Tag Archives: pumpkin spice

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

| 0 Comments | Apps, Snacks & Sides, Beatty Protocols, Breakfasts, Recipes, Treats

Pumpkin Spice Muffins | grain free, gluten free, nut free | AmandaNaturally.comWell it’s about time I posted a pumpkin recipe this fall!

I’m a huge fan of the pumpkin-spice obsession that occurs as of October 1. Normally I stick with homemade pumpkin spice lattes using my pumpkin spice creamer, but sometimes I get a little more creative.

Case in point, this recipe for pumpkin spice muffins! I opened a 500mL can of pureed pumpkin for a few PSLs last week and knew I was running out of time before the remaining pumpkin went bad, so I whipped up a few dozen of these bad boys.

I have a feeling these Pumpkin Spice Muffins will become a common occurrence in our household!

NOTE: you will likely want to double this recipe. If you don’t think you will be able to finish them within a week (you will though, trust me), they freeze really well!

PS. Have extra pumpkin puree? Why not make some delicious no bake pumpkin pie squares?

Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Serves 12
A delicious, fall-inspired muffin - free of grains, refined sugar and nuts! Safe for schools. Perfect for cool fall mornings.
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Total Time
45 min
Wet Ingredients
  1. 6 eggs, brought to room temperature
  2. ½ cup coconut oil, melted
  3. ¼ cup honey
  4. ½ tsp vanilla extract
  5. 1½ cups pumpkin puree
  6. ½ cup mashed ripe banana
Dry Ingredients
  1. 1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
  2. ½ cup coconut flour, sifted
  3. 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (increase if you like really spicy muffins)
  4. 1 tsp cinnamon
  5. ½ tsp sea salt
  6. ½ tsp baking soda
Optional Ingredients
  1. raisins
  2. chopped dates
  3. pecans
  4. walnuts
  5. chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tin with silicon liners.
  2. Combine wet ingredients in a bowl.
  3. Combine dry ingredients in another bowl.
  4. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix really well. It will thicken up after a few minutes.
  5. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop a generous serving into each muffin liner. They don't rise a lot, so fill them up to the top!
  6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until set and slightly golden.
  7. Let cool and enjoy!
Notes
  1. It is important to have the eggs at room temperature so they don't cause the coconut oil to solidify. If you don't have time to leave them out, simply place them in a bowl and cover with hot tap water for about 10 minutes, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  2. These muffins freeze really well so I always make a double batch and freeze half.
Amanda Naturally http://www.amandanaturally.com/

No Bake Pumpkin Pie

| 6 Comments | Beatty Protocols, Recipes, Treats

No Bake Pumpkin Pie - paleo, vegan, nut free - Amanda Naturally

I love pumpkin pie. Like love love love it. It’s one of my favourite parts of Thanksgiving – that and the amazing quality time with family of course! Unfortunately inherent to a traditional pumpkin pie recipe is wheat and dairy, so it’s non-negotiable for me. It’s been years since I’ve had a bite of that sweet and spicy goodness and oh how I missed it! This year it all changed. But first, let me preface this post with an important fact:

I am NOT a baker.

I can do muffins and cookies, but if they are too complicated I’ll even mess those up!

In complete defiance of my lack of baking and general desert-making skills, I decided to take on the challenge. I took a look at a pumpkin pie and realized that the filling is pretty darn simple. All I needed was pureed pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, something to sweeten it with (maple syrup, obv) and something to help it thicken and keep its consistency. I wanted it to be egg-free (that gets complicated and involves baking or making peaks somehow) and vegan (no gelatin)…coconut oil would melt too quickly after you pulled it out of the fridge…hmmm…and then it hit me, coconut butter! My favourite snack ever! What would happen if I mixed pumpkin and coconut butter together…well it was a match made in heaven!

As for the crust, well I’ve never been one for pastry, so I considered omitting it altogether, but realized it would be a little challenging to serve up. So I figured a typical nut/date no-bake crust would go well. Except I decided to try a nut-free version using pumpkin seeds so it would be safe for schools, and it worked amazingly! Not to mention, toasted pumpkin seeds totally go with the vibe of the season! 

No Bake Pumpkin Pie - paleo, vegan, nut free - Amanda Naturally

The resulting no bake pumpkin pie was a HUGE hit. I tried it out on my husband immediately, and my colleagues at work the next day, and I think it’s safe to say that I will absolutely be bringing this to my family Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday. (FYI I’m in Canada!) Not only is this delicious and pretty darn healthy, it is also:

No bake.

Sugar-free.

Nut-free.

Dairy-free.

Gluten-free.

Grain-free.

Paleo.

Vegan.

Yeah, you read that right! It pretty much fits every single dietary requirement I ever get asked for! Heck, I feel like you could even make it autoimmune compliant by substituting shredded coconut for the seeds in the crust and cutting back on some maple syrup. I haven’t tried that though, so if you do, please let me know in the comments below!

No Bake Pumpkin Pie - vegan, paleo nut-free - Amanda Naturally

Bonus: you can make it ahead and it keeps really well in the fridge!

No Bake Pumpkin Pie
An simple yet yummy take on the traditional pumpkin pie. Nut-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and sugar-free. Vegan and paleo!
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Prep Time
25 min
Total Time
25 min
Prep Time
25 min
Total Time
25 min
Crust
  1. 3 cups dates
  2. 1½ cups pumpkin seeds, toasted
  3. 2 tbsp coconut oil
  4. pinch of sea salt
Filling
  1. 1¾ cups coconut butter (homemade or store bought)
  2. 3 cups pumpkin puree (homemade or canned)
  3. ½ cup pure maple syrup
  4. ½ tsp sea salt
  5. 2½ tbsp pumpkin pie spice
  6. ¼ cup coconut oil
  7. 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. In a food processor, combine all the crust ingredients. Blend until it starts to stick together and to the sides. You may need to scrape the sides down once or twice with a spatula. This step takes about 2 minutes of processing.
  2. Line a springform pan with parchment paper.
  3. Pour the crust into the pan. Pack it down tightly using your fingers.
  4. Rinse the food processor.
  5. Gently warm your coconut butter either in the microwave, the oven or in a water bath.
  6. Combine all filling ingredients in the food processor. Blend until smooth.
  7. Pour onto the crust and smooth down with a spatula.
  8. Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.
  9. Run a knife along the sides and remove from the pan.
  10. Enjoy with some coconut milk ice cream, or homemade whipped cream!
Notes
  1. This pie is really dense and large. I made it to feed 16 people!
  2. You can absolutely make a smaller size.
  3. It also works well as bars / squares.
Amanda Naturally http://www.amandanaturally.com/
 No Bake Pumpkin Pie - paleo, vegan, nut free - Amanda Naturally

Wishing all my Canadians a Happy Thanksgiving weekend with lots of love, light and laughter. Here’s to having so much to be thankful for! xo

Pumpkin Spice Creamer

| 0 Comments | Beatty Protocols, Beverages, Recipes, Treats

Now that it is officially fall, I can finally post a pumpkin recipe! It’s been a busy week in my household, so I’m going to keep this post short. It’s also been an exciting week, because I was quoted in an article for in the Toronto Sun, as well as local Sun Media papers in a dozen or so other Canadian cities such as Calgary, Ottawa, Edmonton and Winnipeg. Check out my thoughts on sugary vs. salty snacks here!

Pumpkin Spice Creamer - Amanda Naturally

Okay, back to more important things, our beloved pumpkin – the celebrated fall flavour that is exploding all over the blogosphere and Pinterest right now! You can pretty much type “pumpkin” before any food and find a recipe…pumpkin fudge, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pie, pumpkin chill and of course, the fan-favourite:

Pumpkin Spice Latte!

I’ve been making my own pumpkin spice latte for a few years now, because:

  1. I didn’t trust the barristers to not cross contaminate my soy latte with milk
  2. I don’t love soy milk, especially the heavily sweetened one they use at Starbucks 
  3. They’re damn expensive
  4. I didn’t trust the ingredients

I knew the ingredients had to be shifty, but I hadn’t actually looked into it, so I couldn’t speak to it. Well that all changed a few weeks ago when Vani over at The Food Babe did an expose about what’s in your PSL! If you haven’t seen it on your Facebook feed, go check it out now. It’s worth the read! Turns out all of my reasons for avoiding the Starbucks PSL were legit: the pumpkin syrup is sweetened with condensed milk, so even a soy version has dairy in it, and there are some other sketchy ingredients!

Last year I was in the habit of routinely making PSLs from scratch every morning – and while they were delicious, it was a little time consuming. So this year, I created a PSL creamer that you can just add directly to your coffee! Not a coffee lover? Add some extra milk to enjoy a warm mug of pumpkin spice deliciousness, similar to a hot chocolate!

A few notes:
– pumpkin spice does not have to contain pumpkin, but I like to add it because it makes the flavour richer and pumpkin is good for you!
– I don’t like my coffee sweet, so if you’re expecting a Starbucks style PSL, you’re going to want to add more maple syrup!
– the creamer works best if you pour it in first, and add coffee to it, or if you blend it with an immersion blender, but a vigorous whisk with a fork will do just fine!

Step 1: gather ingredients – coconut milk, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, vanilla extract, sea salt 

Pumpkin Spice Creamer - Amanda Naturally

Step 2: combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Blend with an immersion blender, or transfer to a stand up blender.

Pumpkin Spice Creamer - Amanda Naturally Pumpkin Spice Creamer - Amanda Naturally

Step 3: store in a jar in the fridge for 5-7 days.

Pumpkin Spice Creamer - Amanda Naturally

Pumpkin Spice Creamer
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Prep Time
2 min
Cook Time
1 min
Total Time
3 min
Prep Time
2 min
Cook Time
1 min
Total Time
3 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 cups full-fat coconut milk (preferred brand: Aroy D)
  2. ⅓ cup pumpkin puree (organic canned or homemade)
  3. 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
  4. 2 tbsp maple syrup
  5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  6. pinch of sea salt
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients in a small pot and heat over medium.
  2. Blend with an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender.
  3. Store in a jar in the fridge.
Notes
  1. Use within 5-7 days.
  2. Shake well before using (there are no emulsifiers added, so separation might occur!)
Amanda Naturally http://www.amandanaturally.com/
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