pumpkin pie bites and pumpkin spiced lattes

[pumpkin pie bite and pumpkin spiced latte in a festival holiday mug]

In the mood for a fall flavored explosion in your mouth? Have yet to bake or make anything using fall flavored spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves? Sick of the normal coffee and bagel routine? Feeling frisky and want to try a couple easy peasy vegan recipes?

If you answered YES to at least ONE of the questions then, my dear, you are in luck because I am going to share with you two (because two is better than one!) falltastic recipes to help spruce up your fall mornings and really get you feeling all warm and giddy inside (inspired by Angela Liddon's version you can find here and here).

Pumpkin Pie Bites (makes ~12 bites)


Crust Ingredients:
* 1/4 cup Earth Balance butter (I use the soy-free version)
* 1/4 cup maple sugar (brown sugar works fine)
* 1 cup spelt flour (you can get this from the bulk bins at Whole Foods)
* 1/4 c milled flax (If you have whole flax seeds, you can mill it yourself using a mortar and pestle or a food processor) 
* 1 t cinnamon
* 1-2 tablespoon non-dairy milk (I used vanilla flavored almond milk. any form of nondairy milk will work fine too)


Filling: 
* ½ t baking powder
* 1 t pure vanilla extract
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* pinch nutmeg
* ¼ cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (regular pastry flour works fine)
* ¼ cup cane sugar (or regular white)
* ½ cup canned pumpkin
* ½ cup non-dairy milk


Do It:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a muffin tin. Mix crust together with a hand blender in a medium sized bowl.


2. Place approx 1 tablespoon of crust in a regular muffin tin. Press down to create a mini crust making sure 
the crust comes up on the sides a bit.


3. Mix filling in a bowl and then pour approximately 2 teaspoons of filling (I used more like 3) on top of the crust


4. Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes. Makes approx. 12 bites depending on how thick you make the crust. 

[ingredients for the crust]

[ingredients for the filling]

Pumpkin Spiced Latte (serves 2)


You'll need:
* 3 cups almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
* 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
* 1-2 tbsp sugar, to taste 
* 1 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
* 3/4 tsp cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp ground ginger
* 1/4 tsp nutmeg
* 1/3 cup freshly brewed espresso OR 1 cup strong coffee (I used 1 1/2 cups coffee)


Do It:
1. In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming.


2. Now bring to a boil and stir in vanilla and spice. Whisk the mixture really well with a wire whisk.


3. Pour in espresso or coffee. Add on cinnamon or vegan whip cream on top if desired. 


4. Sit back, watch Regis and Kelly or Sports Center, enjoy your pumpkin bite and latte, and smile because life is good. 


Side note: The following recipes are vegan friendly because I am a vegan, a happy, friendly vegan. You can easily make these recipes non-vegan by substituting in regular butter and condensed milk for the pumpkin pie bites and regular milk for the latte.


Bon Appétit!