By Claire Hudson and Elsa Nard

Fall, it is the time of year to find comfort in the small things. Waiting for fall is like the beginning of summer break, you just can’t wait for it to begin. Many people enjoy the comfort of treats on a cold or rainy day. When people think of fall a common idea that comes to mind is pumpkins. Whether that be pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin patches, pumpkin carving, or any sweet pumpkin treat. A change of seasons heralds a change of wardrobe, of recipes, activities, colors of the leaves, and the daily rhythm of life. Lighting candles that smell like vanilla, pumpkin spice, or cinnamon. Burning sticks in the evening while you sip hot cocoa, coffee or tea with tasty froth. During fall, a small thing I enjoy is a warm comforting fall treat. Treats can be in the form of a muffin, cupcake, bread or anything you please. While you wait for this wonderful season to arrive, let’s bake! 

Carrot Pumpkin Muffins

Carrot Pumpkin Muffins are delicious and cozy. The idea of pumpkin inside of a muffin sounds so delightful. To make these muffins,  it’s actually pretty simple! The good news about these muffins is that they can be made ahead of time and either stored at room temperature for 3 – 4 days, or they can even be frozen. The bad news is that it’s going to be very difficult to not eat them all on day one! 

First, in a bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Then, in a medium bowl mix together any plant-based milk of your choice, oil, pumpkin puree, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Then, stir in the carrots, walnuts, and coconut. Next, pour the wet carrot mixture into the dry ingredients bowl and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix (lumps are totally cool). Overmixing can result in the muffins not rising properly. Lastly, separate the batter into muffin tins, bake for 22 minutes, serve, and enjoy!

Ingredients:

Dry:

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Wet:

  • ¾ cup plant-based milk (such as soy or oat)
  • 1/4 cup light oil 
  • ¼ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups peeled and grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400F (200C). Line 12 wells of a muffin pan with paper liners or lightly grease the pan.
  2. In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients.
  3. In a medium bowl mix together the plant-based milk, oil, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Then, stir in the carrots, walnuts, and coconut. Pour the wet carrot mixture into the dry ingredients bowl and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix, lumps are totally cool. Overmixing can result in the muffins not rising properly.
  4. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin tin. Bake for 22 minutes until lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan. Carrot muffins can be stored at room temperature for 3 – 4 days or frozen in an air-tight container.

Vegan Pumpkin Scones

These vegan pumpkin scones are so deliciously spiced! Made with a super simple dough from scratch, these scones are so soft, flaky and moist, with a light drizzle of glaze  on top to add just the right amount of sweetness. They are a great dairy-free alternative to Starbucks pumpkin scones too! This sweet treat is completely free of eggs and dairy and these scones are just as tasty and irresistible. 

First, to begin making these tasty scones, start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees and adding the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla and plant milk in a bowl. Then, whisk these together until the sugar dissolves. In a separate bowl, add all your dry ingredients and toss in your chilled and cubed vegan butter. To get a nice scone texture, cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a fork. Once the butter is incorporated properly the mixture will resemble sand. Add this to your wet mixture and stir just until it begins to come together. You don’t want to over mix this or else the scones will become too dense. Right when it starts to stick together, flour a flat surface and place the dough down, lightly flouring the top of the dough. Now you can easily work with your hands to form the dough into a 1-inch thick circle. Place the scones on a baking tray covered in parchment paper, and bake for 15-18 minutes! You’ll know the scones are done when they are lightly browned, and the bottoms are light brown as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree
  • 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Vegan Butter (chilled & cubed)
  • 1/4 Cup Plant Milk
  • 2 Tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 Tsp Pumpkin Spice*
  • 1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 Tsp Salt
  • 1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

Glaze:

  • 1 Cup Vegan Powdered Sugar
  • 1-2 Tbsp Plant Milk

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In a bowl, combine pumpkin puree, vanilla, plant milk and brown sugar and whisk until sugar has dissolved.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, salt and baking powder and mix well. Add chilled, cubed butter and incorporate using a pastry cutter or a fork until it becomes a sandy texture.
  4. Pour into wet ingredients and mix just until it starts to come together, being careful not to over mix.
  5. Flour a flat surface and place dough down, lightly sprinkling more flour on top.
  6. Knead just a few times until it comes together, adding more flour as needed to avoid sticking. Then, shape into a circle about 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 pieces like a pizza, you may need to flour your knife in between cuts to avoid sticking.
  7. Place scones on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, and bake for 15-18 minutes, or just until they become golden brown and the bottoms begin to brown. You can also poke a toothpick into the middle of the scone, and if it comes out clean they are done!
  8. Let them cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
  9. Once completely cooled, mix together your glaze and drizzle over scones, enjoy

Pecan Bar  

Pecan Bars are perhaps the best dessert in the world. These will blow you away! They taste a bit like pecan pie, but better with a caramel-y pecan topping and amazing shortbread crust. This recipe is as simple as can be, and is easy to make. You can make it in one bowl and the prep time is around fifteen minutes. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool so you can eat them! 

First, mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl, then add in the vegan butter. Mix it together and it will look like fine crumbs when it’s ready to go into the pan. In a parchment lined pan, dump the crust crumbles in and press down evenly with your hands to form a crust. Cook for 10 minutes in the oven. Meanwhile, make the pecan filling. It’s so easy; simply mix all ingredients except the pecans in the same bowl you used for the crust, then fold the pecans in. Lastly, Once cooled and set, carefully remove the bars with the parchment paper from the pan, and use a large sharp knife to cut them into squares. Store leftover bars in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. These are a great make-ahead dessert!

Ingredients:

Pie crust:

Pecan topping:

  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup brown rice syrup
  • 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk
  • 3 tablespoons melted vegan butter
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
  • optional: coarse salt, for sprinkling on top

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper.
  2. Prepare the crust: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the vegan butter with a pastry cutter, or two knives. The mixture will look like fine crumbs. Place in the prepared pan and press down evenly with your hands to form the crust. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside while you make the topping.
  3. Make the topping: In the same large bowl you made the crust in, stir together the brown sugar, brown rice syrup, non-dairy milk, melted vegan butter, cornstarch and vanilla until well combined and smooth. Fold in the pecans, then pour over the crust. Use a spatula to spread it out as evenly as possible.
  4. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the pecan topping is bubbling. Remove from the oven, and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set.
  5. Carefully lift the parchment paper with the bars out of the pan and slice into bars with a large sharp knife. I like to cut off the edges as well because they get very hard. Store leftover bars in the refrigerator for 5-6 days.

     Carrot pumpkin muffins, pumpkin scones, and even pecan bars. All of these sweet treats are perfect for the upcoming Autumn or fall season. So, snuggle up in a warm blanket and enjoy these fall treats by the fire.