Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake!!

I'm a huge fan of all things Pumpkin as soon as the cooler weather hits - I think the spices that come along with it are so warming - nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and ginger - these are nostalgic flavors that remind me of Thanksgiving and Christmas! I have recently been playing around with vegan cheesecake recipes (using soaked cashews to give the consistency of cream cheese, without the bloating and gas that comes along with it!). Vegan cheesecake works with so many flavors, but this is one of my favorites ESPECIALLY this time of year! The following is an adaptation of the various recipes I've come across, using

the right balance of spices. It's full of healthy fats (from coconut and cashews), and won't wreak havoc with your blood sugar. The texture is creamy and moist, and is sure to satisfy even the biggest critic of healthy baking! Oh, and this is actually a no-bake dessert! Who could ask for anything more!

Crust:

1 tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup raw cashews OR almonds
15 medjool dates, pitted (or 1.5 cups baking dates -soak these in 1/4 cup hot water for 20 min)
Filling:
3 cups raw cashews - soaked for at least 4 hours (use hot water to speed up the process)
1 1/2 cups cooked or canned pumpkin
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey (more if you like it sweeter)
1 tbsp. blackstrap molasses
3/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Coconut Cream Topping:

 1 can full fat coconut milk, placed in fridge overnight

2 TBSP maple syrup

For crust, grease a 10" springform pan with coconut oil.  In a food processor bowl, combine nuts, coconut and dates.  Process until coarse.  Remove and gently press into pan until even.  Set aside.

For filling, place ingredients in bowl of food processor.  Process until smooth.  Pour on crust.  Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for a few hours or overnight.

For coconut cream topping, open can and spoon coconut into a cold bowl.  (Reserve coconut water, from the bottom of the can, for your smoothie.)  With cold beaters, beat coconut mixture until fluffy.  Add in maple syrup and continue whipping.  Pour onto frozen cashew cake and put back in freezer for a couple of hours.

1 hour before serving, remove cheesecake from the freezer.  Place on serving platter and remove rind of springform pan.  Place whole pecans on top of cheesecake if desired.  Place in refrigerator for 3 hours.

Raw cheesecake can stay in freezer for weeks - Slice off a piece when desired.