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These Vegan Mocha Cheesecake Bites are the perfect healthy treat. They are gluten-free, dairy-free and guilt free.
Sometimes I just need coffee...or chocolate...or cheesecake and sometimes I need all three at once! Can anyone relate? Well, these Vegan Mocha Cheesecake Bites can satisfy those cravings all at once, but in a healthier way.
Last week was one of "those" weeks for me. I made delicious recipes to share, but some weren't photographing the way I would like. Can you believe that some food isn't photogenic?
Trust me, these Cheesecake Bites look innocent and cute, but they were so unruly during the shoot. Frozen desserts...plus hot lighting...equals disaster.
I always have a plan before I start shooting, but sometimes it doesn't turn out the way I imagined it. With frozen desserts, I have to act quickly to change the setup and sometimes, I'm not quick enough.
Anyway, I was able to get a few shots in before they quit on me. My shoot officially ended when my light bounce fell on top of them and whipped cream splatted everywhere. Fun!
These heavenly Vegan Mocha Cheesecake Bites will satisfy your craving for coffee, chocolate, and cheesecake, but you won't feel like crap after eating them. Sounds good, huh?
You won't find any processed junk in these babies...they are made up of cashews, coconut milk, almonds, dates, pure maple syrup, coconut oil, pure vanilla extract, cacao powder and espresso powder.
They won't make your tummy hurt from the dairy and processed sugars found in most standard treats. Also, you'll be giving your body a healthy dose of protein, fiber, vitamins & minerals. You can enjoy them and feel guilt-free.
Let's talk about those layers
The base layer is a chocolate-almond crust, which is held together by naturally sweet dates. It has the perfect chocolate flavor with a slight almond-y crunch.
Next up, is the vanilla layer. It's soft, creamy, sweet & velvety. It tastes so much better than dairy-based treats. The creaminess comes from cashews and coconut cream. They work magic together!
The topping is a decadent mocha layer. It's rich, chocolate-y and has the perfect hint of coffee flavor. The aroma alone will give you an instant pick-me-up.
These heavenly bites are perfect just the way they are, but if you would like to dress them up, you can add dairy-free whipped cream and dust them with cacao powder.
So, are you ready to indulge in these Vegan Mocha Cheesecake Bites, but not feel like you overindulged?
Let's do this!
I’d love to hear from you
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comment section below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
š Recipe
Vegan Mocha Cheesecake Bites
Ingredients
Chocolate Almond Crust:
- Ā½ cup raw almonds
- Ā½ cup dates , pitted (*see note)
- 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
- A pinch of salt
Cheesecake Base:
- 1 Ā½ cups raw cashews , soaked in water for 4 hours or more
- ā cup coconut oil , liquified
- 1 cup of coconut cream (*see note)
- Ā½ cup pure maple syrup (*see note)
- 2-3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Ā¼ teaspoon of salt
Additional Ingredients for Mocha Layer:
- 1 Ā½ teaspoons espresso powder (*see note)
- 2 tablespoons raw cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
Instructions
Crust:
- Place all ingredients into a food processor. Process until if forms a loose dough. Press between your fingers to make sure it sticks together. Add more dates or nuts for the needed consistency.
- Line a muffin pan with standard-size liners. Put about 1 heaping tablespoon of crust at the bottom of each liner. Press firmly down. (*see note) Pop in freezer while you make the filling
Vanilla Cheesecake Base:
- Drain & rinse cashews. Discard soaking water.
- Combine all ingredients (except raw cacao powder & espresso powder) in a blender or food processor. Blend until really creamy and smooth.
- Place 2 Ā½ tablespoons of mixture on top of crust (for 10 cheesecake bites) Pop back in freezer for about 20 minutes, to firm up the layer a bit.
Mocha Layer:
- Place the raw cacao powder and espresso powder into the remaining filling. Blend until creamy and smooth. Pour about 2 Ā½ tablespoons of filling on top of the vanilla layer. (approximate measurement for 10 cheesecake bites) Freeze for 4-6 hours. Thaw 3-5 minutes before enjoying. Store in airtight container in the freezer.
- Top with some homemade or store-bought whipped cream. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
victoria
this is amazing! i had a question though, instead of dates can I use dried figs?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Victoria, thank you so much! I haven't tried it, but I think it could work. They might not be as sticky as the dates though. I wish I could be more help. I'd love to hear how it turns out for you. š
Frances
I would love to make these in a regular cheesecake pan, do the measurements change?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Frances, I'm sorry for the late reply. This comment was in my spam folder š Yes, you can use a standard pan or two mini pans. Thank you for stopping by š
Amber
Are you using Medjool Dates, or will any pitted work?! Thank you!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Amber, any dates will work š
Shelly
Do these have to stay frozen or can they be stored in a cooler without melting?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Shelly, I keep them in the freezer. They'll be too soft otherwise, like ice cream. Hope this helps. Thanks for stopping by š
Nicole
Is there anyway to make these with almond milk instead of coconut?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Nicole, you can use almond, but it won't be as creamy as the full-fat coconut milk. It will still be delicious though š
Marina
My first attempt at these I mixed up" coconut cream" with "cream of coconut" which apparently comes already sweetened. Thankfully I cut the maple syrup in half so that helped but it was still too sweet for my taste. Can't wait to try these again with the right kind of cream! š
Melissa Huggins
Hi Marina, Thank you for trying them out. Darn, sorry you mixed up the coconut cream. I've done this in the past, too. Were you able to find the regular coconut cream? Trader Joe's, Sprouts and Whole Foods all carry one. š
Nora
Hello, can i substitute cashews for another nuts?
Thanks!
mhuggs
Hi Nora, I haven't tried this with another nut, but I've seen many "cheesecake" recipes made with macadamia nuts. Do you have an allergy?
Anne
Hi, I get confused with coconut cream. I have something called coconut goodness in a jar also I can buy coconut cream in a block is that what I should use.
mhuggs
Hi Anne, I don't believe the coconut cream block is the same. I think it's more like coconut butter. The coconut goodness is also like a butter. If you don't have coconut cream, you can use a regular can of full-fat coconut milk (in most stores). Don't shake the can before use, just scoop out & use most of the creamier, hardened part. You might need some of the liquid part to make up 1 full cup for the recipe and that's totally fine.
Tyra
Hi Melissa. For the cheesecake base, do you drain the cashews, or do you include the water in the mix?
mhuggs
Hi Tyra, The soaking water should be discarded. Thank you for alerting me...I included the note in the recipe now. I'd love to hear how they turn out for you. š
Jess
These look so yummy Melissa! Keep seeing them all over Pinterest! I can't wait to make them š
mhuggs
Thank you, Jess! I have a big stack in my freezer right now. I've been enjoying one every morning. Helps give me a kick start š
Gregg
How many calories, grams of fat, etc?
mhuggs
Hi Gregg, I don't have the nutritional information for this recipe. There is a great app called Calorie Count and you can plug in the recipe there. It's free to sign up and no obligation. Thank you for stopping by š
Kimberly/TheLittlePlantation
Ahhh you did so well with these shots! My biggest food photography nightmare is melted chocolate. SO messy. Oh and brown sauce. Looks gross š
Thanks for sharing.
K
mhuggs
Hi Kimberly, thank you so much. Melted chocolate drives me nuts too. Yes, I agree, brown sauce can really look gross. Some delicious foods just aren't photogenic. š
Kim | UnrefinedRD
You had me at cheesecake, but then coffee and chocolate added on makes it a must-try!
mhuggs
Thank you, Kim! Yeah, these three things are hard to pass up. Especially, when they are together š
Anna
They look awesome Melissa!!! I can totally relate to you on this post š sometimes, despite having it all planned, things will go not the way I expected, and it's sooooooo frustrating! especially with frozen noms:) but these babies look just perfect! That mocha layer sounds ahh-mayyzingg!!! xxx
mhuggs
Thank you, Anna. Yeah, the frozen items can be little brats. š
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
Looks amazing, Melissa! You sure are talented.
mhuggs
Thank you, Amy! They really are easy š