Coconut Milk Pumpkin Pie

Last year I made a pumpkin pie out of Silk Very Vanilla Soymilk, but this year I was much more impressed with how it turned out using full fat coconut milk. I made it sugar free as well, using Splenda, although I would recommend using Stevia instead--it's much better for you! Or try making it with Agave syrup. I'm going to try that next time.

I loved how the color turned out--it's looks like it's made with regular milk but it's a bit lighter, unlike the soy milk which makes it darker. And the full fat canned coconut milk has the same consistency as cream so I only needed two eggs. I also used organic pumpkin-go me! Tastes delicious!

Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pie crust
3/4 cup sweetner (white sugar, stevia, Splenda, or Agave syrup)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
15oz can pumpkin
12 oz full fat canned coconut milk, shaken

Directions:1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Mold the pie crust into a pie dish and fold excess dough under the edges. Poke holes in the bottom so your beautiful crust doesn't shrink like mine did! (Oops)
3. Mix sugar, salt, and spices in a small bowl until thoroughly blended.

4. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Stir in the pumpkin and then the sugar and spice mixture.

5. Gradually add full fat coconut milk and stir until completely blended. Pour into pie crust.

6. Bake for 15 minutes to set, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 40 minutes. To check if the pie is done, stick a knife through the middle and see if it comes up clean. If there is a layer of pumpkin on it, you may need to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. 

Dairy Free, Egg Free Pumpkin Ice Cream

It's that time again! Fall is here, and I'm super excited about pumpkin everything! I've already had my pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks, and the annual Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival is in two weeks. There we will get big pumpkins from the pumpkin patch and enjoy pumpkin pancakes, smoothies, curry, pie, bread, and even pumpkin ale!

I had a go at some dairy free pumpkin ice cream and it is so delicious. It tastes just like pumpkin pie without the crust. My recipe is completely vegan and low in sugar. Add an extra half cup of soy milk to make it creamier and less pumpkiny, if you like it like that. I hope you have an ice cream maker!

Ingredients:
1 15 oz can full fat coconut milk, chilled
1 15 oz can pureed pumpkin, chilled
1/2 cup Very Vanilla Silk Soymilk (optional)
1/3 cup agave syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:
1. Stir all ingredients together until smooth. I used an electric mixer but it's not necessary.

2. Pour into your completely frozen electric ice cream maker and it should be soft serve ready in 15-20 minutes! Put it in the freezer for an hour to harden it up if you prefer. If storing in the freezer, let it soften for a half hour before eating.

                                                

Missing Fall-Not Fat Pumpkin Bread

Here is a deliciously healthy pumpkin bread recipe that is more like a true bread rather than the cake-like version that is served in coffee shops. The 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour gives it some substance, while the 1/2 cup of Splenda replaces half of the sugar, and the extra pumpkin eliminates the need for lots of oil. Though I don't recommend using all whole wheat flour, go all out and use all Splenda, more pumpkin to replace the 1/8 cup of oil, and all egg whites if you want; but this combination is a good one. It remains moist and flavorful--try for yourself! After many attempts at creating the perfect healthy pumpkin bread, I have come up with a recipe I will use year after year.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup Splenda
1 tsp baking soda
1 15ounce can of pumpkin puree
1/8 cup olive oil
1 egg, 2 egg whites, beaten
1/4 cup apple cider
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl mix together flour, salt, sugar, Splenda, baking soda, and spices until well blended.

2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, oil, eggs, and apple cider. Add dry ingredients into this mixture, and stir until combined and completely moistened but do not over mix. It needs to stay spongy.

3. Carefully fold in raisins and nuts.

4. Pour into greased loaf pan--even if it is non-stick you need to oil it. Bake 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Once finished, let cool for up to an hour before removing from pan. Enjoy at your holiday event!

This bread is best stored in the refrigerator.

Sweet and "Creamy" Pumpkin Soup

I've always been disappointed by ready to serve butternut squash soups when I read the label and find out they are made with milk or cream. Recently I found one at Whole Foods that was made with soy milk, but I have to say it was a little bland. The taste of soy took away from the delicious sweetness of the butternut squash. So I had a go at creating my own "creamy" soup, and I used canned pumpkin since it was so readily available. The vanilla soy milk I used made it so thick and sweet that my husband and I devoured it! The sage and black pepper balances out the sweetness so it doesn't taste like you are slurping pumpkin pie. It makes a great compliment to an entree of chicken or turkey. I will probably make this again for our Thanksgiving dinner feast!

Ingredients
1 15ounce can pumpkin
1 1/2 pumpkin cans of Silk Very Vanilla Soymilk
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions
1. Empty pumpkin into at least a 2 quart saucepan and place burner on medium heat.
2. Measure the soy milk in the empty pumpkin can. Slowly stir in Very Vanilla Soymilk until evenly blended.
3. Add sage, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and sea salt and heat until almost boiling, stirring often.
4. Ladle in a bowl, sprinkle with ground sage, and serve with buttery crackers. We like Social Snackers from Trader Joes; they are dairy free and contain no hydrogenated oils, yet still maintain that buttery taste that is so addicting.

Soy Milk Pumpkin Pie

Soy Milk Pumpkin Pie

For my husband's birthday I usually make him a pumpkin pie instead of cake, since he considers it the best dessert ever created. I was an expert at making a creamy, melt-in-your mouth pumpkin pie. Now that eating anything made with 12 ounces of condensed milk is out of the question for me, I thought I would take a shot at making it lactose intolerant friendly. There are a bunch of dairy free pumpkin pie recipes out there, but I think you'll find mine particularly tasty. My husband loves it!

Ingredients
1 refrigerated pie crust
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs, 1 egg white
15oz can pumpkin
1 cup Silk Very Vanilla Soymilk


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.



2. Mold the pie crust into a pie dish and trim excess dough from the edges.



3. Mix sugar, salt, and spices in a small bowl until thoroughly blended.




4. In a large bowl, beat eggs and egg white. Stir in the pumpkin and then the sugar and spice mixture.



5. Gradually add Very Vanilla Soymilk and stir until completely blended. Pour into pie crust.



6. Bake for 15 minutes to set a crispy crust, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 40 minutes. To check if the pie is done, stick a knife through the middle and see if it comes up clean. If there is a layer of pumpkin on it, you may need to bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. Serve with dairy-free vanilla ice cream if you want to go all out. Happy Fall!