adds another little layer of flavor 🙂 Happy baking!!