Method (base)

1. Add the dairy-free butter / margarine into a small saucepan, place on the hob and heat over low until fully melted. Remove from the heat and add into a medium sized, heat-proof mixing bowl.
2. Add the biscuits and mixed spice into a blender / food processor and blend until fine. Pour the spiced biscuit crumbs into the melted butter and stir together using a wooden spoon or spatula. It should resemble wet sand, and when you press it between your fingers, should hold its shape. Press approximately 1 & 1/2 tablespoon of mixture into each cookie cup tin, making sure to compact it in using clean hands. The more compact it is, the less likely it will crumble.
3. Place into the freezer whilst you make the filling.

Method (cheesecake filling)

1. The cashew nuts will need to be soaked overnight in water. See notes (at the bottom of the recipe card) for more details.
2. Drain the cashew nuts from the water and place them into a food processor/blender along with the dairy-free cream cheese, icing sugar, coconut cream, pumpkin spice, mixed spice, pumpkin purée and Califia Farms Pumpkin Spice. Whizz up on high speed for around 5 minutes until smooth. Add some more coconut cream if needed. I use a ‘Kitchenaid Powerplus blender’. It’s best to use a high-speed blender if possible as the mixture is quite thick, and you want it as smooth as possible. You might need to stop the mixture a few times and scrape down the sides to make sure everything is incorporated and smooth.
3. Equally pour the mixture into each tin, making sure to tap the cheesecakes onto the worktop to remove any air bubbles.
4. Place into the fridge overnight to set.
5. Once set, remove from the fridge, and push out the cheesecake (as the base is loose bottomed). To make it easier, place the tin into the freezer for 15 minutes to help firm up the cheesecakes, then slide a knife around the edges of the cheesecakes to help loosen them from the tin. Making the cheesecakes firmer will help push them out the tin and won’t damage them.

Method (cream)

1. Whip up the dairy-free whipping cream in a stand mixer with balloon whisk attachment. Whip this for a few minutes to thicken, then add in a drop of orange food gel. Whip this for 5-8 minutes on high speed until thick. You’ll want to use a thick cream which will hold it’s shape (my favourite is The Coconut Collaborative).
2. Transfer the thick cream into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip nozzle and pipe a high peaked bulb on top of each cheesecake.
3. To create the pumpkin ‘stalk’ cut up a chocolate bar ( I used Vegan KitKats) and place a little bit of the chocolate in the top of the orange pumpkin.
4. Serve on a side plate with a spoon, and a delicious glass of Califia Farms Pumpkin Spice Cold Brew. Enjoy!