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Maple Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Crunchy Oat Topping

If it’s fall, you can pretty much bet that there is a pumpkin-flavored baked good in my house. I eat so much pumpkin in a 3 month period, that by Christmas, I’ve burnt myself out completely until the next fall. I’ve made a lot of pumpkin muffin recipes: pumpkin chocolate chip, pumpkin streusel, vegan pumpkin, pumpkin pie muffins, etc. I have to say I’m a big fan of the pumpkin streusel, because that sweet crumb topping can make pretty much anything taste better. But then an hour later, I’m on crash from the sugar and I regret eating them. These muffins have a streusel-inspired topping that gives the impression of the streusel topping without the flour and loads of butter and sugar. Also, replacing much of the oil with applesauce lightens up this recipe even more! Recipe can be doubled if you have a bigger crowd.

Healthy maple pumpkin spice muffins with crunchy Oat ToppingHealthy maple pumpkin spice muffins with crunchy Oat Topping

Maple Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Crunchy Oat Topping

Servings: 4

Healthy maple pumpkin spice muffins with crunchy Oat ToppingHealthy maple pumpkin spice muffins with crunchy Oat Topping

Ingredients:

For the muffins:

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup applesauce
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup (I used Agave maple syrup)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk of choice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup All purpose flour (or another 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For the topping:

  • 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil or butter
  • if using coconut oil, add dash of salt
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a Muffin tin and set aside.
  • Mix together pumpkin and applesauce. Add melted coconut oil and combine. Whisk in maple syrup, egg, vanilla, and milk.
  • Add in flours, baking soda, salt, and spices. Mix to combine, but do not over-mix.
  • Use a cupcake scoop to divide the batter evenly between eight muffin cups.
  • Combine melted butter or coconut oil, salt (if using), brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of unbaked cupcakes.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until muffin springs back to touch. Wait 4-5 minutes until slightly cooled to remove from pan.
  • maple pumpkin spice muffins with crunchy oat topping
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Vegan Pumpkin Overnight Oats

Who else loves overnight oats? They are so simple to make and you can constantly change up the ingredients so you don’t get tired of the same thing. It’s becoming my favorite time of the year: Pumpkin Season! So I hope you are prepared for basically pumpkin everything recipes for the next few months. I have even made pumpkin chili before – it was delicious!

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Vegan Pumpkin Overnight Oats

Servings: 5

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup pumpkin
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup (I used agave maple syrup)
  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup milk of choice – I used coconut milk

Instructions:

  • Combine pumpkin, chia, brown sugar and maple syrup. If you only have brown sugar or maple syrup, then I would suggest using either 1/4 cup brown sugar or 1/3 cup maple syrup depending on desired sweetness level.
  • Mix in spices, salt, oats, and vanilla and stir. Add milk and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy!

vegan pumpkin overnight oats with pecans maple syrup

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Sunshine Smoothie Bowl

It’s been almost 8 weeks since I started my blog. It has been so fulfilling for me to share all of my ideas and culinary creations with you! So much of my inspiration comes from the amazing images that my camera is able to create.  I never realized how much I would love my camera. I wish I had bought an amazing camera years ago! I spent months and months researching, trying to pick the best one, and I am so happy with the one I bought! This smoothie bowl is inspired by the beautiful sunflower field that was my first post on my blog.

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Sunshine Smoothie Bowl

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 apple of choice
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1 small container of plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon blue spirulina
  • Mango, almonds, etc for topping

Instructions:

Blend ingredients together and top with toppings if desired. Enjoy!

 

sunshine smoothie bowl mango almonds chia blueberry

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Pumpkin Cookie Butter

Guys. I did something dangerous today. I made a whole batch of this pumpkin cookie butter, and I have to admit, most of it didn’t make it to the fridge. I have a weakness for cookie butter. It just has the perfect mixture of tastes and textures. You can’t go wrong. Every time we have gone home this summer, I had to get the cookie butter ice cream from Braums. (It’s so tasty, you should check it out before it’s gone!) I had a crazy idea today. What if you could make a pumpkin version? I did, and it lives up to everything you would expect. With only THREE INGREDIENTS this recipe is super easy and delicious!

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Pumpkin Cookie Butter

Servings: 6-8 (or 1 if you’re me..)

Ingredients:

  • 18-20 gingersnap cookies or enough to make roughly 1 cup of cookie crumbs (I found pumpkin ginger snaps at the fresh market.)
  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted but slightly cooled (or coconut oil + pinch salt)

Instructions

  • Add cookies to a food processor and process until you have mostly fine crumbs. Pulse for a few seconds at a time until you have a coarse meal. It’s okay if there are still a few small cookie chunks as this adds more a cookie-like texture. You can also use a tightly sealed bag and a meat tenderizer or rolling pin.
  • Mix together pumpkin and butter. Add cookie crumbs and mix. Enjoy!

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Gooey Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Blondies

Gooey soft chocolate chip peanut butter blondie barsThese chocolate chip peanut butter bars are so tasty. Eating one of these is like eating a big scoop of peanut butter cookie dough. Plus they are completely vegan and dairy-free so you could just eat the dough if you feel like it (hey, I won’t judge you.) They taste like you are eating a giant Reese’s peanut butter cup in bar form.  They were a perfect addition to our Labor Day weekend at the lake.

Gooey Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Blondies

Servings: 16-20 bars

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 8 x 13 inch baking pan and set aside.
  • Combine peanut butter, apple sauce, sugars, almond milk, and vanilla.
  • Add oats, flour, baking soda, and salt and mix well. It will be hard to mix at first. If you need to thin the batter out, add more milk 1 tablespoon at a time.
  • Stir in chocolate chips.
  • Transfer to greased dish and press down with a spatula.
  • Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Vegan chocolate chip gooey peanut butter bars Blondies dessert

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Raspberry Matcha Coconut Chia Pudding

I never used to like chia pudding. I had tried a lot of recipes and just wasn’t a fan of the taste or texture. I have recently started trying recipes with the chia seeds mixed with different flavors, like raspberry. The raspberries themselves have seeds, so you brain is already expecting a little more of the texture and crunch. I made this pudding as a snack the other day and could not stop eating it. I got to the end of this Mason jar and wished I had another Mason jar full of this delicious pudding. The earthiness of the matcha mixed with the creaminess of the coconut milk and the sweet but tartness of the raspberries together was a divine combination.

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Raspberry Matcha Coconut Chia Pudding

Servings: 1

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon matcha powder
  • handful of raspberries
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar or other sweetener
  • toppings: more raspberries, slivered almonds, coconut chips

Instructions:

Combine 1 tablespoon of chia and half of coconut milk and let sit for at least 2 hours or overnight. Combine the rest of the coconut milk and matcha and combine. Add chia and let sit for at least 2 hours or overnight. Add raspberries to a sauce pan and heat on medium until raspberries have come apart and start to form a purée. Add sugar and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Let cool before serving. Assemble, layering if desired.

 

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Mini Apple Galettes With Bourbon Caramel Sauce

I’m now obsessed with making galettes. They are the easiest dessert I’ve ever made! They can also be sweet or savory with any fillings that you have on hand. It’s been really rainy in the south and this dessert will definitely cheer you up on a rainy day.

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Mini Apple Galettes with Bourbon Caramel Sauce

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

For the crust (Adapted from Williams Sonoma Pie Crust)

  • 1 1/4 cups All Purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon Morena sugar
  • 3 tablespoons ice water
  • egg white
  • Turbinado sugar

For the apples:

  • 2 ripe apples (I used honey crisp), cored and thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • squeeze lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon corn starch

For the caramel sauce

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • up to 1 tablespoon good Bourbon
  • 1/4 cup milk (the milk makes this more saucey, but if you want thicker caramel, then substitute with half and half)
  • pinch salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

  1. Add all purpose flour, salt, and sugar to a food processor. Pulse 2-3 times to combine. Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing in between until mixture starts to come together. Be sure not to add too much water, as the dough will be sticky. Wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
  2. Combine apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, and corn starch. Toss to combine and set aside for 1-2 hours.
  3. Heat the butter, brown sugar, and milk (or half and half) together in a pan, stirring regularly. Heat for 5-10 minutes until thickened. Add Bourbon and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Take off stove and add salt and vanilla.
  4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove crust dough from saran wrap and place on an even surface lightly coated with flour. Cut dough in half, and then cut each half into thirds, until you have 6 even sections of pie dough. Roll each on a lightly floured surface until 1/8 inch thick. You can put the dough back in the fridge after rolling it out to firm it up again for a few minutes.
  5. Divide apple mixture evenly between the 6 rounds of rolled pie dough. Take care to only use the fruit and leave as much juice behind, as this will seep through the bottom pie crust. Brush crust with egg white and sprinkle Turbinado sugar.
  6. Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.
  7. Serve with caramel sauce.

 

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Blackberry Pie Oats

This big bowl of oatmeal, reminiscent of blackberry pie, is sweetened with dates and blackberry jam with no added sugar.

Blackberry Pie Oats

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

  • 5 pitted dates, chopped finely
  • 1 3/4 cup water
  • 1 cup oats
  • Pinch salt
  • Few drops of vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Blackberry jam
  • Milk of choice, if desired
  • Toppings: blackberries, pecans, granola, etc.

Instructions:

  • Add the dates, salt, and water to a small pot or sauce pan and bring to a boil.
  • Add oats, cinnamon, and vanilla. Remove from heat, and cover. Let cook for 10-15 minutes until oats are soft. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of milk of choice, if desired.
  • Swirl in blackberry jam and add toppings if desired. Enjoy!
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Roasted Peach Pie Crumble

Did you know that today is National Peach Pie Day? It also happens to be National Waffle Day – how is a girl supposed to choose? I ended up making these peach pie-inspired roasted peach crumbles. These are super delicious and incredibly easy to make. They also make a great breakfast. IMG_8419.jpg

This recipe can also easily be made vegan by swapping out the butter for coconut oil.

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Roasted Peach Pie Crumble

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 peaches, halved and pitted
  • 1.5 tablespoons butter, melted (or coconut oil)
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons oats
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons flour of choice (I used almond flour)
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar or sweetener of choice
  • pinch of salt (larger pinch if using coconut oil)

Instructions:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange peaches, cut side up, in a greased baking dish.
  • Combine melted butter, oats, cinnamon, flour, brown sugar, and salt in a bowl. Spoon topping over peaches.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes until peaches are cooked through and topping is browning. Enjoy!

roasted peach crumb

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Fluffy Souffle Pancakes

Holy pancakes, these things are good. Fluffy like a souffle but crispy like a pancake, these babies are the best of both worlds. My husband, a self proclaimed “pancake hater” (yes, these weirdos exist) gobbled these up in a few minutes. It didn’t take long to whip these up, and we enjoyed breakfast for dinner. With a side of fresh fruit and drizzled with agave maple syrup, these souffle pancakes were a tasty end to a long day.

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Fluffy Souffle Pancakes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1/3 cup unflavored yogurt
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • slightly over 1/4 cup buttermilk (1/4 cup milk with 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar mixed in, let sit for a few minutes before adding)
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • few drops vanilla extract

Instructions:

  • Mix together milk and apple cider vinegar. Let sit on the counter for a few minutes
  • Mix together egg yolks, yogurt, powdered sugar, and buttermilk.
  • Sift flour and baking powder into mixture and mix well.
  • Add lemon to egg whites and whip until they form stiff peaks.
  • Fold egg whites into yolk mixture. Take care to fold in gently and do not overmix. Add a few more teaspoons of milk if mixture is too thick.
  • Drop mixture onto a heated griddle. I used a cupcake scoop to make the pancakes similar sizes. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  • Serve with syrup and fresh fruit.