Mini Chocolate Cheesecake Bites

Makes 25 mini chocolate cheesecakes.

Crust:*

1 3/8 cup gluten free graham crackers

1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp cacao powder

1/8 cup plus 1 tsp chocolate recipe, melted

1/2 tsp coconut sugar

1 1/2 tbsp Miyokos oat milk butter

Filling:

16 ounces homemade cream cheese* (or make your own - see below)

2/3 cup coconut sugar

2/3 cup dairy free sour cream** (or make your own - see below)

1/2 tbsp cacao powder

2 eggs

2 yolks

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup silk dairy free whipping cream, or you can use coconut milk

7 ounces of 3 ingredient chocolate, melted ***recipe below

*Dairy Free Cream Cheese:

2 1/2 cups raw cashews

3 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup + 5 1/2 tbsp coconut milk

Soak the cashews in hot water for at least 2 hours. Drain well. Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend well, scraping down the sides of the jar as needed. I use my Blendtec and the mixture becomes very smooth and creamy.

**Dairy Free Sour Cream:

1 cup cashews

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 cup water

salt to taste

Soak the cashews in hot water for at least 2 hours. Drain well. Add everything into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Chocolate:

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup cacao powder

6 tbsp maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp sea salt

Melt coconut oil. Stir in maple syrup and mix well. Add in the cacao, vanilla and sea salt and mix well. Use immediately for the cheesecake. Any extra, you can put on parchment paper and put in the fridge or freezer to harden.

Ganache for topping (I use the recipe from mommypotamus here: https://mommypotamus.com/chocolate-coconut-donuts-grain-free/)

10 tsp coconut oil

7 1/2 tsp cacao powder

10 tsp maple syrup

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Melt the coconut oil in a glass bowl in the microwave. Stir in the maple syrup and mix well. Add in the cacao powder and vanilla extract and stir again until well mixed. Set aside until cheesecakes are cooled.

Preheat oven to 300.

To make crust:

Crush graham crackers. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Line a regular size muffin tin with cupcake liners. Place 1 small cookie scoop - about 1/2 tbsp - of this mixture in the liners and press down with a tamper or spoon.

To make the filling:

Add all ingredients into a bowl, and using a hand mixer, blend until fully mixed. Or use a blender. I find that a blender makes a creamier and smoother filling.

Using a large cookie scoop (2 tbsp) fill muffin cups with 2 scoops of the filling.

Bake at 300 for 8 minutes, rotate the pans 180 degrees and switch racks, then bake for another 7 minutes. Turn oven off and leave door closed for another 5 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool.

When the cheesecakes have cooled, spoon the ganache over the top and place in refrigerator until you are ready to dig in!