Sugared & Stirred

dairy-free. still delicious.

Rachael Ng

Chai Spice Apple Hand Pies (dairy-free)

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These perfectly portioned Chai Spice Apple Hand Pies are the new & improved, grownup version of those overly sweet, processed pies we ate as kids! Soft, buttery crust filled with a decadent, spicy apple filling. All topped with a simple spiced glaze!

Chai Spice Apple Hand Pies

There’s something about Autumn and the approaching holiday season that puts me in an even greater mood to bake (you, too?). After making homemade apple butter, I really wanted to incorporate more apples and spice into another dessert! I’ve made hand pies before, and I think they’re just such a fun, little treat. I love chai spice and the added cardamom (it’s one of my fave spices to bake with!), so I decided to toss some diced apples in a chai spice mix and throw them into a batch of gorgeous, perfect-for-fall hand pies! I added a thin cardamom glaze to the tops of each pie to give them some extra pretty. And also because those packaged hand pies I ate as a kid were covered in glaze, so, ya know, nostalgia.

What You’ll Need

  • Flour – I like to use all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour for these
  • Sugar – your fave granulated sugar; I used coconut & raw cane sugar
  • Plant-based butter aka vegan butter (or regular butter)
  • Apples
  • Lemon juice
  • Chai spices – I incorporated cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, and black pepper (all ground and found in the spice aisle)
  • Vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar
  • Egg (or plant-based milk or melted coconut oil) for the egg wash
Yield: 6 Hand Pies

Chai Spice Apple Hand Pies

Chai Spice Apple Hand Pies

Perfectly portioned apple hand pies with cozy chai spice! A soft, buttery crust envelopes a decadent apple filling. All topped with a simple spiced glaze, these mini "pies" are perfect for the Fall and Winter season!

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
  • 2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or white/raw cane sugar)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup plant-based butter, cold & cubed
  • 2-5 Tbsp ice cold water

Filling

  • 4 large apples (or 5 small apples)
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • Pinch black pepper
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 Tbsp coconut sugar (or white/raw cane sugar)
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Egg Wash

  • 1 egg, beaten

Cardamom Glaze

  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp cardamom
  • 1/2 - 2 Tbsp plant-based milk or water

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dough by pulsing the flour, coconut sugar, and salt in a blender or food processor. Add the cold, cubed butter and pulse. Add 2 Tbsp of ice cold water and blend. Continue adding 1 Tbsp of ice cold water until the dough comes together - you'll know it's ready when you pinch some between your fingers and it sticks together; small chunks of butter are desired!
  2. Dump the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a ball. Flatten to a disc shape and wrap securely in the plastic. Refrigerate the dough while you make the filling, or for at least 30 minutes prior to rolling out.
  3. Peel, core, and dice your apples. Add them to a medium bowl and toss with the remaining filling ingredients - cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, black pepper, vanilla, coconut sugar, and lemon juice.
  4. Heat the apple mixture in a pan over medium-low heat until the apples are almost totally soft. Make sure the apple mixture doesn't get too dry - you can add a bit of water to the pan if needed.
  5. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Prepare the egg wash by whisking the egg in a small bowl.
  6. Cut the chilled dough into 6 equal pieces (use a kitchen scale for accuracy if you wish). Quickly shape each into a ball - handling it for too long will soften it up again. Flour a large work surface and begin rolling out the small dough balls, one at a time, to about 1/8" thick. Brush egg around the edge of the dough and spoon about 1/4 cup of the apple filing into the middle. Fold the circle together, creating the hand pie shape. Press the edge together with your fingers and roll the edge inward (or crimp edge with a fork). Transfer the pie to your prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all 6 hand pies are assembled.
  7. For golden-colored pies, brush the tops of each with the egg wash (I didn't do this). Cut three small vents into the top of each pie. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes or until the filling is bubbling. If you skipped the egg wash your pies will be very light in color.
  8. While the pies are cooling, make the glaze. In a small sauce pan, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, cardamom, and 1/2 Tbsp of plant-based milk. Stir until combined, cooking on low heat. Add more milk until the glaze is thin enough to pour over your hand pies. Once the glaze is warm to the touch, generously and quickly pour the glaze over each pie - the glaze will set very quickly!
  9. Allow pies to cool or enjoy right away with a fork! Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

  • Dough can be made ahead of time, but it will need to sit at room temperature to soften enough to be rolled out
  • Coconut oil can be used in place of butter in the crust, but the pie crust won't be as soft and tender
  • Crust recipe adapted from Food with Feeling

© Rachael | Sugared & Stirred
Cuisine: American / Category: Pastries

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Tahini Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Since becoming dairy-free in 2017 it’s been such a challenge to find or develop dairy-free desserts that taste like the real deal. A few months ago, one of my followers suggested tahini as a substitute for butter. I’d made Double Chocolate Tahini Cookies, but I thought it would be difficult to incorporate the ground sesame into regular cookies. Well, after seeing tahini explode onto the dessert scene in the recent months, I finally decided to add tahini to my Dairy-Free Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe. I started with that recipe as my base and played around until I came up with these perfect chocolate chip cookies. I’m telling you, these cookies are big, chewy, and just the right amount of sweet. I love these cookies.

If you’re wondering if the tahini taste is noticeable, you’ll have to see for yourself! My mom, who didn’t know what tahini was (nor did I until earlier this year), thought these were regular chocolate chip cookies! I used half spelt flour to amp up the cookies’ nuttiness, but this recipe will totally work with just all-purpose flour, too! Aside from the flour, I don’t recommend any substitutes for this recipe as cookies can be quite finicky. The dough will be very sticky, which is why I suggest letting it sit out at room temp for about 30 minutes; it will be much more manageable and less sticky after sitting for a bit. Anyway, I hope you love these cookies as much as I do! Happy baking!

Tahini Spelt Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes ~11 cookies

1/2 cup tahini
1 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp water
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup spelt flour*
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

1.) Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

2.) In a large bowl, stir together the tahini and coconut sugar with a large spoon. Stir in the egg and egg yolk, the vanilla extract, and water, making sure the ingredients are totally combined and the egg is well mixed in; set aside.

3.) In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet and stir until almost combined (your dough will be thick and sticky). Add the chocolate chips and stir until totally combined. For easier handling, allow your dough to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (this makes the dough much less sticky and easier to roll).

4.) Roll the dough into balls 2 Tbsp in size, making sure there is chocolate exposed at the top of each dough ball (I don’t recommend using a cookie scoop since the dough is so thick). Place 6 dough balls on your parchment-lined baking sheet, and, if needed, press extra chocolate chips into the tops of your cookies. Bake at 350°F for 8 minutes. Your cookies will look puffy, but as they rest, they will settle.

5.) Allow your cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool. Enjoy your cookies warm or cooled!

*I’ve made these cookies with just all-purpose flour, too. They still came out perfect. The dough seemed a bit more sticky, so keep that in mind.

Cranberry Orange Crumb Muffins

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I’ve always loved the big, bakery-style cranberry orange muffins at the grocery store, so when I saw a bag of cranberries in my freezer from last holiday season, I knew I wanted to set out to make my own dairy-free cranberry orange muffins! I topped these ultra fluffy muffins with a cinnamon crumb topping pre-bake and then drizzled the cooled muffins with a delicious, homemade cranberry orange sauce. The crumb topping and drizzle add a sweetness and flavor that you won’t want to miss! The best part is that these toppings are rather simple and made up of ingredients you will already have on hand. I like to use whole wheat pastry flour in my muffins and quick breads because it gives them such a dreamy fluffy texture. If you don’t have WWPF readily available, then all-purpose flour will work just fine. Happy baking!

 

Cranberry Orange Crumb Muffins
Makes 12 regular muffins

Muffins
2 large eggs, room temp
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup coconut milk yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbsp fresh orange juice
Zest from two oranges
1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (unthawed)
Crumb Topping
1/4 cup flour (whole wheat pastry or all-purpose)
3 Tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
Cranberry Orange Drizzle (optional)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (unthawed)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2-3 Tbsp honey

1.) Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for ~10 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray your muffin pan(s) with olive oil.

2.) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar and eggs. Add the applesauce, yogurt, vanilla extract, orange juice, and orange zest and stir until combined. Mix in the melted coconut oil; set aside.

3.) Make your crumb topping by combining the flour, coconut sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the melted coconut oil and mix until small crumbs form; set aside.

4.) Stir your fresh or frozen (unthawed!) cranberries into the flour mixture. Pour wet ingredients into dry and fold until no flour pockets remain. Fill your muffin pan all the way to the top and top each muffin with your desired amount of crumb topping – I think that more is better!

5.) Bake your muffins at 350°F for 18-22 min. Let them rest in the pan for 10 minutes before gently removing to a cooling rack to totally cool.

6.) Meanwhile, prepare your sauce/drizzle by adding cranberries, orange juice, and honey to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and continue cooking until all the cranberries have popped and the liquid has reduced. Taste your sauce and add more orange juice to thin or more honey to sweeten. For a finer consistency, use a food processor or immersion blender to blend (I did not do this). Drizzle sauce over your cooled muffins and top with fresh orange zest. Enjoy!

Vegan Tahini No-Bake Cookies

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No-bake cookies are one of those ultra simple, totally sweet cookies that just taste like home. I grew up eating no-bakes and even remember my mom waking up early when I was a kid to make them before she went to work. She always remembered to leave a small container of cookies for me and my siblings – I would have been heartbroken had she not. When I visited home during the first trimester of my pregnancy, no-bakes were one of the few foods I could stomach, and my mom happily made them for me! They’re just that good.

Now I’ve baked my own version of no-bake cookies using both coconut oil and coconut sugar and like them well enough. But then I decided to use vegan butter and add tahini in place of peanut butter, and OMG these cookies are freaking good. If you don’t like tahini, you can definitely use natural peanut butter, but the sesame adds such a unique flavor that pairs so well with the dark cocoa. I decided to use regular sugar in these because I was really looking for that traditional, almost-too-sweet no-bake cookie taste. But I’ll warn you, these cookies are addicting (and best eaten fresh!), so I recommend making them when you have somebody to help you eat them. Happy baking!

Vegan Tahini No-Bake Cookies
Makes ~18 cookies (with a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop)

1/4 cup vegan butter
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp dutch-process cocoa or special dark cocoa*
1/4 cup tahini
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats (make sure yours are gluten-free if necessary)

1.) Prepare a baking sheet – or an area of counter – with parchment paper or wax paper; set aside. Measure out your tahini and get your vanilla extract and oats ready. Set out a mixing spoon or spatula and a cookie scoop.

2.) In a medium saucepan, whisk together the butter, almond milk, sugar, and cocoa powder over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a rolling boil – you want the entire pot to be very bubbly – and boil for 60 seconds, whisking constantly.

3). Immediately remove mixture from the heat and stir in the tahini and vanilla extract until totally combined. Stir in your oats. Scoop cookies onto parchment or wax paper and top with sesame seeds. Allow cookies to set (or don’t) and enjoy!

*regular cocoa powder will work just fine, but the chocolate flavor is elevated so much with the dark cocoa that I highly recommend using the dark. I made both versions, so you can at least see the difference for yourself!

 

Dairy-Free Banana Chocolate Cake

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One of my favorite things about baking is how easy it can be to take a recipe I already love and tweak a few things to make it like a brand new recipe. I came up with a dairy-free banana cake recipe a few months ago for my husband’s birthday, so when my mom requested a banana chocolate cake for my dad’s birthday celebration, I knew I had a delicious, fluffy banana cake that would be perfect with chocolate frosting! I added a bit of cocoa to the cake batter – nothing too rich – to add a little extra chocolate and whipped up a simple american buttercream with a bit of cocoa and cinnamon. I hope you like this simple cake as much as we do! Happy baking!

Dairy-Free Banana Chocolate Cake with Vegan Chocolate Cinnamon Buttercream
Makes one 11×8.5″ sheet cake (for cupcakes, see below)

Cake
3/4 cup + 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
3/4 cup + 3 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour*
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
3/4 cup coconut sugar
6 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk, room temp
6 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temp
heaping 1 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
Sprinkles or crushed cacao nibs for topping
Buttercream
3/4 cup butter or vegan butter, softened**
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2-3 tsp cinnamon, to taste
2-4 Tbsp almond milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

1.) Preheat oven to 350℉. Line cake pan with parchment paper and spray with olive oil. Bring your eggs to room temp by placing them in a glass of warm water for ~10 minutes.

2.) In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut sugar, almond milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Add the eggs and whisk until combined. Stir in the mashed banana; set aside.

3.) In a large bowl, sift the flours and cocoa powder. Add the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and whisk until well combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry and gently stir until no flour pockets remain. Pour batter into cake pan and bake at 350℉ for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

4.) Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before running a butter knife around the edges and removing to a cooling rack. I like to place the cooling rack over the top of the cake and then (holding the rack with the pan) flip the cake pan over. Your cake should come right out. If you don’t plan to remove your cake from the pan until serving, then just allow your cake to cool in the pan on top of a cooling rack.

5.) Once your cake is cool, prepare your buttercream. In a medium bowl, beat softened butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Add almond milk 1 Tbsp at a time until you’ve reached your desired consistency – thick/thin enough to spread. Frost your cake and top with sprinkles, crushed cacao nibs, or extra cinnamon. Slice and enjoy! If you used vegan butter, I recommend storing any leftovers in the refrigerator.

*If you don’t have this kind of flour on hand, you can use white whole wheat flour OR all-purpose flour

**If you’re using vegan butter, I highly recommend the Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (I used the soy free). I’ve found that you want the vegan butter to soften but not too much, so I don’t recommend letting it sit out for too long

 

For 12 Cupcakes
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour (or white whole wheat flour)*
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, room temp
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temp
heaping 1 cup mashed ripe banana

Follow the mixing steps above, but let your batter sit for 20 minutes. Then fill your paper-lined cupcake pan 3/4 full and bake at 350℉ for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool, frost, and enjoy!