Vegan Caramel Cheezecake Cups

Are you drooling as much as I am right now? I don't normally toot my own horn but, TOOT-TOOT on these babies. I've recently been honoring the ques my body is giving me when I consume dairy and have been working on reducing the amount I'm consuming to improve my digestion. If you're somebody who is lactose-intolerant, has a lactose allergy, vegan, or you simply like to play in the kitchen, I encourage you to give this recipe a try! They're dairy, egg and gluten-free!

INGREDIENTS:

For the Crust:

1 cup Pitted Dates, packed

1 cup Raw Walnuts

pinch of salt

For the Filling:

1.5 cups Raw Cashews, unsalted

1 large Lemon

1/3 cup Coconut Oil, melted

2/3 cup Coconut Cream (chilled full-fat coconut milk, liquid removed)

1/2 cup Maple Syrup, Honey (if not vegan), or Agave Nectar

For the Drizzle:

-You can use a pre-made caramel sauce, or make your own caramel with brown sugar, cream and fat.

-You can also use jam or berries

-You can also use peanut butter

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Grease a muffin tin, and add strips of parchment paper to each cup for easier removal. The parchment strips should be long enough to grab from the top of each cup.

2. In a food processor, pulse dates until they form a jam. If your dates seem dry, you can add a small amount (up to 1 Tbsp) of warm water and pulse again.

3. Add the walnuts and pinch of salt to the food processor and pulse until a dough forms.

4. Press about 1 Tbsp of dough into the bottom of each cup. To press, use the bottom of a small mug or mason jar. Place in freezer while you get started on the filling.

5. Add all filling ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. If you're adding peanut butter, add now and blend again.

6. Evenly distribute the filling into each cup, about 2 Tbsp per cup for 12 cheezecakes. Place in freezer for 3-5 hours before removing from tin.