pumpkin

Name: Pumpkin Cookies with Spiced Frosting
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 14
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup coconut oil, solid; 3/4 cup coconut sugar; 1 large egg yolk, room temp; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1/4 cup pumpkin puree; 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp cream of tartar; 1 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground ginger; 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/4 tsp ground allspice; 1/4 tsp ground cloves; 1/4 cup vegan stick butter; 2 Tbsp vegetable shortening (or more vegan butter); 1/4 tsp vanilla extract; 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; Pinch ground ginger; Pinch ground nutmeg; Pinch ground allspice; Pinch ground cloves; 1-3 tsp plant-based milk

Pumpkin Cookies with Spiced Frosting (DF)

September 27, 2019 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

Who else grew up with frosted sugar cookies?! My mom made them every year for the holidays, and this pumpkin flavored cookie is the perfect fall (or Thanksgiving!) treat. A soft, perfectly spiced pumpkin cookie topped with a traditional, super sweet spiced buttercream frosting. Layer it on thick or thin, the cookies will be delicious no matter your preference!

Once you have all of your ingredients ready, these cookies really are so simple. No chilling required. No rolling and cutting. Just simply roll the dough into balls and bake! Then once they’re cool, beat together the buttercream and frost away. And if you don’t follow a dairy-free diet, feel free to use regular butter for the frosting.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Coconut sugar is my go-to sweetener. It’s low GI, unrefined, and doesn’t add any coconut flavor.

Cream of tartar gives these cookies lift in all the right places.

Vegan butter makes the frosting taste just like the real, butter-filled deal! I prefer using a stick version, and I’ve had a lot of luck with the Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks.

Vegetable shortening helps stiffen the vegan buttercream. I’ve found that without it, the frosting tends to be a bit melty, depending on the temperature of my home. But feel free to use more vegan butter instead.

Yield: 14 Cookies

Pumpkin Cookies with Spiced Frosting

Soft pumpkin spice cookies topped with a sweet and creamy dairy-free spiced buttercream frosting!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cookies

1/2 cup coconut oil, solid
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 large egg yolk, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Spiced Frosting

1/4 cup vegan stick butter
2 Tbsp vegetable shortening (or more vegan butter)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch ground ginger
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch ground allspice
Pinch ground cloves
1-3 tsp plant-based milk

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring your egg to room temperature by placing it in a glass of warm water for around 10 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the solid coconut oil and coconut sugar. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir in the pumpkin puree. Add in the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined.

4. Roll dough into 2 Tbsp-size balls. Place six onto your parchment-lined baking sheet. Slightly press down each dough ball, reshaping as necessary (the flatter you press them, the more they will spread during baking). Bake at 350°F for 6-8 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 1 minute before moving to a cooling rack.

5. Once all of your cookies are baked and cooled, make your frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the softened vegan butter and shortening until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract and spices. Add the powdered sugar and beat until combined. Add plant-based milk 1 tsp at at a time until you've reached a thick but spreadable consistency. If you add too much milk, simply add more powdered sugar.

6. Frost your cookies and top with sprinkles, if desired. Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature.

Pumpkin Chai Spice Rice Krispie Treats (DF)

September 4, 2019 by Rachael Ng 3 Comments

It’s officially pumpkin season in the baking world! Yeah, yeah, I know it’s technically still summer, and we’ve got a couple of weeks to go, but school’s in session, apples are in season, and we’re all just excited for the cozy days of fall! These Pumpkin Chai Spice Rice Krispie Treats are the perfect blend of warm spices and fall pumpkin flavor that we all love (well, most of us). I bumped these treats up a notch from the traditional pumpkin spice, opting to add ground cardamom and black pepper for a delicious chai spice flavoring.

As far as desserts go, I’m not sure you can get much easier. These treats are quick, easy, and so so rewarding. Maybe it’s because they remind me of childhood, but these bars are so satisfying. Feel free to add more or less spice, leave out the pumpkin, or make them even more gooey by adding an extra two cups of mini marshmallows to the melted mixture! Or, ya know, follow the recipe as-is and enjoy yourself a cozy, sweet treat.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling!) adds a hint of pumpkin flavor. You’ll have a ton leftover if you’re opening a new can, so be sure to keep your pumpkin baking going!

Ground cardamom is one of my favorite dessert spices. It adds to the chai spice flavoring, and I highly recommend getting yourself some if you don’t already have it on hand.

Black pepper also lends a hand to the traditional chai spice flavor.

Vegan butter makes these treats dairy-free! Feel free to use whatever version of butter you have on hand.

Yield: 12 Bars

Pumpkin Chai Spice Rice Krispie Treats

Classic Rice Krispie Treats bumped up for fall with pumpkin purée and warm chai spices! A delicious twist on a childhood favorite!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

2 Tbsp pumpkin puree
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Pinch black pepper
Pinch salt
4 Tbsp vegan butter
6 cups + 2 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups crisp rice cereal

Instructions

Prepare an 8x8" baking dish or pan with non-stick spray. Then line with one long, thin piece of parchment paper, folding the excess over two of the sides.
Spoon the pumpkin puree onto a paper towel and gently squeeze out the excess juice; set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the spices: cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, black pepper, and salt; set aside.
Melt the vegan butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add 6 cups of the mini marshmallows and continue heating until marshmallows are just melted. Turn heat to low and stir in the pumpkin puree and spices. Turn off the heat and mix in the crisp rice cereal and then the 2 cups of mini marshmallows.
Dump mixture into your prepared dish and gently press into an even layer (I like to use a spatula covered in non-stick spray). Avoid pressing too firmly as that will lead to hard rice krispie treats.
Allow treats to cool. Use the excess parchment paper to life the bar up and out of the dish. Slice into 12 bars and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Notes

For extra gooey treats, melt an additional 1-2 cups of mini marshmallows with the 6 cups of marshmallows

If you don't have ground cardamom on hand, you can use a mix of 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Dairy-Free Mini Pumpkin Pies with Walnut Crust

November 17, 2018 by Rachael Ng Leave a Comment

Last year’s Thanksgiving morning was chaotic. It was my first Thanksgiving on a dairy-free diet, and I was in charge of desserts. All of the desserts. I believe I made a batch of chocolate chunk cookies and four different pies, including a vegan pumpkin pie and the Meta Given’s Pumpkin Pie from Food52. It was also my first attempt at making coconut whipped cream. I didn’t have a stand mixer and my mom had to rush to the store to buy more coconut cream after so many failed attempts. In the end, we were the last to arrive, and, in a panic, we had bought Cool Whip for everyone else.

Of course I had to taste test everything I baked, and I remember the Meta Given’s pie being delicious. This year, a couple of you requested I create a pumpkin pie, so I set out to make some mini pies using my own Walnut Crust recipe and following along with the Meta Given’s filling recipe. I opted for a mix of extra thick coconut cream and almond milk. I’m so happy with how these came out! Nathan and I had to refrain from eating more than one before I got photos.

I know pumpkin pies can be tricky. The key things to remember for this recipe are to make sure your crusts are cold before you add your filling, cook your pies just until the very middle is still jiggly, and let them cool completely at room temp (or somewhere warm). I put mine in the refrigerator before going to bed, and the filling pulled away from the crust since they weren’t totally cool yet. But these mini pies totally hit the spot, and you won’t even be able to tell that they’re dairy-free!

Dairy-Free Mini Pumpkin Pies with Walnut Crust

Makes 12 mini pies (in a standard muffin pan)

Crust
1/3 cup walnut halves & pieces
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp dark brown sugar

3/4 tsp fine sea salt

1/2 cup coconut oil, solid

3-5 Tbsp ice cold water

Filling

1 can pumpkin purée

1/2 cup coconut sugar or white/brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

2 large eggs

1 cup coconut cream

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1.) Make the crust: in a blender or food processor, blend the walnuts. Add the flour, dark brown sugar, and salt. Blend until walnuts turn into fine crumbs. Add the solid coconut oil and blend until combined. Add 2 Tbsp ice cold water and blend. Add water by the Tbsp until dough comes together – it will still look crumbly but will smash together into a dough between your fingers. Form dough into a ball, flatten to a disc shape, and wrap in plastic or parchment paper. Refrigerate until stiff enough to roll out.

2.) Roll your crust between two pieces of parchment paper or on a lightly floured surface to 1/8″ thick. If it softens up a lot after rolling, you can put it back in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Cut circles roughly 4-4 1/2 inches in diameter (or whatever size works for your muffin pan). Place your crust circles into your muffin pan – no need to spray or line – pressing the folds against the sides. Refrigerate the crusts while you make your filling. Preheat your oven to 400°F.

3.) Make the filling: add your pumpkin to a small saucepan over medium/low heat, stirring frequently for 5-10 minutes or until pumpkin begins to dry out a bit and caramelize. Add the coconut sugar, maple syrup, spices, and salt. Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in the coconut cream – be sure to shake your can!* – and almond milk. Slowly add the egg/milk mixture to your pumpkin, whisking as your pour.

4.) Pour the filing into the refrigerated crusts – no need to prick or pre-bake your crusts – filling nearly to the top. Bake at 400°F for 15-25 minutes or until the middle of your pies are slightly jiggly. Allow your pies to cool in the pan for 10-20 minutes before removing to a cooling rack. Let your pies cool completely before refrigerating any leftovers – as your pie cools, it’s natural for the crust and filling to separate. Sticking warm pies in the refrigerator will cause greater cracks (yep, I did this).

5.) For the crust leaves: make an extra Walnut Crust, roll to 1/4″ thick, and use a cookie/pie crust press to cut leaves. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for ~15 minutes. Arrange on top of baked pies. OR place unbaked leaves on top of unbaked pies, continue with step 4 above.

*if your coconut cream is still chunky, measure out what you need and pop it into the microwave for 15-30 seconds until the chunks have melted

Recipe adapted from Meta Given’s Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins (DF + vegan option)

November 15, 2018 by Rachael Ng 2 Comments

So I’ve been meaning to make a pumpkin quick bread for quite a while now, but then Halloween came and went and I was afraid everybody would be over pumpkin. Well, turns out, people are still totally into pumpkin leading up to Thanksgiving, too! Unlike gingerbread or peppermint, pumpkin basically has two holidays. Good news for me – and you 😉

When Nathan started talking about a coffee pumpkin bread that he used to bake (complete with tons of sugar + milk-filled butterscotch chips) I knew I wanted to tackle a recipe for dairy-free, healthier Pumpkin Coffee Muffins. I decided to add chocolate chips – no one is surprised – because there’s nothing better than biting into a warm, freshly baked muffin loaded with melted chocolate! I’ve been craving that exact bite for over a week, and these muffins did not disappoint. We all love them, including my toddler who couldn’t get enough. I just might be adding these to the Thanksgiving playlist.

Some of the ingredients I love for this recipe:

Pumpkin puree bulks these muffins up and gives them a delightful pumpkin taste.

Instant coffee makes for a quick coffee addition to these muffins. They dissolve, well, instantly, and the flavor pairs well with the familiar fall spices.

Whole wheat pastry flour is my go-to quick bread flour (think muffins, banana bread loaves, etc). It creates an irresistibly fluffier, softer texture than regular, all-purpose flour. You may have to check your local “healthier” grocer to find my favorite version.

Coconut sugar is an unrefined, low GI alternative to white sugar. It doesn’t taste like coconut, and it gives these muffins the perfect sweetness!

Coconut oil adds moisture to these muffins!

Yield: 9 Regular Muffins

Pumpkin Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins

Delicious and moist spiced pumpkin muffins with a touch of coffee and loads of chocolate chips! A warm and cozy treat perfect for Fall!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

1/4 cup plant-based milk, room temp
2 Tbsp instant coffee granules
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquid
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temp (or 2 flax eggs if vegan)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup + 1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips

Notes

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare your muffin pan by spraying with non-stick spray or lining with paper liners. Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in a glass of warm water for about 10 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the almond milk and instant coffee until granules have dissolved. Whisk in the coconut sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, and eggs until totally combined. Whisk in the pumpkin until smooth.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips. Add the pumpkin coffee mixture and gently mix until no flour pockets remain.

4. Divide your batter into nine regular muffin wells, filling each well nearly to the top. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, pressing the chips slightly into the batter. Bake at 350°F for 18-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean - be careful not to over bake as you'll have to prick around the melty chocolate chips.

5. Allow your muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Vegan Pumpkin Butter Poptarts

October 13, 2018 by Rachael Ng 1 Comment

I can’t think of a single person whose face doesn’t light up at the sight of homemade poptarts. I mean, they’re a delicious, flakey pastry stuffed with sweet goodness and topped with glaze (and sometimes sprinkles)! And for a lot of us, they remind us of our childhood. Or, in my case, teenagehood, because let’s not pretend that I didn’t buy poptarts out of the school vending machine way too often well into my teen years.

For me, homemade poptarts far outweigh their thin, store-bought counterparts. And these Vegan Pumpkin Butter Poptarts are filled with a delicious, and easy, homemade pumpkin butter and then topped with a sweet maple syrup and cinnamon glaze! I’m not sure there’s anything not to like!

Homemade poptarts do take a bit of time and effort. But you can make the pumpkin butter ahead of time, or even by a jar from the store. The crust is pretty straightforward, so I think the hardest part is deciding what size to make your poptarts! You can go with a standard size, mini, or even one giant one! Have fun with this recipe, and make it your own. Don’t like pumpkin? Try apple butter or apple jam. Either of those options would make a delicious filling! Happy baking!

Vegan Pumpkin Butter Poptarts with Maple Glaze

Makes ~8 3×4″ poptarts

Crust

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp coconut sugar

1 tsp fine sea salt

3/4 cup coconut oil, solid

6-10 Tbsp ice cold water

Pumpkin Butter
1 15oz can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup coconut sugar or granulated/brown sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Maple Glaze

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp maple syrup

1/2 Tbsp almond milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Other
1 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk (to seal the poptarts)

1.) Make the pumpkin butter: add all ingredients to a sauce pan and bring to a slight boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring often. You will have a lot leftover, so refrigerate what you don’t use (which will be most of it!) or make my Vegan Pumpkin Butter Sweet Rolls.

2.) Make the crust: add the flour, coconut sugar, and salt to a blender or food processor and give the ingredients a quick blend. Add the solid coconut oil and blend until combined, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add 4 Tbsp of ice cold water and blend. Keep adding water by the Tbsp until your dough comes together. Scoop your dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap and shape into two balls. Wrap each dough ball in plastic and flatten to a disc shape. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll out, usually around 15 minutes.

3.) Cut out the poptarts: roll your dough between two pieces of parchment paper (or on a lightly floured surface) to ~1/8″ thick. You’ll want to roll each disc into somewhat of a rectangle. Begin cutting out your poptarts by trimming the sides of your rectangle. Then, you can cut even rectangles from your crust. I made my poptarts roughly 3×4″. Refrigerate your rectangles for 5-10 minutes.

4.) Assemble the poptarts: remove your rectangles from the refrigerator and spoon pumpkin butter on half of them, making sure to leave 1/4″ of an empty border around each one. The amount of filling will depend on your poptart size; I added 1-2 tsp of pumpkin butter to each of my poptarts. Brush almond milk around the edge of all bottom rectangles. Place top rectangles on the bottoms and use a fork to press the sides together. Refrigerate for another 20 minutes + preheat your oven to 375°F.

5.) After 20 minutes, remove your assembled poptarts from the refrigerator and poke holes in the top. I did a single fork prick right in the middle of each poptart. Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes or until crust is slightly golden. Allow your poptarts to cool (or eat them warm!).

6.) Make the glaze: in a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients. You want your glaze to be pretty thick so it doesn’t run off of your poptarts – unless that’s the look you want! Add more powdered sugar if it’s too thin and a little almond milk if it’s too thick. Spread your glaze over each poptart. It won’t look perfect at first, but once it settles and spreads a bit, it will smooth out. Enjoy your poptarts at room temp or heated up!

Pumpkin Butter recipe adapted from allrecipes

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