Crustless Pumpkin Party Cheesecakes
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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~
When hosting a party, you want your guests to leave happy, refreshed, and with a micronutrient filled belly. We don’t want them doubling over with a distended tummy, cursing our names later that night. So how do avoid this? Serve up single serving sizes or samplers. It’s as simple as that.
If you really want your guests to have a full tasting of everything you made, try downsizing the portions to sampler sizes. Not only are they downright ador-aaaa-ble, but they allow a person to try everything which in turn exposes them to a wide variety of healthy raw desserts/foods.
Alongside portion control, we always have to keep in mind food allergies and/or intolerances. These are trickier to manage, so I recommend that you know your “audience” when planning the menu.
A simple tip that you can use, is when you send out a party invitation, ask the attendees if they have any food allergies, and to please contact you right away so you create wonderful dishes for them to enjoy too. I realize that this isn’t always feasible, but we should always put our best foot forward.
Once you have gathered such information, go ahead and make your master food list that you want to serve, then take a step back, breathe, sip your green smoothie, and analyze the ingredients being used.
For instance, for the last party that we held, I made several raw cheesecakes. I used cashews in some and young Thia coconut in others. It may seem overwhelming but it’s manageable, especially if you breathe through it. :) Once the menu is decided on and narrowed down, create labels for all the foods being served. Indicate if they contain nuts, dairy, gluten, soy, etc.
I often make a few fancy menus and place them on the buffet table. I list the food names and every ingredient that is in them. For those who have food allergies, they know to investigate what they are eating. By doing this, you are taking the pressure off trying to remember every ingredient, in every dish. Sometimes, an allergen can be as tiny as a spice, so don’t assume anything. I own the menu holders (black & burgundy). I picked them up at a restaurant supply store. They can be used over and over, plus they are easily wiped down if food gets on them. That way, if someone walks up to me and asks what is in the dish, I can hand them the menu. :)
Well, those are just a few tips and trick that I use when hosting a party… I thought I would share them with you. If you have any good ones, please leave a comment below and share. Blessings, amie sue
Ingredients:
Yields: 21 servings (3 Tbsp (50 g) per cup)
- 3 cups (400 g) raw cashews, soaked 2+ hours
- 2/3 cup (200 g) maple syrup
- 1 cup (240 g) pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup (165 g) water
- 1 Tbsp (14 g) vanilla extract
- 2 tsp (6 g) pumpkin spice
- 1/4 tsp (1 g) liquid stevia
- 1/4 tsp (2 g) Himalayan pink salt
- 1/2 cup (100 g) raw cold-pressed coconut oil, melted
- 3 Tbsp (19 g) lecithin powder
Topping
Preparation:
- Drain the soaked cashews and discard the soak water. Place in a high-speed blender.
- You can skip the soaking process if pressed for time. If you do, you can omit the lecithin, though I still recommend it for the health benefits.
- Soaking the cashews will make them softer to blend and reduce the phytic acid in them.
- Do not skip the soaking process if you don’t own a high powered blender.
- In a high-powered blender combine the; cashews, maple syrup, pumpkin puree, water, vanilla, pumpkin spice, stevia (optional) and salt.
- Due to the volume and the creamy texture that we are going after, it is important to use a high-powered blender. It could be too taxing on a lower-end model.
- Blend until the filling is creamy smooth. You shouldn’t detect any grit. If you do, keep blending.
- This process can take 2-4 minutes, depending on the strength of the blender. Keep your hand cupped around the base of the blender carafe to feel for warmth. If the batter is getting too warm. Stop the machine and let it cool. Then proceed once cooled.
- If you don’t have pumpkin spice mix on hand, click (here) to see how to make it.
- With a vortex going in the blender, drizzle in the coconut oil and then add the lecithin. Blend just long enough to incorporate everything together. Don’t over-process. The batter will start to thicken.
- What is a vortex? Look into the container from the top and slowly increase the speed from low to high, the batter will form a small vortex (or hole) in the center. High-powered machines have containers that are designed to create a controlled vortex, systematically folding ingredients back to the blades for smoother blends and faster processing… instead of just spinning ingredients around, hoping they find their way to the blades.
- If your machine isn’t powerful enough or built to do this, you may need to stop the unit often to scrape the sides down.
- Place the party cups on a baking sheet with edges. This will help with transporting them to the fridge or freezer.
- I use cambros in my kitchen. The fit nicely into the fridge or freezer and come with air-tight lids. You can pick them up at a restaurant supply store.
- I used Mini Square Cubes 2 oz party cups.
- Pour 3 Tbsp of the filling into each party cup.
- Lightly tap the pan on the countertop to help work out any air bubbles that may be trapped in the batter.
- Place 2 pecans on top of each cheesecake
- Chill in the fridge overnight to set up or in the freezer for 4-6 hours.
- These will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge or 2-3 months in the freezer. Just make sure you have them sealed well so they don’t take on odors.
© AmieSue.com
Where do you find those cute mini containers? My church always has after service snacks that people sign up for. I want to introduce them to some delightful mini delights both sweet and savory. HELP!
Good morning :)
Aren’t they adorable? These little containers will be perfect for church gatherings for sure. Under “preparation” (#4) I have a link to the containers that I used. Enjoy and have a wonderful day. amie sue