Pumpkin Cheesecake or Pie

Pumpkin Cheesecake or Pie



Ingredients

Crust
2 Cups Banana Chips (sweetened or unsweetened) note: any variety of nut or seed should also work great if you don’t want to do the banana chips. If you can do grains and sugar a crushed cookie crust will also work here.
1 Cup Coconut Flakes (unsweetened)
1 Packet Stevia (or other granulated sugar of your choice to taste)
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 TBS melted Coconut Oil
Pinch of Salt
Filling:
1 Can Pumpkin Puree
1 3/4 Cups Frozen or Fresh Cauliflower Boiled. (should be tender- may yield less than 1 3/4 cups once cooked) Or use Soaked Cashews for a thicker more decadent filling.
1/3 Cup HEAVY Coconut Milk. (For best results stick the can in the fridge to chill and the scoop out the creamy portion from the top of the can to make this 1/3 cup).
1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 Tsp. Cinammon
1 Tsp. Ginger
Stevia to Taste (*Additional Sugar may be added- see note above)
Salt to Taste
1/2 Cup Melted Coconut Oil.


Method

Step 1
In a food processor combine the crust ingredients (these same directions apply if you choose to use nuts instead of banana chips). Process until finely ground. Press this mixture into a pie plate or in the base of a cheesecake pan. (If you are going to want to be able to cleanly remove the cheesecake from the bottom portion of the pan- size and cut a round circle of parchment paper on the base before laying down the crust. I don’t bother with this as I often just serve the cheesecake in the base of the pan.)

Step 2
Clean out the food processor. Fill it with the filling ingredients and process until creamy and smooth.

Step 3
Place this pureed mixture in a saucepan. Cook till it gently boils so that the flavors can develop. Give it a taste test and adjust sugar/salt/spices to your liking.

Step 4
Pour the filling into the crust filled cheesecake pan or pie pan. Place in fridge and let chill for several hours. It will become firm as it chills.

Step 5
Store the Cheesecake or Pie in the fridge. Serve Chilled! To get the pretty white swirls on top- drop a TBS (give or take) of heavy coconut milk in little dots onto the surface of the filling. Using a knife or toothpick swirl the coconut milk into the filling. Do this prior to chilling. The Heavy Coconut Milk will harden along with the rest of the cheesecake or pie. Happy Pumpkin Season!