Hey guys - Rosalie here! Since we are well into October and the fall feeling really has taken its place, I feel it fits well with some recipes for fall snacks that we can enjoy in front of the fireplace meanwhile we maybe watch the trees change color outside. All of them are delicious and vegan (of course) - enjoy!
Mini Pumpkin Pie Tarts with a Sunflower Cookie Crust (pic in the upper right corner)
Ingredients for the crust:
- 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1 3/4 cups rolled oats
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted*
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons smooth sunflower seed- butter (pour off oil before measuring)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons water, if needed to bind dough
For the filling:
- 1/2 cup canned full-fat coconut cream**
- 1 cup unsweetened pumpkin purée
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted*
- 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sunflower seed butter
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, to taste (recipe to make your own ->)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grab 4(4-inch diameter) baking paper cups, or 12 standard muffin paper liners and set aside. You can also use a 7- to 9-inch springform cake pan greased and lined with a circle of parchment paper.
Add the sunflower seeds into a skillet and toast the seeds over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Remove from heat.
For the crust: Add the toasted sunflower seeds, oats, and salt into a food processor and process until finely chopped, resembling a coarse flour. Now, add the melted oil, maple syrup, and sunflower seed butter, and process until the mixture comes together into a heavy dough. The dough should stick together very easily when pressed between your fingers. If it's still a tad too dry, add the optional water and process again until it comes together. I find that I always need 2 teaspoons of water, but it'll depend on your ingredients’ moisture content.
Divide the dough equally between the liners, crumbling it all over each base. (Note: I reserved about 1/2 cup of the dough for sprinkling on the pies when serving.) Lightly wet your fingers. Starting at the centre, press the dough into the base to form a crust. If the dough starts to stick to your hands at any time, lightly wet your hands and shake off the excess water. Once the crust is all pressed in, poke the base with a fork about 2 to 3 times to allow the air to escape while baking. I place the 4 liners onto a baking sheet so it's easy to remove them from the oven.
Bake the crusts for around 10 to 12 minutes until lightly golden around the edges. Place baking sheet on a cooling rack and cool the crusts for at least 15 to 20 minutes, or longer if you have the time.
For the filling: Open the chilled can of coconut milk. Scoop off 1/2 cup of the white coconut cream only (not the water) and place it into a blender. (You can save the remaining contents of the can for a smoothie or other use.) Add the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, melted oil, sunflower seed butter, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice (to taste; I use 2 teaspoons), and salt. Blend, starting at a low speed and increasing the speed, until smooth.
Divide the filling equally among the cooled crusts. Carefully, transfer the baking sheet (or muffin tin, if making 12 mini tarts) into the freezer on a flat surface. Chill until firm, about 3 to 5 hours. There's no need to cover it.
After the tarts are solid, carefully remove the paper liners. Here you can transfer the pies to the fridge for a mousse-like texture, but I prefer the texture when frozen after sitting on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Serve with coconut whipped cream on top, if desired. This pie filling softens a great deal at room temperature, so it's best not to leave leftovers on the counter. Return them to the fridge or freezer for best results.
Pumpkin Spice (pic in the lower right corner)
Use this pumpkin pie spice mix in cakes, cookies, bars, oatmeal, smoothies, lattes, chia seed pudding, and more!
Ingredients:
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I pack it in the teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in an airtight container or jar. Attach lid and shake to combine.
Baked sweet potato chips
Ingredients:
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (121 C) and position oven rack in the center of the oven.
Rinse and dry your sweet potatoes thoroughly and slice them as uniformly thin as possible. If you have a mandolin, use it. Otherwise, use a very sharp knife to get these uniformly thin. Know that chips that are too thick in parts won't crisp up all the way. Still delicious, just not "chip" crispiness.
Toss slices in a touch of olive oil to lightly coat, then sprinkle with salt. Lay out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for about 2 hours, flipping chips once at halfway point to ensure even cooking. I also rotated mine for more even cooking (optional but recommended).
Remove once crisp and golden brown. Some may feel a little tender in the middle but take them out and let them rest for 10 minutes or so to crisp up before sampling. Serve immediately.
Pumpkin Banana Ice Cream (pic in the upper left corner)
Ingredients:
- 1 15oz can organic pumpkin puree
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup carrot juice
- 6-8 pitted medjool dates
- 5-6 frozen bananas
Instructions:
1. Blend the pumpkin, spice, vanilla extract, carrot juice, and dates until smooth.
2. Transfer to a shallow pan or ice cube tray. Freeze overnight.
3. Break apart the pumpkin mixture. Add to a blender/food processor with the frozen bananas. Blend until smooth and creamy.
4. Eat immediately as soft serve or freezer for 2-3 hours for a scoopable ice cream.