Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Bread

One week down of vegan month and I don’t think I’ve ever eaten this many chips in my life. I have always been a sweets girl – like scream from the rooftops “I love chocolate” kind of lady. Buuuuut milk chocolate (my favorite) isn’t vegan so I’ve clung to other options.

Unhealthy option #1 – chips. Especially whole wheat corn chips. Who’s bringing the salsa?
Unhealthy option #2 – dark chocolate. Sure a small amount is, in fact, very healthy, but I dare you to try and pry a piece from my hand once I’ve opened a package.
Unhealthy option #3 – overloading on quick breads. HELLO PUMPKIN BREAD! Like its friend dark chocolate this bread is lovely in small amounts annnnd like all things, not so healthy after you’ve eaten half a loaf. Whoops!

This bread is super moist, with the perfect amount of spice that truly makes it one of the best quick breads I’ve eaten. If you’re not into the whole vegan thing, forget about it! This is simply a wicked-good quick bread that you’re sure to like.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8×4″ loaf pans and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, maple syrup, and water.

Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture all at once. Fold the ingredients together using a spatula, making sure to incorporate the flour mixture well, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Fold in the chopped pecans.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans and arrange 4 pecan halves on the top of each loaf (this just makes it pretty).

Bake for about 60-75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Let rest in the pans for 20 minutes.

Invert onto a cooling rack. Serve bread warm, in thick slices.

Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Bread
Makes two 8×4-inch loaves
Recipe taken from the Joy the Baker Cookbook.

Ingredients:
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cloves
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 water
1 cup chopped pecans
8 whole pecan halves (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 8×4″ loaf pans and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, maple syrup, and water.

Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture all at once. Fold the ingredients together using a spatula, making sure to incorporate the flour mixture well, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Fold in the chopped pecans.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans and arrange 4 pecan halves on the top of each loaf (this just makes it pretty).

Bake for about 60-75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven. Let rest in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.

Serve bread warm, in thick slices.

Note: Loaves can be wrapped and kept at room temperature for up to 5 days. These loaves also freeze well!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Happy November! I can’t express how excited I am for this Sunday to roll around. 1 extra hour of sleep is all kinds of heaven for me. Especially after this wild week I’ve been having at school.

Another thing to be excited about is that starting today, November 1st, I will be vegan for an entire month! I hope you guys are willing to play along. I will be posting vegan recipes for one month, and talking about how my experience is going. Who knows how it will go, but I’m excited to find out!

To start off this month, I thought it would be a good idea to begin with the first meal of the day. A delicious fall inspired breakfast that is super smooth and delicious. I’m in total love!

This is super easy. To begin, bring water to a boil over medium heat and stir in oats. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often, then remove from heat. Stir in sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg. I used 2 Tbsp of sweetener (brown sugar and agave nectar), but feel free to use more or less sugar. It depends on your tastes!

Place oat mixture into a bowl and top with walnuts. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Serves 1
Adapted from Mississippi Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup quick cooking oatmeal
2 tablespoons of “sugar” (I used 1 Tbsp of light brown sugar and 1 Tbsp of Agave nectar)
1/2 cup pure canned pumpkin or pumpkin puree
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoons nutmeg
A few crushed walnuts for topping (optional)

Directions:
Bring water to a boil over medium heat and stir in oats. Cook for 1 minute, stirring often, then remove from heat.

Stir in sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg. I used 2 Tbsp of sweetener (brown sugar and agave nectar), but feel free to use more or less sugar. It depends on your tastes!

Place oat mixture into a bowl and top with walnuts. Enjoy!

Maple Pumpkin Pie

Wouldn’t life be so much easier if our pets helped out? You know, with laundry or dishes or sweeping…nothing major but totally helpful. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately while packing up all my stuff. I’m moving this Saturday, and while I sweat and put stuff into boxes, my cat just sits there – unamused, and not helpful at all.

It’s plain and simply ungrateful, really. I feed her, change the waste that she deposits in a box each and every day, brush her, play with her and cuddle her…and she just sits there! The nerve….

Actually, while I was baking this pie, the last pie that will be made in my cute little apartment’s oven, the kitty strutted right up, and tried to dip her paw into the pumpkin filling bowl! Good heavens!

Anyway, I usually only make pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, but I am seriously craving pie this week. Like an insane amount. Also, I’ve been seeing tons of awesome pumpkin recipes floating around on blogs, so I figured I might as well hop on the pumpkin train! And I’m soooo glad I did!

To make the crust, mix the flour, salt, and sugar together in a medium bowl.
With a pastry fork, mix the butter and shortening into the flour mixture (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds with some very small pieces of butter remaining, but there should be no uncoated flour).

Empty mixture into medium bowl. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together.

Flatten dough into 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes. In this time you could go do your hair or practice a fishtail braid…whatever.

Preheat the oven to 375. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough large enough to fit a 8″ or 9″ pie pan. Place it in your pie pan and put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt.

Add the eggs and beat with a fork until mixed thoroughly.

Slowly add the half and half and maple extract, stir until combined.

It should look like this..

Remove pie crust from the freezer and fill the crust with the pumpkin filling.

Cover the edges of of the pie crust with foil or a pie crust sheild….uhhh…I guess I didn’t take a picture of that!

Bake for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 35 minutes or until the center is set or when a tooth pick or a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy! I did.

Maple Pumpkin Pie
Lightly adapted from The Hungry Housewife
Recipe makes 1 pie

Ingredients:
Pie Crust
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening , cut into 2 pieces
2 tablespoons vodka , cold
2 tablespoons cold water

Pie Filling
1 15 oz. can pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup half and half or whole milk
1 tablespoon maple extract

Directions:
Crust
Mix the flour, salt, and sugar together in a medium bowl.
With a pastry fork,two forks or your fingers, mix the butter and shortening into the flour mixture (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds with some very small pieces of butter remaining, but there should be no uncoated flour).
Empty mixture into medium bowl.
Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together.
Flatten dough into 4-inch disk.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Pie:
Preheat the oven to 375.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough large enough to fit a 8″ or 9″ pie pan.
Place it in your pie pan and put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile in a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon and salt.
Add the eggs and beat with a fork until mixed thoroughly.
Slowly add the half and half and maple extract, stir until combined.
Remove pie crust from the freezer and fill the crust with the pumpkin filling.
Cover the edges of of the pie crust with foil or a pie crust sheild.
Bake for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 35 minutes or until the center is set or when a tooth pick or a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack.

Other awesome pumpkin recipes:
Pumpkin Spice Latte
Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal by Mississippi Kitchen

Pumpkin Spice Latte

I’m busy. Next Monday and Thursday are my final exams and I’m swamped with final assignments and studying. Dinners have been a cinch though. Since my boy knows I’m swamped with school, he’s been taking over the kitchen for dinner and whipping up some really awesome eats! Tonight we’re having this quick pasta. Awesome.

Since I’m so busy I really like the times when I can just mellow out and take a breather. I made this latte this morning so that I had something to look forward to last night, and also so that my day started out happy. It’s cheaper than a coffee shop, it’s better than a coffee shop, and it plain and simply makes me happy. Have a great week everyone! xoxo

Pumpkin Spice Latte
From The Pastry Affair who adapted it from The Kitchn
Enough for two large mugs

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups strongly brewed coffee, hot
Whipped cream (optional, I didn’t use any)

Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, pumpkin, and brown sugar until steaming (do not boil!). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour milk mixture into a large blender and blend milk until frothy. Note: Be very careful when blending hot liquids as they expand and blend really quick.

Pour milk mixture evenly between 2 large mugs. Pour 1 cup hot coffee in each mug and top with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

Serve hot!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Today’s been an interesting day. I woke up and had a mad craving for muffins, so I rummaged around my cupboards to see what ingredients I had, checked my favorite baking blogs for recipes that included these ingredients, and got to work. After choosing Two Peas and Their Pod’s Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Muffins, I realized that I didn’t have any muffin tin liners (which I prefer using as opposed to spraying the muffin tin). Then once I got to work on the muffin batter, my favorite, trusty spatula snapped in half!! So, I used the half-spatula, and giggled through the whole recipe. Sometimes my mornings don’t go as smoothly as I imagine them. Jeepers…

Despite my broken spatula, these muffins turned out great! Thank goodness. Actually, these muffins are now my new favorite!! They beat my Strawberry Banana muffins, which have been a favorite of mine for years. Change is weird.

These muffins are made with the perfect blend of pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg, are swirled with a cinnamon sugar center, and are topped off with a gorgeous streusel topping. Tasty.

To begin, preheat the oven and line two muffin tins with cooking spray and set aside. Then, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set that aside too.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, water, pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla extract.

Whisk until smooth and combined.

Slowly stir in the flour mixture.

Mix until ingredients are combined.

For the streusel topping: mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix in the butter with your hands until the mixture is crumbly. Make brown sugar cinnamon filling too (no picture since it’s so easy, peasy).

Fill muffin cups half way full with the pumpkin batter.

Sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon filling over each half filled muffin cup.

Fill the muffins cups with the remaining batter. Top each muffin with streusel topping. I ate some of this streusel before baking it and went to heaven for a few minutes. This stuff is delish.

Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove pans from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Remove muffins from tins and enjoy.

Hello beautiful!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
This recipe makes 24 beautiful muffins
Taken from Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients
Muffin batter:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup water
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Streusel Topping:
1 1/4 cup oats
1 tablespoon flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with paper liners or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, water, pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth and combined.
4. Slowly stir in the flour mixture. Mix until ingredients are combined.
5. For the brown sugar cinnamon filling: in a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.
6. For the streusel topping: in a small bowl mix together the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix in the butter with your hands until the mixture is crumbly.
7. Fill muffin cups half way full with the pumpkin batter. Sprinkle the brown sugar cinnamon filling over each half filled muffin cup. Fill the muffins cups with the remaining batter. Top each muffin with streusel topping.
8. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove pans from oven and cool on a wire rack. Remove muffins from tins and enjoy.

Pumpkin Cranberry Granola Bars

Because I have excess pumpkin from my Pumpkin Molasses Cookies, I decided to look over a few of my favorite blogs for some ideas. I came across so many good looking pumpkin recipes (with half of them on Sugar Crafter’s blog) but found this granola bar recipe on The Comfort of Cooking’s blog and thought I could turn this into a healthy snack.

The pumpkin, applesauce and honey flavours burst together in your mouth. When mixed with the rolled oats and cranberries this granola bar becomes the perfect healthy snack!

Let’s get baking. First, preheat your oven and spray your 8 x 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk oats, spices, and salt together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth. I shouldn’t have used my red bowls to take pictures with….sorry for the ugliness! haha

Pour over oats and stir well, until all of the oats are moist. Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. The pumpkin keeps the bars moist, so make sure they are golden and set. Under baked bars are yucky. Yeah, I said it – yucky. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars.

Pumpkin Cranberry Granola bars
Adapted loosely from The Comfort of Cooking’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Makes 10-12 granola bars
3 weight watchers points for for 1 of 12 bars

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 x 8 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk oats, spices, and salt together. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Pour over oats and stir well, until all of the oats are moist. Stir in cranberries.
5. Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. The pumpkin keeps the bars moist, so make sure they are golden and set -you don’t want them to be under-baked!
6. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars.

Pumpkin Molasses Cookies

I feel like I don’t make enough pumpkin recipes. If I do, they are generally made quickly and at night so I can never blog about them! This is why I have chosen to make cookies. After seeing all of the amazing pumpkin baked goods at Christmas time, I knew I had to try to make at least one of them!

These cookies are amazing, and I owe a big thanks to petite kitchenesse for lending this recipe on her blog. The blend of spices is perfectly matched inside of this chewy, moist cookie. Just look inside of that thing…

The only problem?? I only used 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree and now I have almost a whole can left! If you have any suggestions on what I could make with the leftover pumpkin, let me know! I’m looking forward to suggestions!!

Let’s bake. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves and salt in a large bowl.

Beat butter and sugar together in a medium bowl until fluffy. Add pumpkin puree, molasses, and egg and mix until well combined.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and beat until a well-blended batter forms. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill a bowl with your rolling sugar. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of batter in sugar until well coated and place on sheet. The cookies will spread, so give them a couple inches of room.

Bake 10–12 minutes, or until cookies look cracked. Let them sit on the sheet for a few minutes after removing them from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Molasses Cookies
Recipe take from petite kitchenesse
Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
2 ⅓ cups AP flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar, plus more for rolling (if you have it, I recommend turbinado sugar for rolling)
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup molasses
1 egg

Directions:
1. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, cloves and salt in a large bowl.
2. Beat butter and sugar together in a medium bowl until fluffy. Add pumpkin puree, molasses, and egg and mix until well combined.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and beat until a well-blended batter forms.
4. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
5. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or two, if you’d like to prep a second sheet while the first one bakes).
6. Fill a bowl with your rolling sugar. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of batter in sugar until well coated and place on sheet. The cookies will spread, so give them a couple inches of room.
7. Bake 10–12 minutes, or until cookies look cracked. Let them sit on the sheet for a few minutes after removing them from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.