The Best Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Those who know me well, know that I love pumpkin pie. In the fall, I could eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and never get tired of it. I've always loved eating it, but it was only a few years ago I started making pumpkin pies with my aunt. She has a delicious recipe and so we'd make it all the time from scratch. When I say "from scratch," I really do mean, we buy a pumpkin and we buy some flour and by the end of the day, it's a pie. I wish I could grow the pumpkins and the wheat, but this girl can't be all the kinds of awesome. 

A while back, I saw the first pie pumpkins of the season in the store, and I knew it was time. I snatched that pumpkin up so fast and ran home. The result was the pie I will be sharing with you all today!

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To be clear, I’m not one of those people who eat pumpkin pie all year round - though my husband definitely would love that (he likes it even more than me!). However, I do look forward to pumpkin season every year. It makes Fall, well, Fall.

I recommend you use your own puree for this recipe - and pretty much every other pumpkin recipe you bake this season. It adds a richness and sense of accomplishment that opening a can doesn't quite have!

The puree is really simple to make: just cut open and clean your pumpkin, drizzle some olive oil on it and bake in the oven till tender. Then scoop it all out into the food processor and process until very smooth.

I usually freeze the extra puree so that I can have all sorts of pumpkin snacks (not to mention a bonus pumpkin pie sometime in the year!) later.

The best part about this pie is that it comes together quickly, once all the more tedious ingredients (the puree and the crust) are prepared. I didn’t include a pie crust recipe, but they are easy to find. For a non-traditional crust, you could use the nutty crust that I use for my chocolate dream pie!

For the non-nut lovers, there is a nut-free version of this recipe too! It takes a little longer to get firm, but is still delicious!

Vegan Pumpkin Pie | Maple Alps
Makes 1 pie

what you need

2 C homemade pumpkin puree
¼ C maple syrup (or more depending if you want it sweeter)
¼ C brown sugar
⅓ C almond milk
1-2 TBSP Arrowroot powder
¼ tsp each: cinnamon, ground ginger, cardamom, nutmeg (optional: cloves)
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ cup cashews (soak for 10 min in boiling water)
1 recipe for pie crust - unbaked

what to do

1) Make pumpkin puree by cutting open and cleaning your pumpkin. Drizzle some olive oil on it and bake in the oven till tender. Remove from oven, scoop out the flesh into the food processor, and process until very smooth.
2) Prep pie crust
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
4) Mix soaked cashews, almond milk, pumpkin puree and arrowroot powder in blender and blend until there are no cashew pieces left.
5) Transfer to a bowl and mix rest of ingredients in well.
6) Put filling into prepped pie crust and bake for 55-60 minutes

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How do you like your pumpkin pie? I like mine cold and with some coconut whipped cream!

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Vegan Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls: An Apple Challenge

It's Canadian Thanksgiving, but that's not the only reason I'm happy! For today, I have collaborated with two of my blogging friends, Beth of Vegan D'lites and Crystal of Crystal Whitlow Design to bring you a fun fall challenge! We chose a fall ingredient and each have brought a recipe to the proverbial table for you to try! The ingredient? Apples.

Today, you will be handed three amazing apple recipes to try. I'll be sharing one here, and stick around, because at the end of the post, you'll get the links to Beth and Crystal's recipes as well. 

Apples are delicious. My favourite is a cut apple wedge with peanut butter on it. Oh me oh my. Delicious. I also can appreciate a warm apple pie or a fresh apple crisp. Something about apples screams "FALL," and I love it. 

I decided to make an apple pie cinnamon roll. I love a good cinnamon roll, and just telling you about it now is making my mouth water. Extra points if the roll is warm and moist! As I mentioned, I also love apple pie, so I was curious to see what would happen if I combined the two. The result was delicious. So delicious, that you need to try it too!

I chose not to glaze these guys. They're delicious as is (not to mention sugary enough). Trust me, I tried 3 different times, just to make sure. 

If you really wanted to, I'm so certain that a simple cream cheese frosting would really add to it, but I'm uncomplicated and like to keep things simple in Fall. The rolls already scream, "CHRISTMAS IS COMING!"

These babies are soft, moist, and delicious; seriously melt-in-your-mouth good. Best part? Easy to make and ready in two hours!

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Vegan Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls

For the Dough

• 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast

• 1 C unsweetened plain almond milk

• 3 TBSP vegan butter

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 3 C unbleached all purpose flour

• 1 TBSP organic cane sugar

For the Filling:

• 4 TBSP melted vegan butter

• 6 apples, peeled, cored, and diced

• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 2 TBSP ground cinnamon

• olive oil

What to do:

1) In a large bowl, heat the almond milk and 3 Tbsp Earth Balance until warm and melted (in the microwave at 30 sec increments). Remove from heat and let cool to the temperature of warm (not hot!) bath water.

2) Sprinkle on yeast and let activate for 10 minutes. Add the 1 Tbsp sugar and the salt and stir.

3) Add in flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring as you go. When too thick to stir, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until it forms a loose ball.

4)Rinse your mixing bowl out, lightly oil, and add your dough ball back in. Cover and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size (about 1 hour).

5) While dough is rising, prepare your filling by adding prepped apples to saucepan with the melted butter and organic cane sugar. Sauté until the apples are slightly caramelized. Set Aside.

6) Mix brown sugar and cinnamon.

7) On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a thin rectangle. Brush almost to the edges with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle cinnamon/brown sugar mixture on top

8) Add the apple filling and spread evenly

9) Starting at one end, tightly roll up the dough (lengthwise) and lay seam side down. With a serrated knife, cut the dough into 2 inch sections (should make about 12) and position in a well oiled pan. 

10) Cover pan and allow to rise - about an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

11) Bake 20-22 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes and then serve immediately.

Optional: Serve with a simple glaze of about 1 C organic powdered sugar and 1 TBSP almond milk. I bet that caramel sauce from the scone recipe would be AMAZING with these as well! 

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As I promised, enjoy these links to two more delicious apple recipes for you to try this fall!

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Skincare Essentials: 5+ Important Tips to Note

When it comes to skincare, there’s so much to do, and it can all get a bit overwhelming and difficult to implement. Thankfully, here’s a quick guide to help you sort it out better. Follow these simple and actionable steps to make sure you’re treating your skin the right way! Read on...

Cleanse

This one’s a no-brainer and an absolute must. Use a good quality face cleanser well suited to your skin type to cleanse your face- the simplest yet most effective way to tackle acne, skin irritations, inflammation, dark spots and almost all other types of skin problems.

Hydrate

Hydration is an important daily essential when it comes to skincare. Depending on your skin type, choose from an oil based moisturizer or a water based moisturizer and make sure you use it religiously.

Exfoliate

Exfoliation is another skincare essential most people tend to ignore. A weekly face scrub could help remove the layer of dead skin cells from the surface and unclog pores, allowing your skin to breathe.

Nourish

Believe it or not, your skin needs a good dose of nourishment atleast once a week, even if your skin isn’t really that oily. Exposure to dirt and pollutants tends to sap the essential nutrients and moisture in the skin, and leaves it dry and undernourished. Using natural oils such as avocado oil and coconut oil is associated with tons of skin benefits. Infact, you could also try using castor oil for acne- it could nourish the skin and tackle outbreaks at the same time!

Detox

It isn’t just your body- your skin is also exposed tons of chemicals and pollutants on a daily basis, which is why, it needs a detox too. Make it a point to wash your face at least thrice a day, remove all traces of makeup before sleeping and indulge in an occasional steam to detoxify your skin naturally.

Rejuvenate

Every once in a while, don’t forget to treat yourself to a nice face mask packs in alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) that give the skin a good dose of nutrients and powerful enzymes that rejuvenate it, giving you that bright, glowing look!

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Enozia: Writer. Editor. Naturopath. Social Media Cupcake. Animal Lover.
Connect with Enozia:
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This was a guest post by Enozia Vakil, who blogs at her lifestyle blog, Beauty Junction Online 

If you are interested in guest posting, check out the guest posting guidelines for Maple Alps, here. 

DIY Natural Toothpaste

You probably remember my last post about toothpaste, where I told about the dangers of commercial toothpaste and had tried to make my own for a few months just to see how it would be. Well, consider this a sort of update, because I now use a new recipe. I’ll tell you why and what happened.

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I’m still convinced that commercial toothpaste does more harm than good. As a matter of fact, my dentist told me that toothpaste is not even necessary. The hygienist recommended baking soda or just plain nothing and assured me that it was perfectly safe.

I had a good few months with the original toothpaste recipe, but once the summer got hot, I noticed fairly quickly that every time I went to the washroom to brush my teeth, my new amazing toothpaste was in liquid form! Keeping it in the fridge was annoying, because unless I remembered to take it out a few minutes before I was ready to brush, it was a solid chunk that I could not be broken down. Imagine my frustration!

I decided I wanted something a bit more pasty - something I could maybe even put in a tube to transport easier and use (since we travel often). After some research, I opted to try bentonite clay for it’s many benefits. Here are just a few:

Benefit One: healing and detoxing properties

Benefit Two: high concentration of minerals like calcium, silica, potassium, iron and magnesium

Benefit Three: alkalizing effect on the body

I came across an amazing article by Wellness Mama that you can read here for a more in-depth look at bentonite clay, it's properties, and a whack ton of uses! 


I added activated charcoal for some whitening power. I don’t know that I’ve necessarily seen a difference, and I only added a bit for fear of it being too abrasive, but I have heard good reports from others I know personally who use it. It's perfectly fine without the charcoal too.

This version of toothpaste is one I can definitely recommend. It was easy to make (no double boiler required), easy to put in a tube, tasted just fine, and felt more like toothpaste. The best part is that it doesn't melt in the summer heat, so I had squeaky clean teeth the whole season! 

DIY Natural Toothpaste

What you need:

2 TBSP bentonite clay
4 TBSP distilled water
15 drops peppermint essential oil
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp activated charcoal (optional) 

What to do:

Put dry ingredients and add water slowly until your desired paste consistency forms. Add essential oils and mix well.

Note: Be sure the clay does not come into contact with metal. Use glass containers and wooden or plastic to mix.

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UPDATE: By the way, I have been loving using bamboo toothbrushes! There are so many different companies and I’ve tried two that I like so far! These ones are great too!

I have found that this works amazingly well and leaves my breath fresh and minty, and most importantly, my teeth clean! Just make sure to rinse your mouth out well when you're done! Oh, and don't forget to floss ;-) 

What about you? Do you make your own toothpaste? Did you know how easy it was?

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