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Homemade Chocolate Bars: How to Make Your Own Chocolate

I recently discovered how easy it is to make your own chocolate, so now I’ve been experimenting with everything from chocolate chips to these homemade chocolate bars. I hope you have as much fun with them as I do!

Homemade Chocolate Bars: Make Your Own Chocolate | The Family That Heals Together

Funny story, as a child I didn’t like chocolate. I never wanted a Hershey’s bar or Kisses. I preferred brightly colored, sticky candies. Oh how times have changed.

After I had children and started learning about the dangers of ingredients like food dyes and high fructose corn syrup, I realized chocolate was really the lesser of the two evils. But I still wasn’t a huge fan.

It was only after I started trying to pinpoint the cause of my migraines that I developed a real appreciation for chocolate. That’s because at one point, I had made paleo chocolate chip cookies and soon after got a migraine.

A friend shared that chocolate could be a migraine trigger, so I deduced this must be the cause, and lamented the loss of everyone’s favorite food group (but mine).

I soon discovered, however, that I had developed an intolerance to almonds and other nuts and would get almost an immediate migraine after eating them (especially almond flour. Here’s why eating a ton of almond flour is a bad idea). Which was quite the disappointment when you’ve just cut all grains from your diet and replaced them with nuts (see: things not to do on a paleo diet).

I can now eat almond flour without any problems (thank goodness, because otherwise these fabulous GAPS-friendly chocolate chip cookies wouldn’t have happened!), but I only use it in moderation, not as a replacement for every grain-based goodie like I did in the beginning.

Which brings me back to me point: after discovering that chocolate was not a migraine trigger for me, I developed a whole new appreciation for it. I could eat chocolate again! And now I wanted all the chocolate.

Why you should make your own chocolate

After realizing chocolate was a safe food for me, I decided it was time to find good, healthy chocolate I could indulge in. After all, conventional chocolate is problematic for a number of reasons, mainly:

  • undesirable ingredients
  • unfair labor practices

Today, most conventional chocolate still contains ingredients like CAFO milk and soy as an emulsifier. Of course, loads of sugar is also involved, but most organic chocolate bars include sugar too, which is why I decided to make homemade chocolate bars, but I’ll get to that in a minute.

I can still remember about five years ago thinking chocolate was a fairly safe food, and then being shocked when I looked at the label of a basic chocolate bar. It was full of preservatives and other ingredients made up of indecipherable code names containing letters and numbers that could’ve been anything. (Thankfully, companies are listening and are making their chocolate a little cleaner and safer for those with food allergies. Hershey’s for instance, seems to have removed PGPR, a problematic emulsifier used in chocolate.)

There are tons of organic chocolate bars on the market today, the quality of which widely varies. You can find what is basically just an organic version of a conventional chocolate bar, which is still chock full of sugar and contains soy, but uses organic ingredients (which says very little about the quality of milk used in the milk chocolate or the labor practices by which the chocolate was derived).

There are higher-quality bars that use less sugar and more quality ingredients, as well as fair-trade labor. I like many of these, and though I don’t tolerate the sugar well, have indulged from time to time.

You can even buy paleo-friendly chocolate that uses coconut sugar or honey as a sweetener, and some of these are delightful! I especially like Hu Kitchen Cashew Butter chocolate bars (get those here or here), Pure 7 (I buy them here), and Honey Mamas, which I buy in the refrigerated section of my local health food store.

But homemade chocolate bars are my first choice because I can:

  • customize the chocolate
  • control the ingredients and quality
  • save lots of $$$
  • & eat FRESH chocolate!

Homemade Chocolate Bars: Make Your Own Chocolate | The Family That Heals Together

A note on Fair Trade

You will notice that most quality, organic chocolate bars these days have a small logo that says “fair trade certified.” This means that the people who harvested your chocolate did so on their free will and were paid appropriately for their time.

According to slavefreechocolate.org,

2.3 million children work in the cocoa fields of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

These children are vulnerable to brutal labor practices, including trafficking and slavery.

Candy companies–including but not limited to Nestlé, Hershey, Cargill, ADM, and Barry Callebout–have admitted accountability and promised to remedy this situation. Sadly, 14 years has passed since this agreement and little has changed.

This is reason enough to never buy conventional chocolate again, to only purchase fair trade chocolate, or to make your own chocolate with fair trade ingredients.

Are homemade chocolate bars good?

Yes! In fact, my kids and I prefer them over store bought chocolate! I find my homemade chocolate tastes less bitter than store bought dark chocolate, but you can easily adjust the sweetener if you prefer a more dark chocolate.

The only disappointing thing about my homemade chocolate bars is that they disappear too quickly. While they are really fast and easy to whip up, it’s still disappointing to see them get gobbled up in a matter of minutes! (#fourkidproblems also: #boymomproblems #theyneverstopeating)

Homemade Chocolate Bars: Make Your Own Chocolate | The Family That Heals Together

How to make your own chocolate

It really is a quick and easy task to make your own chocolate at home. Now that I’ve learned how, I can’t stop making homemade chocolate bars and chocolate chips! Next up, I want to experiment with using a homemade chocolate recipe for s’mores, chocolate syrups, and whatever else I can dream up!

First, it’s pretty easy to find fair-trade ingredients for homemade chocolate.

Navitas cacao butter is fair trade certified. I’ve found it at my local health food store in the refrigerator section, or you can buy it on Amazon here and have it in two days.

I also like Terrasoul Superfoods, which is super affordable, and though it doesn’t contain the “fair trade” label, you can read about their labor practices here, which explains the fair trade model they adhere to. I buy Terrasoul Superfoods cacao butter here.

You’ll also need cacao or cocoa powder, which you can also find fair trade.

I like Now Foods brand cocoa powder for its affordability, and although it’s not fair trade certified, Now Foods states they “source our cocoa powder from several of the world’s largest and finest cocoa processors. All of our suppliers have shown their dedication to eliminating the use of forced child labor…” You can buy it here.

I also like Equal Exchange baking cocoa, which you can find here.

You’ll also need a sweetener. In my experience, you cannot use a granulated sweetener without an emulsifier, and since I was determined to make a GAPS-friendly chocolate, I wanted to use honey anyway. Raw honey is my sweetener of choice for these homemade chocolate bars. This one is my favorite.

For this particular chocolate bar, I have added a little nut butter for texture and flavor. I like this one or this one for quality and texture, as they’re a bit gritty but still smooth.

We’ll also add a splash of vanilla. That’s it.

By the way, the first time I made these homemade chocolate bars, I used a random rectangular object in my kitchen to make it into a nicely-shaped bar. It worked fine. I’ve since purchased chocolate molds into order to get nice, uniform bars that have pre-sectioned squares so it’s easy to break off a piece. Get those here.

Homemade Chocolate Bars: Make Your Own Chocolate | The Family That Heals Together
Print Recipe

Homemade Chocolate Bars

Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings: 2 Bars
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • Heaping 1/2 cup raw cacao butter pieces like this
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder like this
  • 2 Tbsp nut butter
  • 1-2 Tbsp raw honey
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan, gently heat cacao butter over low heat. Remove when there are just a few chunks left melting and whisk until they're gone.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine.
  • Use a stick blender like this to finish blending the ingredients and ensure they become emulsified.
  • Pour into chocolate molds like this, then place in freezer for about half an hour to firm up.
  • Store in the refrigerator to protect texture and freshness.

Homemade Chocolate Bars: Make Your Own Chocolate | The Family That Heals Together

Are you convinced to make your own chocolate yet? It’s so easy, so much healthier, and more affordable than buying chocolate from the store!

Easy to Prepare Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet

If you’re craving chocolate chip cookies, but not sure how to avoid the sugar in store-bought chocolate chips, look no further! This chocolate chip recipe is fast, easy, and sweetened with raw honey!

Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together

Even on the most restrictive of diets, you can find a way to “treatyoself;” at least where there’s a will, there’s a way… and I always have the will to create goodies. I’ve always wanted to create homemade chocolate chips, especially on the GAPS diet, so I can make a variety of treats that use chocolate chips chocolate chip cookies.

Because what is life if you can’t even create some version of classic chocolate chip cookies, regardless of whatever eating plan you may be on?

Enter my homemade chocolate chip recipe

It turns out creating a chocolate chip recipe was super simple, and required only a handful of ingredients. And now that I can make homemade chocolate chips, chocolate chip cookies are back on the menu, even on the GAPS diet!

Not only does this chocolate chip recipe work well for chocolate chip cookies, but I love throwing a handful into nut butter fat bombs, into a bowl of strawberries, or directly into my mouth. 😉

Although I kept is simple and just poured the melted chocolate into a puddle on a baking sheet, you can easily get molds to get more uniform chocolate chips if that’s important to you. However you choose to make them, they are so easy and take just a few minutes! Observe:

First, you’re going to gently melt your raw cacao butter over low heat. Then you’ll add honey, cocoa powder, and a little vanilla. You’ll want to use a stick blender to get a good emulsion because the honey tends to sink to the bottom. Alternatively, I think you could just keep whisking the mixture until it’s cooled.

*Note: if you’d like to make this chocolate chip recipe keto-friendly, you can sub 8-12 drops of stevia glyceriate in place of the honey.

Once the mixture is fully emulsified, you’ll simply pour it onto a baking sheet in a puddle. Pop it in the freezer and let it get hard. It will likely come out looking like this:

Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together

That’s perfectly fine because you’re going to cut it up into small chunks anyway:

Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together

If it’s important to you to have actual chocolate “chips,” this is a really cool chocolate chip mold, or you can use a silicone trivet like this to get evenly-shaped chips. Find the recipe below for exact measurements and detailed instructions.

Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together
Homemade chocolate chips in a jiffy, and with just a few healthy ingredients!

Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together
Print Recipe

Homemade Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet

Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 1 cup chocolate chips
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup raw cacao butter It will come in hard, broken chunks. Fill a 1/2 cup scoop with the hard chunks before melting.
  • 1/4 cup cacao or cocoa powder
  • 1-2 Tbsp raw honey to taste (less for more of a semi-sweet chocolate chip recipe) *see notes for keto sweetener option
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Heat cacao butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Remove from heat when there are just a few small, solid pieces left and whisk until all melted and smooth.
  • Add remaining ingredients and whisk to combine.
  • Use a stick blender to finish combining ingredients and ensure they're well-emulsified.
  • Pour into molds or onto a flat sheet and place in freezer for 15-20 minutes, until firm.
  • If you're pouring onto a sheet, slice into chocolate chunks once firm, like this:

Notes

*If you'd like to make these chocolate chips keto-friendly, sub stevia glycerite like this for the honey. The melted chocolate will spread more, so put it in a smaller container to freeze to avoid having too thin chocolate chips. Use 8-12 drops and taste as you go.
I store these in an air-tight bowl in the refrigerator, just to be safe, though I think they'd hold up at room temperature fine.
Be sure to use these chocolate chips in my GAPS-friendly chocolate chip cookies found here!

Know someone who would love this chocolate chip recipe? Sharing is caring!
Use one of our sharing links below.

Chocolate Chip Recipe for the GAPS Diet | The Family That Heals Together

Rustic Paleo Pizza Galette Recipe (Pizzette!) with AIP Option

“Junk food” doesn’t have to be junky! With this rustic paleo pizza galette recipe (which I have dubbed a “pizzette!”), you can enjoy a classic dinner without the guilt. There’s even an AIP option! Grab the recipe below.

Savory Pizza Galette Recipe (Pizzette!) with AIP Option | The Family That Heals Together

If you ask my kids what their favorite food is, they will say “pizza.” Every one of them, every time. And I don’t blame them! Pizza is awesome!

But, what’s not awesome is looking like I’m several months pregnant after indulging in artisan pizza on a night out (if you follow me on Instagram, you saw that lovely bloat!). Or inflammation caused by gluten. Or behavioral meltdowns.

That’s why this paleo pizza galette recipe is so great- it doesn’t cause any of those problems! Not only is it grain-free and egg-free, it also has a dairy- and nightshade-free option to make it AIP-friendly as well. So, even if you’re on a restricted diet, this pizza is for you!

Other reasons to make this rustic paleo pizza galette recipe (aka “pizzette”)

It’s simple. Not only is this “pizzette” (see what I did there?) recipe versatile enough to work for most restricted diets, it’s a whole lot quicker and easier than most pizzas. The ingredients can be found at most grocery stores and you don’t have to deal with super finicky dough.

If you’re not familiar with galettes, they’re a French pastry similar to a tart or a pie; it’s essentially a free-form pastry dough wrapped over a filling, usually made from fruit, sugar, and butter. We flip it upside down by turning this one into a pizza, hence the name “pizzette.”

The beauty of galettes is that they are designed to be imperfect. They are rustic and a bit sloppy, making them one of my all-time favorite recipes to make, regardless of the filling.

It’s tasty. A lot of paleo pizza crust recipes use lots of eggs or almond flour, which not only makes them inflammatory for some folks, but I’m not a huge fan of the flavor. The combo of starchy, fibrous flours in this recipe gives it a nice, neutral flavor. If you’re able to eat some good, grass-fed, organic dairy, adding cheese is the icing on the cake, er, cheese on the pizza? And if not, I’ve got you covered there too.

It’s fast. While I can admit there’s nothing like a warm, yeasty, fresh pizza dough, there’s a lot to be said for healthy food that comes together quickly. You won’t have to wait for this dough to rise, and the whole thing comes together in just a few minutes. After all, I created this recipe in the middle of a busy sports season, when I was desperate for dinners the kids would love that would still let us get out the door quickly.

Rustic Paleo Pizza Galette Recipe (Pizzette!) with AIP Option | The Family That Heals Together

And since this recipe is so fast and easy, it’s a great chance to get the kids involved in the kitchen! I say all the time that teaching your kids to cook is the best gift you can give yourself. My ten-year-old is super helpful in the kitchen and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

For little guys, you can let them help you place the toppings, and for older kids, they can most likely make this recipe on their own! Even better, divide the dough recipe in half and let your kids make their own personal pizzettes. My kids LOVE making their own individual pizzas.

Suggested supplies for this paleo pizza galette recipe

You’ll definitely need parchment paper to line the baking sheet and help roll out the dough. I like this unbleached parchment paper.

For best results, I prefer using a pizza stone, which gives more even heating.

Because arrowroot and tapioca flours have slightly different properties and give different results, I’ve used them both in this recipe for best results.

Coconut flour adds some fiber for texture.

You can easily find healthy, clean, and paleo-friendly pre-made pizza sauce (like this) these days, however, if you prefer to make it from scratch, just combine some plain pizza sauce or puree with your spices and herbs of choice, like garlic powder, oregano, thyme, basil, and salt. You can add a touch of honey, maple syrup, or coconut sugar to cut the acidity. I generally use about a cup of tomato puree and start with 1/2-1 tsp of the other ingredients.

Lard is a fabulous choice for making pastry dough type recipes, which is why I chose it for this one. However, all lard is not created equally, so look for lard from pigs that have been pastured and are free-range like this. Other fats like palm shortening or ghee should work as well if you avoid pork.

Finally, in order to keep the recipe egg-free and still get the dough to hold together, we use gelatin. I like this one, which is from grass-fed cows and is routinely tested to be free from heavy metals, pesticides, and other harmful contaminants.

Notes on ingredient substitutions

If you need to be dairy-free, leave off the cheese and add extra vegetables (I love sliced bell pepper!).

If you’re on an AIP diet/need to avoid nightshades, skip the pizza sauce and cheese, and use this white sauce recipe instead. Be sure to pay close attention to the spices used in store-bought meats like pepperoni, as they often contain nightshades.

Rustic Paleo Pizza Galette Recipe (Pizzette!) with AIP Option | The Family That Heals Together
Made with an AIP-friendly white sauce and still delicious!
Serve this pizzette up with some booch for the perfect replacement for the typical pizza-soda combo.

Rustic Paleo Pizza Galette Recipe (Pizzette!) with AIP Option | The Family That Heals Together
Print Recipe

Rustic Paleo Pizza Galette Recipe with AIP Option

Servings: 2 servings
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup pizza sauce or see notes for AIP option
  • 1/3 cup  coconut flour  (crust)
  • 1/3 cup  arrowroot powder  (crust)
  • 1/3 cup  tapioca starch  (crust)
  • 1 Tbsp  gelatin  (crust)
  • 6 Tbsp  lard  (crust) at room temperature, soft but not melted
  • 1/2 cup  water  (crust)
  • 1 tsp  salt  (crust)
  • 1/4 lb  uncured pepperoni  (filling)
  • 2 Tbsp  fresh basil  (filling) chopped
  • shredded mozzarella for topping omit for dairy-free or AIP

Instructions

  • Mix together dry ingredients (coconut, tapioca and arrowroot flours, gelatin, and salt).
  • Blend in lard using a fork or pastry blender.
  • Mix water in, stirring until a ball of dough forms.
  • Wet your hands, then place the ball of dough on a parchment-lined pizza stone.
  • Flatten the dough with your palms, then place another sheet of parchment over the top.
  • Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a big circle.
  • Roll out to about 1/4" thickness. You can use your hand to run a little more water around the edges if it threatens to crack.
  • Remove top parchment and prepare the fillings.
  • Spread sauce over crust, leaving 2-3 inches bare on edges.
  • Top with meat, basil and cheese or any additional toppings of choice.
  • Using the parchment paper underneath, carefully fold up the edges of the crust over the edge of the fillings, again spreading a little water over the crust if need be.
  • Cook at 425 for 25 minutes.

Notes

To make this pizzette recipe AIP, omit the pizza sauce and shredded cheese and use this cauliflower sauce recipe instead. 

Pin this recipe for later!

Rustic Paleo Pizza Galette Recipe (Pizzette!) with AIP Option | The Family That Heals Together

Salmon with Mango Salsa

Salmon is a favorite around our house, and I continue to try to come up with inventive ways to serve it. Recently, I’ve been making this salmon with mango salsa and our family has loved it so much, I knew I had to share it here!

One of the top questions I get asked by desperate mamas hoping to make healthier changes for their family is “How do I get my kids to eat healthy food?” My answer is simple: you make it for them.

And though it really is just as simple as that, the task of making healthy food for your kids isn’t quite so simple. First of all: what is even healthy?! And what if it’s a far cry from what your kids are eating right now?

Listen, I’ve been there. Don’t cover your head in shame as you take a mental inventory of the frozen chicken nuggets in your freezer and boxes of pasta in the pantry. Those were once staples in my kitchen, and rest assured my kids now eat food like this salmon with mango salsa. And they love it!

So how did I get from standard American diet to nourishing, paleo-style foods? I just went for it!

Salmon with Mango Salsa | Paleo + Keto + GAPS | The Family That Heals Together

My tips for going for it: how to make healthy food kids will eat

Here’s the honest truth: when I got married at 18, I couldn’t even make a box of mac n cheese without messing it up. I always overcooked the noodles. And try as I may, I bombed every cookie recipe I tried meticulously to follow.

Cooking did not come easy to me. So when I had kids, I looked for the easiest route to feed them too. Enter frozen and canned foods and processed jarred sausage-like meats. I gag a little now thinking of what I fed my precious babes in those early years.

When I knew I needed to make changes for our health, I was determined to learn how to cook, and to cook food my family would actually enjoy.

Here are the five things I did to overhaul our diet:

  1. I “healthified” our favorites, Jaclyn-style. If I hadn’t continued making the foods we loved, but in healthier ways, I don’t know if any of us could’ve made the transition. At first, it was making homemade breads, tortillas, and treats with whole wheat flour and less processed sugar, but eventually, I learned to make grain-free, paleo-style versions of our favorites like biscuits, tortillas, chicken nuggets, and even sugar cookies. This ensured that my children ate the healthy foods I put in front of them.
  2. I stopped buying junk. As moms and grocery getters, we have a lot of power over what our kids eat. If there isn’t junk food in the house, the KIDS CAN’T EAT IT! It’s a no-brainer.
  3. I made my kids try it. I generally do not force feed my kids, but early in those healthy eating days, I just started out by putting a scoop of veggies on my toddlers’ plates. They may have turned their noses up at first, but I required them to try at least one bite. Eventually, they began eating all their veggies and now they love most of them! (It helps that I’ve learned the most yummy ways to cook green vegetables- hello butter roasted everything!)
  4. I was persistent. When flops did happen (and they still do!), I kept trying my hand at new and yummy recipes. A few failed paleo recipes didn’t mean it wasn’t worth pursuing this new way of cooking, it simply meant I needed some really great cookbooks and a little determination.
  5. I got creative. Listen, when I first began cooking at a young newlywed, I didn’t even use salt and pepper. True story. Mr. Incredible still salts and peppers everything that comes out of my kitchen because I scarred him in those early days with tasteless, bland food. These days, I’m not afraid to get a little creative with flavors so that things stay interesting in the kitchen, and I encourage my kids to try new things and expand their palettes. That’s why I love this salmon with mango salsa so much- and so do my kids!

I really used to hate fish, but once I began getting creative, I realized that salmon held so many possibilities. Not only do I love a simple oven roasted salmon, but I adore adding fresh flavors like mango and spices with a Latin flare.

Salmon with Mango Salsa | Paleo + Keto + GAPS | The Family That Heals Together

Notes on this salmon with mango salsa

Combining salmon with the fresh flavors of mango salsa and spices like chili powder and cumin puts a unique spin on dinner! I kept this recipe mild because my kids and I don’t really like spicy foods, but you could easily add a diced jalapeno and some cayenne to turn up the heat. Find the recipe below.

Print Recipe

Salmon with Mango Salsa

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time5 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs fresh wild-caught salmon
  • 1 mango peeled and cut into 1" cubes (about 1.5 cups)
  • 1 onion peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/2" slices (about 1.5 cups)
  • 1 large avocado peeled and cut into 1" cubes
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in halves
  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro coarsely chopped, divided
  • 1/2 cup avocado oil
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • Optional: 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne powder and 1 jalapeno diced

Instructions

  • Combine avocado oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt, and garlic powder in a large ziploc baggie. Mix around a bit, then add the salmon. Seal and place in refrigerator for 2-4 hours to marinate.
  • Preheat oven to 425, then place chopped mango, cherry tomatoes, onion, and 3/4 cup cilantro on a large baking sheet. Stir to combine, then leave a space in the middle of the pan.
  • Move salmon to the baking sheet, in the middle of the vegetables, then pour the remaining marinade over the vegetables.
  • Roast for 15 minutes, stir vegetables, then roast for 15 minutes longer. Turn oven to broil to finish the last 5-10 minutes and crisp up the vegetables. Keep a close eye on them and stir every few minutes.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool before adding chopped avocado and remaining cilantro to the mango salsa. Serve salsa over salmon portions. (I find it much easier to cut salmon into portions once cooked vs. while it's still raw. You can also ask them to cut it into portions at the seafood counter before you bring it home. If it is pre-cut, you will want to remove the salmon before broiling the veggies at the end, or it will likely overcook it and cause the salmon to dry out.)

Notes

If you'd like to spice this recipe up, add cayenne powder to the marinade, and dice up a jalapeno or two and add to the vegetable mixture before roasting.

Salmon with Mango Salsa | Paleo + Keto + GAPS | The Family That Heals Together

 

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake (Grain-Free & Primal!)

The holidays call for decadence and this pumpkin pecan pie layered cheesecake delivers! Read on for the recipe.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Layered Cheesecake | The Family That Heals Together

Holiday baking is one of my favorite pastimes. Doing it with friends and family is just good for my soul. Last year, a sweet friend and I concocted several Thanksgiving-themed recipes and this pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake was one of them! You’ll find my original recipe for pecan pie here.

Make sure to check out my new holiday cookbook, with over 50 grain-free, gut-healing recipes for the updated GAPS version of this recipe. You’ll also find honey “wheat” dinner rolls, turkey gravy, more pies, cakes, and cookies, and my mama’s sweet “corn”bread stuffing. It’s a must for the healthy holiday table and you can still grab it in time here.

If you’re here for the ridiculously good layered pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake, you’ll find that recipe below.

I think I just might break the internet with this one. Let me say it nice and slow: pumpkin cheesecake. Topped. With a layer of pecan pie. Flavor explosion. Deliciousness abounds. This needs to be on your Thanksgiving table. And also your dinner table tonight. And next week, and the following week. At least, I’ll be making it pretty often as we swing into the culinary fall season! Go grab this pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake recipe and get busy!

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Layered Cheesecake | The Family That Heals Together

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Pecan Pie Cheesecake (Grain-Free & Primal!)

Servings: 8 People
Author: Jaclyn

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cup cups Pecans 1for crust 1.5 cups of whole halves for the pecan pie topping
  • 4 dates pitted for the crust, Medjool
  • 1/2 cup Whole Flax Seed crust
  • 3/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup 1/4 cup for the cheesecake 1/2 cup for the pie
  • 4-6 Tbsp Salted Butter 2-4 Tbsp for crust 2 Tbsp for pie
  • 3 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 1 tsp for crust 1for cheesecake, 1 tsp for pie
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp for crust 1 Tbsp for cheesecake
  • 8 oz Full Fat Cream Cheese pumpkin cheesecake
  • 3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree pumpkin cheesecake
  • 1/2 cup raw honey 1/4 cup for cheesecake 1/4 cup for pie
  • 1 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder pumpkin cheesecake
  • 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice pumpkin cheesecake
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice pumpkin cheesecake
  • 2 whole Pastured Eggs pecan pie
  • 1/4 cup Maple Sugar pecan pie, can substitute coconut sugar
  • 1 pinch salt pecan pie

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375.
  • Crust: Place flaxseeds in high powered blender or food processor and blend on high until the flaxseeds are ground well.
  • Add 1 cup pecans and dates to the flaxseeds and pulse until you have a thick, smooth nut/seed butter. (Use a tamper if needed.)
  • Scrape the pecan/flaxseed mixture into a medium sized mixing bowl and add 2 Tbsp butter, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1 tsp cinnamon, mixing well until it becomes a thick dough. Add more butter 1 Tbsp at a time if dough is too dry.
  • Grease a 9" springform pan well with butter (or line with parchment paper if you'd like, which is particularly helpful on the sides).
  • Press the crust evenly into the springform pan, going about an inch up on the sides. Set aside while you make the filling.
  • Pumpkin cheesecake: Combine cream cheese, pumpkin puree, 1/4 cup ea maple syrup and honey, 1 tsp cinnamon, arrowroot, pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp vanilla and lemon juice in a bowl and mix well with a mixer or stick blender.
  • Pour into the crust and cook for approximately 25 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and, after cooling for a few minutes, place in refrigerator to cool an additional 10-20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the pecan pie layer:
  • Pecan pie: Turn oven down to 350F.
  • Place butter and maple (or coconut) sugar in mixing bowl.
  • Pour 1/2 cup maple syrup into a small pot and bring to a boil, then pour into mixing bowl, covering the butter and maple sugar, melting them.
  • Add 1/4 cup honey, eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, and salt and combine well with a hand mixer.
  • Gently pour on top of cooled pumpkin cheesecake. (If it begins to sink in instead of staying on top of the cheesecake, the cheesecake either did not cook long enough or did not cool long enough. Don't worry! By repeating a couple of steps, you can make it work! Pop it back in the oven for about 10 minutes, then cool again.)
  • Top with pecan halves and place back in the oven.
  • Bake for about 20 minutes.
  • Remove and chill for 1-2 hours so that layers don't crumble when cut.

What do you do to stick with healthy food during the holidays, when the temptation to “cheat” is so great? I find that if I get creative and, especially for my kids, remake all of our favorites, plus come up with really fun recipes like this pumpkin pecan pie cheesecake, that no one feels deprived. The best part is when my kids don’t complain about the junkie foods they’re “missing out” on, because I’ve provided them with an alternative they love.

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