Mini Vanilla Bean and Salted Caramel "Cheese"cakes

I have one word for you.. Cheesecake. Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts. A good cheesecake can be a difficult thing to come by when suffering from common allergens. These mini "cheese"cakes are completely dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and refined sugar free. They are no bake and require all prep-work. Fear not, you do not have to suffer from any allergies to enjoy these little cups of amazing. These little cheesecake cups are perfect for parties or for your own once a day indulgence. They are topped with my famous vegan caramel sauce(you will find the recipe on my blog very soon) and salt. Such a lovely combination! Please try these and let me know what you think! I'm sure you will love them just as much as I do.

(paleo, vegan, gluten free)

Serves 9

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 12 fresh dates, pitted
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped or 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Crust Process:

1. Line a normal-sized muffin tin with 9 muffin liners.
2. Combine all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until mixture forms a ball.
3. Fill liners with an equal amount of the crust and press down into muffin liners until formed. 

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 cup coconut butter
• 1/2 cup natural vegetable shortening(I used Earth Balance)
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup(or honey)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 

Filling Process:

1. Start by softening coconut butter. I did this by placing the jar it came in into a medium sized bowl filled with hot water. Let soften for about 30 minutes.
2. Once coconut butter is softened, measure out coconut butter and add all filling ingredients to a mixer or handheld mixer. Blend all ingredients until smooth. (For this batch, I didn't have enough maple syrup, so I used about 2 tablespoons of organic powdered sugar.)
3. Spoon filling onto crusts and refrigerate for about 30 minutes until solid.
4. Top with my famous caramel sauce(recipe to follow!)