Vegan Chocolate + SunButter Cheesecake Bites

These Vegan Chocolate + SunButter Cheesecake Bites are something truly decadent for any occasion, but especially for the holidays. They are made with a softly crunch crust, and layered with a cashew-chocolate base and topped with mouth-watering cashew-SunButter top layer. Naturally sweetened and completely Vegan, these cheesecake bites are such a treat.

Sponsored Post: This post is sponsored by SunButter, but the content and opinions expressed are all based on my genuine love for this brand and are my own. Thanks so much for supporting the brands I love.

It’s the start of a new week and we’re well into mid-November! How insane, right? Time is really flying by fast. The god part?—-it’s closer to the Holiday season, so that means that it’s time for all the beautiful lights and Christmas spirit! Yay. Haha.

But I know. We have to get past Thanksgiving first, right? Whelp, if you were able to join me on my latest Podcast on FB Live, then you’ll know that we discussed all things Thanksgiving! Now that we’re practically a week (and a few days) away from Turkey Day, I’ve been thinking about my menu.

Honestly, I haven’t done any grocery shopping for Thanksgiving yet, except that I got my Turkey. However, this year I’m trying a whole new style of food by preparing a mostly Vegan Thanksgiving menu. Yup. While I haven’t solidified my menu just yet, I am thinking about doing Southern Biscuits + Gravy, Stuffing, Meat Loaf, Mac + Cheese, Collard Greens—-all VEGAN! Of course, there are man other options, so I have to put everything together and see what goes good together.

Yum. All this food talk is making me hungry. Who’s with me? Haha.

Anyway, I’m definitely gearing up the site to dish out some awesome Holiday foods + sweets so that you can find great options right here. I know how overwhelming it can be, especially when you’re cooking for guests, so just take a deep breathe and have fun creating your array of deliciousness.

This past weekend, I literally knocked out a handful of recipes and a girl is TIRED. Haha.

Granted, I thoroughly enjoy making awesome bites (day + night), but it does become a bit taxing once you have several recipes that are detail oriented in one day. Plus, the entire staging is a whole other monster and level of effort—so yea.

But with the handful of recipes, I must say that these Vegan Cheesecake Bites were one of the most fun recipes I’ve made in a while. The challenging thing about Vegan Cheesecake is their texture. Obviously, the cashews make things a lot more creamy (which is awesome!), BUT it’s super imperative to have these mini bites “set” thoroughly before taking them out and serving them, to avoid one big mess.

Previously, I’ve collaborated with SunButter and made these Vegan Banana Oatmeal SunButter Mini Muffins which were widely popular amongst those who follow Orchids + Sweet Tea! They are a great healthy option for the entire family. Loaded with awesome levels of nutrition, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin C, Folate, and the list goes on; not to mention a hint of sunflower seed flavor from this creamy SunButter, these mini muffins are the perfect little bites for breakfast, brunch, snack, or dinner. Gluten-Free option available.

However, if you’re looking for something fun AND with SunButter, then these SunButter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Brownie Chunks are an awesome choice! These are Vegan and Gluten-Free, made in just 25 minutes, and are the perfect dessert or healthy, sweet snack!

OK, now let’s talk about SunButter. If you’ve been following this blog for some time, then you’ll know that I am a HUGE believer in using the best, most quality ingredients, which is the key to eating healthier. Like many of my faves and go-to’s like Bob Red Mill’s, Sugar in the Raw, Enjoy Life Products, Purely Elizabeth, Justin’s, and more; SunButter is one of great quality, has no GMOs, vegan, gluten-free, and so GOOD! Plus, SunButter is free from the top 8 allergens: peanuts, tree nuts, soy, milk, eggs, wheat, fish, and crustacean shellfish.

I definitely recommend purchasing a jar or two on their website or a major retailer like Amazon. Don’t worry–you can always see Where To Buy SunButter.

Now that I got the awesome opportunity to partner with SunButter (for the months of October + November), I’ve been able to test out their Organic SunButter flavor and No Sugar Added version. Trust me, the taste of sunflower seeds are there! Haha. But definitely not overbearing. AND it’s so creamy and comes in some great flavors, even with a bit of crunch for all the crunchy peanut butter fans!

After much trial and error, experimenting with several flavor and combos, I fell in complete love with using it in the previously mentioned Banana muffins recipe. For some reason, the slight sweetness of the bananas paired so perfectly with the slight salt of the SunButter. BUT don’t be dismayed—-these Cheesecake Bites are truly something amazing, especially with the balance of the SunButter flavors +  Chocolate!

For the Crust:

Line a 12-cavity cupcake pan with parchment cupcake liners and set aside.

Add the dates to a food processor and pulse until small bits remain or it forms into a ball. Remove from food processor and set aside.

Add walnuts and sea salt to the food processor and process until it becomes almost “meal-like” or into small bits. Now add dates to the processed walnuts and pulse until a loose dough forms. NOTE: It may look “wet-like” but that’s fine, as long as your fingers can press it down successfully. If too sticky, add more walnuts and pulse again.

Carefully, add 1 Tbsp of crust mixture to each cupcake liner and gently press down with the back of a spoon or your fingers. Repeat until all crust mixture is used.

Set in the freezer until ready to use.

For the Chocolate Layer:

Add the cashews, coconut oil, coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cacao powder, and lemon juice to a food processor and process until smooth. NOTE: Texture should be thick + creamy, with no cashew bits showing.

Remove the crust from the freezer and add 1 Tbsp of chocolate layer atop the crust, spreading evenly within each cupcake liner. Repeat until all batter is used and return to freezer to set.

For the SunButter Layer:

Add the cashews, coconut oil, coconut milk, lemon juice, SunButter, vanilla extract, and maple syrup to a food processor and process until smooth. NOTE: Texture should also be thick + creamy, with no cashew bits showing.

Once done, add 1 Tbsp of SunButter mixture atop the chocolate layer (which should be “set”) and evenly spread it within each cupcake liner. Repeat until all batter is used and return to freezer to fully set, about 3 hours or overnight.

Once ready to serve, remove them from the freezer (30 minutes prior) and allow them to defrost.

To serve, drizzle melted vegan chocolate atop each Cheesecake Bite and enjoy.

Bon Appetite!

Vegan Chocolate + SunButter Cheesecake Bites

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Chill Time: 3 hrs

Total Time: 30 mins

Serves: 12 Cheesecake Bites

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Ingredients

The Crust:

• 1 cup packed medjool dates, pitted
• 1 1/2 cups raw walnuts
• pinch of sea salt

Chocolate Layer:

• 1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked overnight
• 1 cup coconut milk, canned creamy version (See Notes!)
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 3 Tbsps pure maple syrup (See Notes!)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsps cacao powder
• 2 Tbsps juice of a lemon

SunButter Layer:

• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked overnight
• 3 Tbsps SunButter, No Sugar Added
• 1/2 cup coconut milk, canned creamy version (See Notes!)
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 2 Tbsps juice of a lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsps pure maple syrup (See Notes!)

Instructions

For the Crust:

• Line a 12-cavity cupcake pan with parchment cupcake liners and set aside.
• Add the dates to a food processor and pulse until small bits remain or it forms into a ball. Remove from food processor and set aside.
• Add walnuts and sea salt to the food processor and process until it becomes almost "meal-like" or into small bits. Now add dates to the processed walnuts and pulse until a loose dough forms. NOTE: It may look "wet-like" but that's fine, as long as your fingers can press it down successfully. If too sticky, add more walnuts and pulse again.
• Carefully, add 1 Tbsp of crust mixture to each cupcake liner and gently press down with the back of a spoon or your fingers. Repeat until all crust mixture is used.
• Set in the freezer until ready to use.

For the Chocolate Layer:

• Add the cashews, coconut oil, coconut milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cacao powder, and lemon juice to a food processor and process until smooth. NOTE: Texture should be thick + creamy, with no cashew bits showing.
• Remove the crust from the freezer and add 1 Tbsp of chocolate layer atop the crust, spreading evenly within each cupcake liner. Repeat until all batter is used and return to freezer to set.

For the SunButter Layer:

• Add the cashews, coconut oil, coconut milk, lemon juice, SunButter, vanilla extract, and maple syrup to a food processor and process until smooth. NOTE: Texture should also be thick + creamy, with no cashew bits showing.
• Once done, add 1 Tbsp of SunButter mixture atop the chocolate layer (which should be "set") and evenly spread it within each cupcake liner. Repeat until all batter is used and return to freezer to fully set, about 3 hours or overnight.
• Once ready to serve, remove them from the freezer (30 minutes prior) and allow them to defrost.
• To serve, drizzle melted vegan chocolate atop each Cheesecake Bite and enjoy.
• Bon Appetite!

Tips & Tricks

For SunButter Layer: If mixture is too thick, add more canned coconut milk (1 Tbsp at a time) until smooth.

For Storage: Keep Cheesecake Bites tightly sealed in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Can also be frozen for longer and thawed the night before ready to serve.

NOTE: Grade A maple syrup is best in this recipe as the flavor is a lot more subtle.

For the canned Coconut Milk, I love to use Thai Kitchen® Coconut Milk.

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Vegan Chocolate + SunButter Cheesecake Bites.

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