Apple Pie and Treats for the Vegan Soul

What’s fall really about? The turning leaves? The pumpkin patches? Cuddling at bonfires? Well yes and no! It’s apple picking season! Yes, that means dragging your (boy/girl)friends to local orchards and taking pictures! But what happens after the merry apple picking? You have maybe 20 pounds of apples and what are you going to do with all of them? Well for anyone who isn’t vegan, it’s easy to say “Oh, I’ll just make a pie!” My last post covered all things pie, which I hope was helpful! Let’s focus this post on all things apple and all the tasty vegan treats you can make them!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups of diced apples
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flower
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Batter Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup plus all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• pinch salt, optional
• pinches turbinado sugar, optional for sprinkling
• pinches cinnamon, optional for sprinkling

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a Non-Stick 12-Cup Regular Muffin Pan very well with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
2. For the Apples – In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups apples, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, and toss to coat. The flour helps prevent apples from sinking during baking; set aside.
3. Batter – In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.
4. Add the sugar, milk (room temp milk will prevent coconut oil from re-solidifying; if it does anyway, some small clumps are okay), oil, vanilla, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, nutmeg, and whisk until combined.
5. Add 1 cup flour, baking powder, optional salt, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix. Batter is quite thick and if yours is seemingly too thick, add a tiny additional splash milk to thin it.
6. Fold in 1 1/2 cups apples and any loose flour in bottom of bowl.
7. Using the reserved 1/4 cup diced apples, top each muffin with a couple pieces, divided equally.
8. Bake for about 17 to 18 minutes, or until tops are domed, puffed, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs dangling but no batter.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients: 

• 8 medium-large apples 
• 1 lemon or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2/3 cup coconut sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch or cornstarch (for thickening)
• 1/4 cup fresh apple juice (or water)
• 3/4 tsp fresh grated ginger (optional)
• 1 pinch nutmeg (optional)

Topping Ingredients: 

• 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 1/2 cup muscovado sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans (roughly chopped)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil or oil of your choice 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
2. Peel apples, quarter, remove cores, and use a paring knife to thinly slice lengthwise.

3. Add to a large mixing bowl and top with remaining filling ingredients. Toss to combine. Add to a 9×13 baking dish.

4. Rinse and wipe out your mixing bowl and add all topping ingredients. Stir to combine, then use fingers to break down any clumps of muscovado sugar. Pour over apples in an even layer.
5. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour (uncovered) or until the filling is bubbly, the apples are very fork tender (especially in the center of the dish), and the topping is deep golden brown.
6. Let rest at least 30 minutes before serving.
7. Best when fresh, though leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month.

Apple Crumble

Ingredients: 

• 4 large chopped apples
• 1/2 lemon zest and juice
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons  flour of choice
• 2 tablespoons ground flax
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  

Crumble Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup oats
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar or vegan granulated sugar of choice
• 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour or flour of choice
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/3 cup melted coconut oil or melted vegan buttery spread
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions: 

• Preheat oven to 375º F and grease a small rectangular baking dish (I used a 6-cup Pyrex dish, approximately 6″x8″).
• Combine apples, lemon, maple syrup, flour, flax, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in a large mixing bowl and then transfer to greased baking dish.
• Using the same bowl for convenience, mix together oats, sugar, flour, walnuts, cinnamon, and cardamom. Stir in melted coconut oil and vanilla. Spoon crumble on top of apples in baking dish and place on center rack of oven. Bake until hot and top is golden brown, about 45-60 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Apple Oatmeal Cookies

 Ingredients: 

• 1 cup oatmeal
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder
• 1/3 cup apple (finely chopped)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon ((optional))
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/4 cup soy milk

Instructions: 

• Preheat oven to 350
• In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.
• In a measuring cup, combine the oil and soy milk. Next, pour into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients.
• Use spoons to drop heaping mounds of cookie dough on the cookie sheet in shape of circles.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the sides are slightly brown.

Still craving more apple treats this fall? Check out One Green Planet! Have a recipe you made up? Leave it in the comments for other readers!