gluten-free vegan pumpkin baked mini donuts

my first experiment with a mini donut pan turned out a success! these are subtly sweet, though they have no sugar, and only use up 2 cups of your gluten-free flours- and none of the guilt associated with real donuts.

my pan makes 12 at a time, and this batch of batter makes 48 plus 5 regular muffin tins (i got lazy). if you think you’ll do mini donuts again, i would highly recommend investing in 2 pans, or you’ll be in the kitchen all evening! of course, the original recipe is for regular muffins, if you just want to do that. adapted from Wildflower Morning Recipes.

p.s. see my post today at The Love Vitamin!

1/3 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (like coconut or almond)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon each: nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1/3 cup organic honey
1 cup millet flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup raisins

1. preheat oven to 325 F.
2. add to a blender: coconut oil, milk, spices, salt, pumpkin, and honey. blend. use a spatula to scrape the mixture up from the bottom- it’s a little thick.
3. in a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, flaxseed, baking powder and soda, and raisins.
4. pour the blender contents into the mixing bowl. stir very well.
5. spoon batter into a gallon size plastic ziploc bag. cut off a very small tip from one bottom corner to squeeze the batter through, like a pastry bag.
6. squeeze batter into the pan, sprayed very well with cooking spray. bake 15 minutes. let cool for at least 2 minutes before removing donuts from the pan. now you’re ready for the next batch! spray the pan before every new batch.

and the perfect companion for gifts of some pumpkin donuts? 2 little felt bat stuffies i made, just in time for halloween

pumpkin-sweet potato-carrot-peanut soup

the name is a mouthful. but this soup is an amazing blend of three excellent, orange food sources of beta-carotene. vitamin a is super important for skin health. and a perfect blend of fall flavors, just right for september.

not the best project for a day when you are short on time, but it makes a lot of soup, so the prep time is well worth it. i put a container in the freezer to thaw out later, and the rest filled up much of a 2-liter (!!) pitcher in the fridge.

if you’re not into p.b., sub a nut butter of your choice. this is inspired by two recipes, from Cheap. Fast. Good! by Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross and Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites by the Moosewood Collective.

peanut sauce (makes 1 and 1/4 cups):
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon molasses (spray your tablespoon first with canola spray!)
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
soup:
1 large sweet potato, scrubbed
1 can pure pumpkin
4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 teaspoon olive (or other) oil
1/2 teaspoon each of sea salt, cinnamon, turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
3/4 cup non-dairy milk (like almond or coconut)

prep:
bake the sweet potato wrapped in foil in the oven at 375 F for up to 1 and 1/2 hours. (i intentionally overcooked to make it extra soft for blending).  meanwhile, start on:

part 1: the peanut sauce.
in a blender, blend all ingredients until well-combined. set aside.

part 2: the soup- begin when your potato is almost done baking, with 15-20 minutes left.  
1. simmer the carrots on medium-high in 2 cups broth and 1/2 cup water, stirring occasionally. you want them to be soft and cooked through- at least 20 minutes.
2. meanwhile, in a skillet heated to medium, add oil and sauté onion with sea salt, cinnamon, turmeric, and cumin.
3. in a blender or food processor, purée the potato in 1 and 1/2 cups broth with the cooked onion and spices. you may need to take a spoon and stir up un-blended potato from the bottom. pour this purée into a large soup pot on medium-low (this soup is not about speed. cooking it on higher heat will only make it splatter out of your pot!). stir in the pumpkin.
4. purée the cooked carrots in the remaining 1/2 cup broth. again, you may need to use a spoon to help it get fully blended. add this to the pot.
5. whisk into the pot: peanut sauce, milk, and 1 and 1/2 cups water. continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the soup has thickened and combined to an even consistency.

another pumpkin iteration: the smoothie

a friend gave me this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, and it’s a winner. it’s low-sugar, especially if you use unsweetened milk and natural nut butter. this is perfect for breakfast. i might try it again and find a way to make the pumpkin stand out more, maybe add some vanilla…

1/4 to 1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon nut butter
1 cup non-dairy milk (like almond or coconut)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 banana
a few ice cubes

make your own pumpkin spice latte

already my third pumpkin-related recipe on here. but pumpkin=comfort, and i don’t want to wait all year for it.

this is obviously not as sugary sweet as the starbucks version because you’re not using  a thick syrup, but the pumpkin itself adds the creamy thickness you would find in a good latte. and the homemade way is naturally low-sugar! i didn’t even feel like it needed my liquid stevia, but i’m sure you could add a few drops.

adapted from a recipe at the kitchn, a site from where i will surely be testing more recipes.

2 tablespoons dark ground coffee
1 and 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (like almond or coconut)
at least 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin (but… i did about 4)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1. brew your coffee- if you’re using a regular coffee maker, brew coffee with 1/2 cup water. you’re only going to be using 1/4 cup total of brewed coffee, but somehow it evaporates if you use only 1/4 cup water in the coffee maker to begin with. if you’re a lucky french press owner, you might need to do that, too.
2. warm milk in a pot over medium heat on the stove, whisking WELL to combine the pumpkin, vanilla, and spices.
3. pour 1/4 cup coffee into a large mug, and pour the milk mixture on top. enjoy the taste of fall year-round!

gluten-free pumpkin pancakes

these were the fluffiest pancakes i’ve ever had, adapted from a recipe at gluten free mommy.

in my amateur research, i started noticing that wheat is eliminated from a general anti-inflammatory diet, so i decided to try to reduce my consumption.

tip- set aside another mix of all the dry ingredients to make the next batch easier!

1 cup brown rice flour
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/2 teaspoon each: baking soda, salt, xanthan gum
1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon raw sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons oil (i used olive)
6 tablespoons canned pumpkin
1 cup non-dairy milk (like almond or coconut)
1 cage-free egg

1. stir dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then stir the wet into dry.
2. spray a skillet heated on medium with cooking spray. use a bit less than 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. flip over with a spatula to cook the other sides.
3. enjoy with pure maple syrup.