The Asian pear scones were so delicious – moist and flavorful – that I decided to try another scone. These pumpkin scones are also very moist, with warm spices. Perfect served warm for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea. And easy to make.
In the bowl of a food processor (or a medium size bowl) combine:
1/4 cup Spectrum shortening (or full fat solid coconut oil or congealed olive oil*)
Pulse until crumbly (or use a pastry cutter or fork to combine until crumbly). Place mixture in a medium bowl. Add:
1/2 cup oat milk
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
Mix until just combined. Spray a small baking sheet (9×15) or line with parchment paper. Turn the mixture out onto the baking sheet and form into a flattened circle approximately 8″ diameter. Using a wet knife, cut into quarters and then cut each quarter in half to form 8 triangles. Arrange pieces approximately 1″ apart on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes (20-30 depending on your oven), or until the top is slightly firm when pressed and the scones are slightly darker in color. Cool.
OPTIONAL:
Glaze with a mixture of monk fruit confectioners sugar (approximately 2 tablespoons) and 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup. Add 1-2 teaspoons water as needed to form a thin glaze, or more maple syrup. Drizzle over scones.
*Put the olive oil in the freezer about an hour before you need it and it will solidify.
Quick breads are so easy to make and so delicious to eat. Flavorful with warm spices, they take minutes to mix together and, when gluten-free, can take almost an hour to bake. But definitely worth it. Here’s a pumpkin quick bread recipe that will delight your whole family. I used allspice and ground cloves but feel free to use cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or ginger (pumpkin pie spices) instead. Various flours can also be used including all-purpose (I use the 1 to 1) but whatever one you choose will work. For a lighter bread, eliminate the protein powder and use an additional half cup of one of the other flours.
First make some flax gel by combining in a small dish:
2 tablespoons ground flax meal
1/4 cup warm water
Whisk to combine and set aside to gel. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a bread pan (9×5″) with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Into your mixer’s bowl or a medium bowl (if using a hand mixer), add:
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup maple syrup (date or agave syrup, honey)
1/4 cup avocado oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Mix until combined before adding:
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup pumpkin protein powder (or another 1/2 cup of any of the flours)
2 teaspoons allspice
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 to 1/2 cup date sugar (depending on your taste)
the flax gel
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional, you could use chocolate or carob chips instead)
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (optional to sprinkle on top in the pan)
Mix until all ingredients are well combined. This is a thick dough. Spoon into the prepared bread pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds if desired. Bake for 50-60 minutes. When a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean cook for another 5 minutes. Cool on a rack. Great warm or toasted the next day. Will keep for several days in an airtight container.
This is a revision of my Gingerbread Cookies that I posted a couple of years ago. Gingerbread cookies and ginger snaps are my favorite kinds of cookies but this past year, I’ve found that ginger, as well as cinnamon, bother me. But one of my favorite things about Christmas is that I allow myself to indulge in a batch of gingerbread cookies. How am I supposed to do that this year? Well, I revised the recipe taking out the cinnamon and ginger and replacing it with allspice (my favorite spice) along with some ground cloves and coriander. I’ve found in the past that these cookies don’t affect my blood sugar unless I eat too many which is easy to do, they’re so delicious!
In a large bowl (or the bowl of a table-top mixer), beat until combined:
1 cup shortening (such as Spectrum)
1/2 cup date sugar
1 teaspoon monk fruit powder
Beat on medium speed until well mixed. Add:
1/2 cup agave nectar (date syrup, honey or coconut nectar would also work)
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (or sweet potato puree)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Mix on medium speed until combined. Add the dry ingredients a cup at a time (combine them in a large bowl first):
1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca (or cassaba) flour/starch
1/2 cup arrowroot
1/2 cup sweet sorghum flour
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
Mix until well combined. If using a hand mixer, best to add half the dry ingredients and then use a large spoon because the dough too thick for a hand-mixer. Form into a round disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 1/2 to 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough spreading out the plastic wrap to cover the countertop. Put a sheet of parchment paper over the top and roll out to 1/8 to 1/2 inch depending on your taste. Cut using a cookie cutter or a knife and place on the baking sheets. These cookies don’t spread so they can be baked close together. Repeat until all dough is used. Bake 10-20 minutes depending on thickness and your taste (soft or crunchy). When the cookies are still soft to the touch but browned (which is hard to tell with the molasses in them!), they’re cooked. Cool on cooling racks.
For a simple frosting combine (for every 4 cookies):
2 tablespoons monk fruit confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon milk/vanilla/extract (I used some of my coffee)
Whisk to combine. Use immediately, it will harden fairly quickly.
I’ve never been a fan of flavored coffee. When I drink a cup of coffee, I want to taste coffee. But the other day I saw spiced pumpkin latte on a menu and was fascinated. I looked up a recipe and found a version of this one on-line. It’s converted my thinking. I’m thinking I’ll try some other flavored coffees now. This one is so delicious, rich and creamy. But the best part is that now I can have 19 more mugs of spiced pumpkin latte without making flavoring. This recipe actually makes about 4 cups of syrup. If, like me, you use 1/4 cup of the syrup in each 2-cup mug, you’ll get 20 cups of rich and creamy latte. And like most of my recipes, feel free to adapt it to your taste by adding more or less instant coffee (or espresso) as well as adjusting the sweetener to your liking.
In a 2-quart saucepan combine:
1 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree
2 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup date syrup*
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (adjust this to your taste as well)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons instant coffee (or espresso)
Whisk to combine all ingredients and cook over medium high heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium to medium low and cook until the syrup mixture coats the back of a spoon. I cooked it over medium low (I was afraid of burning it) so it took about 40 minutes to reduce. Makes 4 cups of syrup (more or less).
*Feel free to use your favored sweetener. If I make this for my son, I’ll probably use stevia.
Using the syrup to make a spiced pumpkin latte:
In a small saucepan (or if you want it faster, in a microwaveable large mug) heat:
2 cups non-dairy milk (oatmilk froths very well)
When hot combine with:
1/4 cup spiced pumpkin latte syrup (more if you want it stronger)
Heat until desired temperature. If you want the milk frothy, use a milk froth device or I used my immersion blender (don’t do this in the mug! you’ll have a mess of oatmilk all over your counter!). If desired top with a whipped non-dairy cream.
Using this syrup to make spiced pumpkin latte pudding (or creme brulee):
In a 2-quart saucepan combine:
1 cup spiced pumpkin latte syrup
2 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (DO NOT USE SOYMILK)
1/2 to 2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso
In a small bowl combine:
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
3 tablespoons arrowroot
Whisk to combine and make a slurry before adding to the saucepan. Heat over medium high heat, whisking every few minutes (I usually whisk it almost constantly) until the mixture comes to a boil at which point it should also be thickening. Remove from the heat and pour into serving dishes. If creme brulee is desired, after the pudding cools, top with 1 teaspoon sugar in each dish and brulee. Makes approximately 6, 6-ounce servings.
Here’s another take on those Sweet Potato pie squares I blogged a couple years ago. This one is lower in sugar and is fat-free as well. But, just as tasty! Makes 9 servings and will keep in the frig for about 5 days (if it lasts that long!).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×9″ square baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside. In a small bowl combine:
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
5 tablespoons warm water
Set aside for a few minutes to form a flax gel. In a food processor bowl, combine:
1 cup pumpkin seeds (or any seed your family likes, even walnuts or pecans if you can have them)
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, etc., whichever you prefer
1 teaspoon date sugar
Process until the mixture forms a fine crumb. Add the flax gel and blend until the mixture forms a dough, about 30 seconds. Pour into the prepared baking dish and using your fingers, a spatula, or the bottom of a measuring cup, press firmly into the pan and up the sides. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
4 cups pureed pumpkin (2 15-ounce cans of pumpkin puree)
1/3 cup date sugar (or maple syrup, honey or agave)
3 tablespoons arrowroot
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of salt
Whisk until combined. Pour into the prepared dish and bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool in pan for at least one hour before cutting. I like mine really cold so I cool on the counter for an hour and then in the refrigerator for several hours before I cut into squares. But as you see in the photo, I couldn’t wait that long this time and cut it before it was fully cooled. Once cooled it does stand up like it should! Can be topped with any non-dairy topping or frozen “nice” cream.
If you’re looking for a delicious, easy to make snack, this just might work for you. It’s very easy to put together and has a wide variety of possible flavors. I made carob bites but mocha, coffee, vanilla, pumpkin, etc., etc., etc., would work. It’s very easy to do.
First, line a small baking sheet with waxed paper. In a medium bowl combine:
1 cup cooked quinoa (I packed my 1 cup measure like one would brown sugar)*
1/4 cup carob powder (or other powder of choice, see variations below)
1/4 cup date syrup (agave, coconut, maple or honey all would work depending on the flavor desired)
1/4 cup seed or nut butter (again can vary depending on flavor)
1 tablespoon whole chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Mix all the above together until well combined. Using a small cookie scoop (mine was 1 tablespoon), scoop out the mixture and drop on the prepared baking sheet. Freeze for 1-3 hours depending on size. My 1 tablespoon scoop produced 24 bites and they froze within 1 hour.
*Quinoa is very quick and easy to cook. For this recipe combine 1/2 cup quinoa, a pinch of salt, and 1 cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for approximately 15 minutes or until water is gone and quinoa is translucent.
VARIATIONS:
COFFEE: Use 1/4 cup instant coffee and delete the vanilla extract, add coffee extract or a little water if mixture is too tight
MOCHA: Use 2 tablespoons instant coffee and 2 tablespoons carob powder (or cocoa if possible)
PUMPKIN: Use 1/4 cup pumpkin flavored protein powder (not pumpkin seed protein powder which has no taste)
VANILLA: Use 1/4 cup plain or vanilla protein powder; I would suggest using white quinoa and white chia seeds for vanilla as well as agave nectar
ALMOND: Use 1/4 cup almond butter, a 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and plain protein powder
MAPLE: Would probably work best with 1/4 cup maple syrup, maple extract instead of vanilla and the mildest of butters, perhaps tahini or cashew with plain or maple flavored protein powder
Use your imagination! As many combinations as we can think of would be possible for these bites.
I’ve been looking at all kinds of recipes for baked “oats”. But none of them have actual oatmeal in them, they all use oat flour. So here’s my alternative. I’ve added some quinoa flour and oat protein powder to the mix to increase the protein content of the pudding as well as increasing the sweetener a little because the flour, at least in my opinion, overrides the taste of the pumpkin and spices. I didn’t think of it until after they were in the oven but adding some roasted pepitas would some crunch.
As a reminder for those of you new to my blog, there are a number of allergen-free recipes here to make your Thanksgiving dinner allergen free such as gluten-free gravy (and fat free), string-bean casserole, vegan pumpkin pie, and a delicious mushroom and Italian sausage stuffing (which I made this year with a loaf of that quick and easy oat bread on the blog).
Lightly grease 6, 6-ounce ramekins and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl whisk together:
1 can pumpkin puree
1 cup quinoa flour
3/4 cup oat flour
1/4 cup pumpkin protein powder (or any protein powder you use, vanilla or even chocolate would work)
1/3 to 1/2 cup maple syrup (or honey, coconut nectar, date syrup, etc.)
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup dairy-free milk (any will do but I would advise against using soy)
1/4 cup roasted pepita seeds
1/4 teaspoon of salt
Whisk until smooth then scoop into the ramekins to about 1/2″ from the top. Dust top with more pumpkin pie spice. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until set.
I’ve never had a blondie since I’ve always preferred bars made with chocolate. Now that I no longer can have chocolate, it seems like a good time to check out blondies. I understand from watching people make them on TV that they should be very dense and moist, almost fudgy, rather than cake-like. This recipe, adapted from thebigmansworld.com, doesn’t have any flour and can be made without any sweetener as well. I opted for some date sugar which I think pumpkin really needs and added some vanilla to the mixture as well but if you want to intensify the pumpkin or sweet potato flavor, a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spices would go well. Be sure to chill them thoroughly before slicing and removing from the pan. And, the smaller the pan, the thicker the blondies will be (I used an 8″ square pan for the pumpkin and an 8″ round for the sweet potato.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray with non-stick cooking spray, a small baking pan (8″ or less). Put into a medium sized, microwave safe mixing bowl:
1/2 cup pumpkin seed butter (or any other butter your family likes)
Heat for about 1 minute which should thin it out a little. If you’re using roasted (brown) pumpkin seed butter or a thicker butter such as sunflower, this may take longer to melt. Add to the butter:
1 cup pumpkin or sweet potato puree
2 tablespoons carob powder
1/4 cup fine date sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stir until all ingredients are combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes depending on the size of your baking dish – the 8″ pans took the full 20 minutes in my oven. They will puff up slightly when they are cooked. Cool on the counter for 15-20 minutes and then refrigerate and chill completely before slicing and serving. Number of pieces will also depend on the size of the pan you used – I got 9 pieces from the square pan.
Who doesn’t love a sticky bun? All gooey, finger licking delicious. But many of us find working with yeast not an easy chore. I had to start this recipe 3 times because the yeast didn’t bubble up the way it should, first had the water too hot, then too cool but the third time I got it right. The water should have the same temperature as your inner wrist so that it doesn’t feel hot or cold on your wrist, just warmth. These take some time but they are so definitely worth it.
First, preheat oven to 200. While it’s heating up in a small bowl mix together:
2 teaspoons yeast
3 tablespoons warm water (around 110 degrees, see above)
3 tablespoons agave nectar (or coconut, or honey) [I actually used date sugar at the end instead of the nectar so if it doesn’t work with the nectar try date sugar; mixture will of course be much thicker so add a little more water.]
Whisk to combine and set aside for 5-10 minutes. Yeast should start bubbling fairly quickly. If it doesn’t, throw it out and start over again. While the yeast is working, in a large bowl combine:
1 1/4 cups all purpose, gluten-free flour such as 1to1 or cup4cup
1/2 cup oat flour
1/3 cup brown rice flour
6 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 3/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
Stir to mix well. If the yeast is now activated and bubbly, stir into it:
3 tablespoons avocado oil
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise (or non-dairy yogurt)
Whisk and then mix into the dry ingredients until just combined. Turn dough out onto a flat surface covered with plastic wrap and knead just until it comes together. Spray the bowl with non-stick spray and return the dough to the bowl cover with plastic wrap and let rest about 15-20 minutes.
Turn off the preheated oven. Turn the dough back out onto the plastic wrap surface sprinkled with some of the flour and roll out to approximately 14″x10″ rectangle. Spread with a filling of:
4 tablespoons vegan margarine or avocado oil
6 tablespoons date sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Leave about 1/2″ unfilled along one of the 10″ sides to help seal the buns. Roll the dough beginning on the edge you didn’t leave unfilled and be sure to rub the last edge into the roll to seal it. Cut into 10-11 rolls* using a knife or pizza cutter (or even dental floss). Spray with non-stick cooking spray a baking dish large enough to hold the buns loosely. Or grease the dish generously with vegan margarine and sprinkle with chopped nuts or seeds if desired. Place the buns in the dish, leaving space for them to rise. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the oven to rise for approximately 2 hours until they’re about doubled in size. Remove and heat the oven to 375 degrees. While the oven heats, prepare the glaze by mixing:
1/2 cup agave nectar (or coconut nectar)
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/4 cup avocado oil
1/4 cup honey
*I actually cut my buns much smaller so I got 15-16 rather than the 10-11. Pour the glaze over the buns before baking.* Bake for 25-30 minutes depending on the size of the buns. A toothpick inserted in the middle of the dough part of a bun (in the middle of the pan) coming out clean means they are cooked. Remove and serve immediately. The sticky part will be on the bottom of the buns. Easily reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds per bun.
*If preferred, use a glaze after baking instead of the honey bee glaze. Whisk together:
6 tablespoons vegan margarine
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar-free confectioners sugar (there’s a monk fruit based one available)
This is a very simple recipe although it’s not quick because of the need to chill the dough before forming the balls. I can’t tell you how delicious these are since I couldn’t eat them – all the non-dairy cream cheeses on the market contain either soy, coconut or are made from a nut milk, none of which I can eat. However, my daughter-in-law tells me they are scrumptious.
In the bowl of a food processor:
22-24 gluten-free pseudo graham crackers (see recipe under Appetizers and Snacks)
Pulse until the crackers are nothing but crumbs. Remove and measure them. The crumbs should measure about 2 cups. Add to the food processor:
8 ounces non-dairy cream cheese (I used the Kite brand and it’s quite soft so I needed to add the full 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup fine date sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger)
1 1/2-2 cups pseudo graham cracker crumbs (depending on the softness of the non-dairy cream cheese you use)
Pulse until well blended. The mixture should come together into a cookie dough like consistency. It may be slightly sticky. If so, add a little more cracker crumbs. Remove from the food processor into a medium bowl, cover and chill in the refrigerator for several hours. Line a medium baking tray with parchment or waxed paper and drop dough by tablespoons onto the paper. If the dough is firm enough, just chill again until set. If the dough is still very soft, freeze for 1/2 to 1 hour.At this point, these can be just rolled in ground nuts or seeds or covered with carob or chocolate.
In a double boiler, over not in hot water, melt 16 ounces carob chips (or if chocolate is possible, use whatever brand of chocolate chips you like). I know that many people now use the microwave to melt chocolate but I find it makes it grainy so I don’t recommend it. When the balls are firm and the chips melted, spoon the melted carob over each ball to cover and then sprinkle with ground nuts or seeds (pumpkin seeds would work very well here). Chill again until the carob sets. Place in an airtight tin and keep in the refrigerator (it is after all cheesecake!). Makes 30-36 balls.
FYI: Since my daughter-in-law loves milk chocolate, I used milk chocolate chips when I made these for her. I also tried dipping the balls into the chocolate but found that they began melting into the hot chocolate so I suggested pouring the carob or chocolate over the balls instead of dipping them.
cookingwithoutallergens 