Paleo Pumpkin Cheesecake

Last night we had a dinner party at our house and with that comes various dietary needs.  We have friends that are vegan, vegetarian, paleo & as my aunt calls them heathens(people who eat anything and everything with no limits).  My husband made braised beef short ribs and I made two types of cauliflower mash 1) w/ homemade beef broth, ghee, onions, garlic, seasonings(paleo) and 2) vegan version with water, coconut oil, seasonings, garlic, onions.  My aunt made brussels sprout slaw three ways (vegan, paleo and heathen).  I decided to try and give my first go at making a paleo/vegan pumpkin cheesecake that everyone could enjoy.  It turned out so GOOD! I used two recipes as guides in making my recipe - one vegan & one paleo as a guide and tailored it to my taste buds as I went along.  The Paleo recipe was from The Food Lover's Primal Palate - http://www.primal-palate.com/2010/11/bills-chiffon-pumpkin-pie.html.  The vegan version of the recipe was from a Dairy Free/Gluten Free site called Real Sustenance - http://realsustenance.com/pumpkin-cheesecake-or-pie-free-of-glutendairysoycorneggsnutssugar-and-grains-paleo-vegan/#comment-3981

Here is my Spin on a Pumpkin Cheesecake - Enjoy!

Ingredients for Crust:
1 1/2c Almond Flour
1/2c Soaked Pecans  (Consists of soaking nuts for an hour or two prior to use in water.  Helps make them easier to digest and softer for mixing into the recipe)
1/2t sea salt
1/4t arrowroot powder
1/4t baking soda
1/3 cup melted coconut oil  (possibly a little more if the dough seems a little to dry to make into a crust in the pan)
2T Maple Syrup
1-2t Vanilla Extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Rinse soaked pecans and put into food processor and blend until fine - set aside
• Melt Coconut Oil in heat resistant glass bowl in oven
• In a medium bowl mix all dry ingredients together, once completed add pecans to the mixture
• In a small bowl mix all wet ingredients together including melted coconut oil
• Stir wet ingredients into dry
• Pat dough into a 9.5inch round glass pie dish (Create an even layer all the way around and up around the edges to form your crust)
• Bake for 10-20 min (my stove took 20-25 min but we also had the braised short ribs in there at the same time.  It should look golden brown when it's done)
• Remove from Oven to Cool - Set Aside

Ingredients for Cheesecake Filling:
3t Vanilla Extract
1 1/2c Soaked Pecans (Consists of soaking nuts for an hour or two prior to use in water.  Helps make them easier to digest and softer for mixing into the recipe)
15 oz Pure Pumpkin Puree
1/2 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk from Can (Put coconut milk into fridge for at least an hour prior to use, skim off thickest cream from the top of your can for the recipe)
1 Dropper full of Stevia Extract
1t Raw Honey
3-4t Pumpkin Pie Spice - to Taste
1t cinnamon (optional) - to Taste
1/2-1t ground sea salt - to Taste

Directions:

• Put all ingredients into a food processor or vitamix and blend together until creamy & smooth
• Pour mixture onto cooled cooked pie crust and put into fridge for a minimum of 3-4 hrs before serving.  It can be ate sooner, but it won't set as well.