Maple Pecan Cheesecake Bars w/ Salted Caramel

So, I've been on a bar kick lately. I want to make everything in bar form. I'm not sure why.. maybe because they are easy? Maybe because they're aesthetically pleasing? Or maybe just because everything in bar form is damn good. Regardless of the reason, things weren't any different for these fall goodies. I've seen so many pumpkin and apple recipes that I wanted to steer clear of those this week. So, I got to brainstorming.

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What are some of my other favorite fall flavors? And how could we forget PECANS. Pecan pie has always been one of my favorite holiday/fall-time desserts. The spices, the toasty-ness - everything about them. So, I decided to make a quick & easy, healthified version of the classic. And behold - these paleo cheesecake bars with salted caramel sauce. They are refined sugar & flour free but don't lack any of the flavor. You'll love them, I promise! If you're a little apple & pumpkin'd out, give these a shot.



ingredients:

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Crust:

  • 2 Cups almond flour

  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

  • 1 tsp vanilla

  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

  • 1 tbsp maple syrup (or stevia or honey) Optional

Cheesecake filling:

  • 2 cups cashews, soaked

  • 1/3 cup melted coconut oil

  • 4 tbsp maple syrup

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cup full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut cream

  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

  • 3/4 cup Toasted pecans, chopped

Salted Caramel Sauce Drizzle:

  • 1 Tbsp cashew butter

  • 1 tsp vanilla & 1/2 tsp maple extract (or more vanilla)

  • 1/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt

  • 4 tbsp maple syrup

  • Coconut milk to thin if needed (you may not need!)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Place chopped pecans on cookie sheet. Optional, but highly recommended, drizzle with maple syrup & a sprinkle of cinnamon. Bake until fragrant/toasted & set aside.

Place all crust ingredients into a bowl & mix until dough forms. Press into the bottom of 8inch pan. Bake for 15min (time may vary) until golden brown. Let cool completely.

Place cheesecake ingredients into high speed blender & blend until extremely smooth. May take a little while, but this is key for consistency. Add a little more coconut milk if your filing is too thick (but you don't want it runny). Spread 1/4 of the

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mixture onto the crust, just barely covering it. Sprinkle over the toasted pecans & press down gently with the palm of your hands so they set into the cheesecake layer. I set mine in the freezer for about 5 minutes so the pecans wouldn't move on me.

Spread the rest of the batter evenly over the pecan layer. Place in fridge/freezer to set.

To make the caramel drizzle, just whisk all ingredients together until combined. Drizzle the bars or wait until you are ready to eat them! You can keep this mixture in the fridge, but it will Harden. Just simply microwave it for about 5 seconds at a time and it will quickly come back to a caramel texture. Enjoy!

DANI BREINER