St. Patrick’s Day is the perfect excuse to serve green desserts, but you don’t need artificial food coloring to get there. In this recipe, a small handful of fresh spinach gives a natural, subtle green tint without adding a noticeable vegetable flavor. It’s a simple way to sneak extra greens into treats — even into indulgent mini cheesecakes — and the kids won’t suspect a thing. These tiny mint chocolate cheesecakes are creamy, refreshing, and naturally colored.
The recipe starts with a chocolate crust made from gluten-free oats, nuts, cocoa, coconut oil and maple syrup. It bakes briefly to set while you blend the filling: soaked cashews create a silky, dairy-free cheesecake base, and a little spinach yields that delicate mint-green shade. Peppermint extract adds the bright mint flavor, and a glossy chocolate glaze finishes each mini cake. The result is three layers of gluten-free, vegan goodness: chocolate crust, mint cheesecake filling, and chocolate glaze.
gluten free vegan mint chocolate mini cheesecakes
chocolate crust
- 3/4 cup certified gluten free oats
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts or pecans
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
mint cheesecake filling
- 1 3/4 cups raw cashews, soaked for 30 minutes in warm water
- 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup baby spinach leaves, packed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
chocolate glaze
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). To make the crusts, combine the oats and nuts in a food processor or high-speed blender and grind on high for about a minute. Add the cocoa powder, melted coconut oil and maple syrup, and blend until the mixture holds together. Press the crust mixture evenly into a greased mini muffin pan or silicone mini-cheesecake mold. Bake for 8–10 minutes, then allow the crusts to cool completely in the pan while you prepare the filling.
Soak the cashews in warm water for 30 minutes, then drain. Add the soaked cashews, coconut milk and melted coconut oil to the blender and process on high for 1–2 minutes until smooth. Add the maple syrup, packed spinach leaves and salt, and continue blending until the filling is very creamy and well combined. Stir in the vanilla and peppermint extracts with a few quick pulses. Spoon the mint filling over the cooled crusts, smooth the tops, then cover and transfer the pan to the freezer for 1–2 hours to firm up.
To make the chocolate glaze, whisk together the cocoa powder, maple syrup and melted coconut oil until smooth. If needed, add an extra teaspoon or two of maple syrup to reach a glossy consistency. Remove the mini cheesecakes from the freezer and carefully pop them out of the pan. Spread or drizzle the chocolate glaze over each cheesecake. Serve chilled. Store the cheesecakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for short-term storage or in the freezer for longer keeping.