Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

I've been experimenting a bit with coconut flour lately. I really like it (and it's pretty healthy), but it's very different from other flours and starches. It really sucks up liquid, and will continue to absorb for a few minutes after mixing, so it's a good idea to let your dough rest for 5 minutes or so before forming the donuts, cookies, or whatever you are making.

Coconut flour will give your baking a sweet, coconutty flavour and a dense texture. Even a few tablespoons can have a big impact on a recipe. I used some coconut flour in a pumpkin scone recipe the other day. It was alright, but needs some more work before I'm happy with it. 

The flour is fairly expensive compared to other GF flours, but you don't usually use much in a recipe. I buy my coconut flour at the bulk barn, but you should be able to find it in any health food store. 

makes 18 donut holes

Ingredients

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

Pinch of Salt

1/2 cup Sugar

2 Eggs

3 Tbsp Oil

1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree (or substitute applesauce)

1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (or apple pie spice or cinnamon and nutmeg)

1 tsp Vanilla

1-2 Tbsp Milk if needed (I used homemade pumpkin puree which has a little more liquid than the canned stuff)

1 tsp cinnamon and 2 Tbsp sugar for rolling donuts in 

Directions

Combine wet (except milk) and dry ingredients separately and mix together. Mix  in milk if needed.

Let dough rest for 5 minutes.

Make 1 1/2 inch balls and roll in cinnamon and sugar.

Place dough balls in mini muffin tins (you could probably just used a baking pan because they don't really spread out)

Bake at 350 for 14-16 minutes (until fairly firm)

Let cool and enjoy!

* You could also make a glaze for the donuts after baking instead of rolling in cinnamon and sugar.

Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

Gluten Free Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

It's pumpkin season and I am busy adding pumpkin to some of my favourite recipes. I love this version of cornbread muffins. The pumpkin puree adds moisture and the spices create a warm, festive flavour. Enjoy slathered with butter and honey and along side stew, soup or chili.

Mini Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins

We love them as mini muffins and I always make extra to freeze or take with leftovers for lunch. You can use the batter to make pumpkin cornbread pancakes too! (may need more milk)

makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

1/3 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Oil

1/2 cup Pumpkin (or squash) Puree (I use home made but store bought works)

1/3 cup milk 

2 Eggs

1/2 cup Cornmeal

1/2 cup Corn Flour (or use more cornmeal)

1 cup Rice Flour (or your favourite GF flour blend)

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

3/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice 

Directions

Mix together wet and dry ingredients separately, then combine.

Spread batter equally between 12 muffin tins lined with papers (or use mini muffin tins)

Bake at 350 for around 15 mins (more like 10 mins for mini muffins)

Serve warm with butter and honey or freeze for later once cool.

Not a pumpkin fan? Try my regular cornbread muffins!

Granola Bars

Gluten Free Granola Bars

I love granola bars, but not many are gluten free, and the ones that are cost way too much! I love the idea of making your own. You can customise the add ins to suit your tastes or allergies. It's also much easier to avoid the added preservatives that are in most store bought granola bars. As always, make sure your oats are wheat free!

This recipe is adapted from the Looneyspoons cookbook by Janet and Greta Podleski.

makes 15-20 bars
Ingredients

2 1/2 cups GF Quick Cooking Oats
1/2 cup Coconut Flakes (sweetened or unsweetened)
1/2 cup Chopped Nuts or Seeds (Almonds, Pecans, Cashews, Pumpkin Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, etc)
1/2 cup Dried Fruit (Craisins, Apricots, Raisins, Blueberries, etc)
1/3 cup Oat Flour (grind GF oats in coffee grinder)
1/4 cup Ground Flax Seed
1 tsp Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree (canned or home made) (or 3/4 cup mashed bananas)
1/2 cup Liquid Honey
1/4 cup Canola Oil, Melted Butter/Margarine, or Melted Coconut Oil
1 tsp Vanilla Extract


Directions

Stir together dry ingredients.
In a smaller bowl, mix together pumpkin puree (or banana), honey, oil and vanilla.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well.
Line 9x13 baking dish (or baking pan) with parchment paper and pour in mixture. Press evenly into pan.
Bake at 350 for about 25 mins (until top begins to brown).
Let cool in pan, then transfer to cutting board and cut into granola bar shapes.
Wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze.

Note: For nut free (and school friendly) granola bars, use sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds only. For the granola bars pictured, I used 1 bag of Enjoy Life Not Nuts seed and fruit mix in place of the nuts and dried fruit.

Dry ingredients

Granola Bar Mixture

Press mixture into baking pan

Bake until golden brown 

Let cool and cut into granola bar shapes

Mmmm...

Great for snacks or lunch on the go!

Pumpkin Pie

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie

A pumpkin pie recipe! Just in time for American Thanksgiving. This is my first attempt at making any type of pie, but my mom has made this pie recipe dozens of times, so I know it's good. As with most gluten free pie crusts, you have to press the dough into the pie plate instead of rolling it out. I messed up a bit with this part because I forgot to check the depth on the bottom of the crust. It turned out way too thick... oops. Luckily, the dough tastes like a sugar cookie, so it wasn't the end of the world. Next time I will remember to check the depth with a fork before baking the crust. Other than that slight misstep, the pie turned out great.

The pumpkin filling is especially easy to whip up using a blender. It's actually quite healthy too! Pumpkin is full of vitamins and fiber, cinnamon and ginger are thought to have a wide array of health benefits, eggs have good protein and milk has calcium. Also, there isn't too much added sugar. Of course when you bake it in a buttery crust and smother it with whipped cream it starts to look more like what you'd call dessert. Just know that along with all the fat and calories, there's actually some good stuff going on in that slice of pumpkin pie!

crust recipe here

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Pumpkin Puree
1 Tbsp Corn Starch
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Ginger Powder
1/4 tsp Cloves
     (or use 2 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice)
1 2/3 cup milk (I use 1%)
1/2 tsp Salt
2 Eggs

Whipped Cream for topping

Directions

Blend all ingredients together in a blender.
Pour into partly baked pie shell. (crust recipe) If you can't fit all of the filling in, pour the extra into ramekins and cook alongside the pie.
Bake at 375 for around 1 hour.
Pie is done when inserted knife comes out clean.
Let cool completely and serve with a dollop of whipped cream (or ice cream).

before baking

after baking

yummy slices waiting to be eaten

Pumpkin Pancakes

I made this recipe in order to use up some leftover pumkin and to try out my Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil. I love pancakes (as you can probably tell from looking at my recipe index page) and I love pumpkin, so I figured this was a match made in heaven. I wanted to use both coconut oil and some coconut flour I picked up from the bulk barn. I searched high and low for a recipe that included all my special ingredients, but it was not to be found. So, naturally, I made one up. I threw together a couple somewhat healthy flours and the basic pancake ingredients (baking powder, eggs) with my coconut oil and pumpkin puree. I added 1 cup of milk to start, but after attempting to pour my first pancake, realized I would need much more. I ended up with 2 cups of milk and almost 1/2 cup water before I got it the right consistency. The amount of milk needed will probably vary depending on your brand of flour, so start with less liquid and adjust from there. I like my pancakes flatter than most, so I keep my batter quite thin.

If you want to substitute 1 1/2 cups of your favorite flour blend for the flours I listed in the recipe, you may not need as much added liquid. Start with 1 cup milk and add more if you need to. If you don't have coconut oil, you can use any other oil or butter/margarine instead.

As always when working with coconut oil, make sure all ingredients are at room temperature (especially eggs and milk). I actually microwaved my milk a bit before adding because my eggs were too cold and the oil was solidifying. I'm not very good about planning ahead and letting the eggs get to room temp (it takes longer than you'd think). Just don't microwave your eggs or they will cook!

(makes 12-15 large thin pancakes)

Ingredients

1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
1/2 cup Coconut Flour
1/4 cup Tapioca Starch
1/4 cup Buckwheat Flour (or millet flour)

1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ginger
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
      (or use equivalent amount of pumpkin pie spice blend)

1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
3 Eggs
3 Tbsp Coconut Oil (melted)
2 cups milk

You can add up to 1/2 cup water depending on your preferred pancake thickness.

Directions

In a mixing bowl, combine flours/starches, salt, sugar, baking powder and spices.
In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, eggs, melted coconut oil and 1 cup milk. Make sure ingredients are at room temperature.
Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and add the rest of the milk and water if necessary.
Pour batter into oiled nonstick pan, flipping when bubbles start to pop on the surface.

I added a little more liquid after taking this pic

Variations: add chocolate chips or chopped nuts to the batter

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Gluten Free Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Of course I'm still making pumpkin recipes... it's still fall, I have pumpkin puree in my freezer (and a pumpkin waiting to be roasted), and I love it! The problem is, pumpkins are usually made into desserts (pie, cheesecake, cupcakes), and while my body craves sugar, my mind tends to steer me in a healthier direction. So, I tried to get the best of both worlds! This cookie is actually pretty healthy with the oats, whole grain flours, flax, pumpkin, and not too much sugar, and still delivers that comforting pumpkin pie flavour.

These cookies don't rise up or spread out much during baking, so shape them how you want before sliding them into the oven. Feel free to add your own extras to the batter like cranberries, white chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, or pumpkin seeds. They are good for a day or 2 on the counter, but you should freeze the rest and reheat in the microwave.

(makes about 40 small cookies)

Ingredients

1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour (or white rice flour)
1/4 cup Buckwheat Flour (or millet)
1/4 cup Tapioca Starch
2 Tbps Ground Flax
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
2 cups GF Oats (I used half rolled oats and half quick oats)
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup Margarine
2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
3/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
1/3-1/2 cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips (optional. you can substitute up to 1 1/2 cups of whatever you want)


Directions

In a mixing bowl, cream together sugars and margarine.
Beat in eggs, pumpkin, and salt.
Add oats, pumpkin pie spice, flours, flax, baking powder and soda and mix all together.
Add in chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of batter onto cookie sheets. Smooth and flatten a bit.
Bake at 375 for 10-14 mins.
Transfer to wire rack to cool.
Eat warm with milk!

before baking

after baking

mmm...

I didn't shape this pan of cookies and they turned out a little spikey. Still tasted great though!

spikey cookies before baking

see what I mean?

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted pumpkin seeds don't last long in my house. My husband just pops them into his mouth, shell and all (which is probably the healthiest way). I, however, feel like I am choking when I try to swallow the shell, and so I break that part off before I eat them. Whether you are a shell-eater, or a more sophisticated shell remover ;), I'm sure you'll enjoy this tasty snack. Pumpkin seeds contain lots of fiber, healthy fats, and vitamins and minerals like magnesium, zinc and vitamin E, making them a healthy snack too. So instead of tossing the guts of your Jack-O-Lantern away this Halloween, why not try roasting the seeds instead.

We always did this when I was a kid, and now, whenever I smell pumpkin seeds roasting I am reminded of my childhood Halloweens, sitting on the kitchen floor designing our oh so creative carving plans (so dad can cut the masterpiece) while up to our elbows in slimy orange pumpkin guts from scraping out and the sorting the seeds from the goopy stuff. (That is a great job for kids by the way)

The hardest part of roasting is keeping an eye on the seeds and stirring them often so they don't burn. Check on them every 5-10 minutes.

Directions

Scrape out the seeds and fibers from the pumpkin and place in a bowl (from a hole in the top if it's for carving)

Sort the seeds from the rest of the guts. (you can wash all the fibers off the seeds but I like to leave a little on for added flavour)

Place the seeds in a bowl and drizzle with 1-2 tsp oil. Add your favorite seasonings ( I usually use garlic and season salt but you could add chili powder, cayenne, Cajun spice, etc) and toss to coat the seeds.

Spread the seeds onto a foil lined baking sheet.

Bake at 300 F for 20-30 minutes (or until light brown) checking and stirring every 5-10 minutes.

Let cool and serve with a smaller bowl to discard shells (or just eat the shells if you're in to that). I usually just leave the bowl on the counter and they're gone within a day or two.

How to Roast a Pumpkin

How to Roast a Pumpkin

Pumpkins are abundant and affordable this time of year. While most are transformed into Jack-O-Lanterns, set out as decoration, and tossed at the end of the season, I see those bright orange beauties as the fundamental component of my favorite fall recipes.

If you are anything like me and love to bake pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, muffins, cupcakes, etc., you probably know how expensive the canned pumpkin can be. At my supermarket the other day, canned pumpkin puree was on sale for $2 a can (which contained something like 1 1/2 cups). I bought the pumpkin featured here for $4 and ended up with around 8 cups of pumpkin puree and almost 2 cups of pumpkin seeds. This week, I bought another similar sized pumpkin for $2.50. So we're lookin' at about $0.75 to $0.47 for about a can's worth of puree. That's some pretty decent savings. Roasting a whole pumpkin may seem a bit intimidating, but it's actually quite easy, as I'm hoping to show you here. It's also lots of fun to roast your own pumpkin seeds for snacking.

If you can find sugar pumpkins (or pie pumpkins), they are easier to work with because they are much smaller. Just adjust cooking time accordingly.

I know 8 cups of pumpkin puree can seem a bit overwhelming, but you don't have to use it all at once. It freezes well and can also be kept in the refrigerator for around a week before going bad. I like to freeze it in pre-measured amounts such as 1 or 2 cups so that you know what you're working with when you go to defrost it. If you don't want quite as much, look for a smaller pumpkin. It will take less time to cook and puree.You can use the fresh or frozen puree as you would canned pumpkin in any recipe.

I've included a few different methods. The main goal here is to get the pumpkin cooked and soft. Use whatever method seems easiest for you! 

Directions

Lightly wash the outside of the pumpkin to remove any dirt or chemicals.

Method #1

Cut your pumpkin in half from top to bottom. 

Remove seeds and interior fibers and put them in a bowl for roasting later.

Place pumpkin halves (inside down) on foil lined cookie sheets or in a roasting pan.

Roast at 350 for an hour or more (until the skin gives a bit when pressed).

Remove pumpkin from the oven and flip over (be careful, it will be very hot). Try to let any extra liquid drain off.

Method #2

Scrape out guts like above and cut into smaller chunks. 

Place in a covered casserole dish with 1/2 - 1 cup water.

Bake at 350 until pumpkin is soft (about 45 mins - 1hr)

(this method works great for chunks leftover from carving a pumpkin)

Method #3

Scrape out guts like above, but then cut into smaller pieces and cook in your slow cooker until soft.

Once pumpkin is cooked:

Working in batches, scrape out the flesh inside the skin and place in a bowl. Puree using a hand blender. (or you can use a food processor but watch out for steam)

Once it cools, store your puree in a jar in the fridge or freeze in marked containers (sour cream containers work well for 2 cup portions)

for the fridge

for the freezer

If the pumpkin seems a bit wet you can let it drain in cheese cloth or just add a little less liquid (milk/water) than what is called for in your recipes.

You can also roast butternut squash this way. It works great as a substitute for pumpkin in baking. No one will know the difference!

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds!

Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies