For so many of us when there are foods you avoid, either out of necessity or by choice, there are always very specific foods and recipes that you have to just give up longing for. The torture just becomes to much. As someone that generally avoids dairy, in more than very small amounts, I can assure you that the longing feeling I have in my heart for that stretchy pull of good cheese in a homemade mac and cheese or a slice of pizza loaded with the ooey gooey good stuff – those are quite hard to replicate. I am absolutely not a fan of the “faux cheese” alternatives, for so many reasons, mostly because I highly suspect there is very little actual food in there, so I generally just abstain. It’s fine. You just get over it. No really, you do.

The great thing is, there are plenty of wonderful, real food alternatives for dairy in other places. Coconut milk ice creams, whipped coconut cream, homemade coffee creamer, dairy-free cream cheese and even dairy-free yogurt. But, homemade dairy-free “cheesecakes”, made with cashews, these are quite possibly one of my personal favorites.

Cashew cheesecakes are something I have been making for many years now and I am still continuously amazed that I can serve these to gluten-eating, non-dairy-free folks and they are always blown away! They truly cannot believe there’s no dairy in there.

These little, bite-sized spiced pumpkin cheesecakes are perfect for fall get-togethers, a great option for Halloween parties, perfect for Thanksgiving or for whenever your little fall-loving heart desires. The fresh ginger in the crusts, brings a a lovely, warming gingersnap cookie vibe.

Serve these with a dollop or swirl of whipped coconut cream on top, maybe alongside a homemade Dairy-free Pumpkin Spice Latte to really commit to the whole Autumnal thing!



