The Happy Gluten Free Vegan

Fourth of July is almost here, and for many folks, this day means barbeques and picnics. Quite a few of us have fond memories of chowing down slice after slice of apple pie. Even if you’re following a vegan, gluten-free diet, you don’t have to miss out on this aspect of the celebration! Our version is beyond delicious. The crust’s rich, buttery flavor comes from coconut oil. We made a lattice-style crust, because we like its visual appeal. You’ll be delighted by this scrumptious delicacy!

PIE INGREDIENTS
5-6 apples, sliced, peeled, and cut into chunks (try a variety of different apples for a flavor kick)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2/3 cup coconut sugar
4 tablespoons plant-based milk (coconut or almond is best)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon tapioca flour

CRUST INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 1/4 cup almond meal (also known as almond flour)
1 1/4 cup gluten-free pastry flour (plus more for rolling)
2/3 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS

Place coconut sugar in 1 tablespoon coconut oil and fry on stovetop until slightly bubbly. Do not burn! Add milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and apples, and continue heating for about 10 minutes. The apples should be a bit soft, but they don’t need to be cooked through. Add tapioca flour and cook for another 1-2 minutes until mixture thickens. Remove from stovetop and set aside.

Prepare crust by combining flours and coconut oil with water. The dough should be pliable but not sticky. Add more flour if the dough adheres to your fingers. Separate dough in half. Grease a pie pan with coconut oil or Earth Balance. Take the first dough section and press it across the entire bottom of the pan, creating a thin and level surface. Press dough around the edges of the pie pan with your fingers. You can tamp down the edges with a fork.

Pour apples into the pie pan, spreading them evenly. Depending on the size of your other dough half, you can either roll out a circle and place it over the top of the pie, or create a lattice crust with long, narrow dough strips. Either way, your pie will look lovely and taste delicious!

Bake in oven at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. Cool on countertop, but don’t let it get cold. Apple pie tastes best hot and fresh from the oven! Serve as is, or with some vegan ice cream or whipping cream. Serves 4-6, and if you have leftovers, they’ll keep in your refrigerator for several days. Happy Independence Day!

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Morning glory muffins have been a favorite of ours for many years. However, when we started pursuing a vegan, gluten-free diet, we discovered that many of our favorite coffee shops had left us out in the cold when it came to these delectable muffins. Almost all of the recipes use butter, eggs and/or milk. This makes them decidedly off-limits. If you love morning glory muffins as much as we do, you may have experienced this depressing scenario, yourself. Have no fear! We’ve discovered a recipe that utilizes your favorite ingredients — raisins, walnuts, apples, etc. However, it substitutes flax seeds for eggs, and coconut oil for butter. The result is a melt-in-your-mouth concoction that will leave you wanting more!

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons flax seeds plus 6 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cups gluten-free flour blend (lighter is better)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or cloves
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup plain, unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (almond is great!)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 apple, peeled and cut into small chunks
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup raisins (use golden variety for a special treat)
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix the flax seeds with water and set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg or cloves. Melt coconut oil on stove and combine in a second, larger bowl with flax mixture, coconut oil, vanilla, applesauce, coconut sugar, and non-dairy milk. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until thoroughly combined. Your batter should be moist but not runny. Add carrots, walnuts, raisins, apple chunks, and coconut and make sure they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Grease a 12-muffin pan with additional coconut oil, or use paper liners. Pour the batter into each receptacle. Bake in a pre-heated, 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Your kitchen will smell good enough to eat! The muffins are done when you stick a fork or toothpick in the middle, and it comes out clean.

If you play your cards right, you’ll have twelve muffins that are more or less the same size. They’re great for breakfast, lunch, or as a mid-afternoon snack. Though small, they’re surprisingly hearty and really pack a wallop! You can eat them as is (scrumptious!) or with a dab of vegan butter. If you invite folks over to your house for muffins, they’ll be your friends for life. Enjoy!

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It’s almost summer, and for many of us this means pie. Not just any pie, mind you, but the kind that will stimulate your senses and cool your tongue at the same time. What pie is more summer-y than key lime? The traditional variety utilizes condensed milk and eggs, but there’s no need for those ingredients when you have coconut milk and cornstarch! The finished product will have a slightly jigglier texture than the non-vegan variety but will still look beautiful and taste delicious. You can purchase a store-bought crust (make sure it’s vegan and gluten-free), or create a simple one from almond flour, tapioca flour, and flaxseed. Our finished crust had a nutty flavor, but you can add a couple of tablespoons of coconut sugar to the batter if you prefer a sweeter crust.

CRUST INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ cup fine almond flour (we like Bob’s Red Mill)
1/3 cup tapioca flour
2 tablespoons ground flax
5 tablespoons water
1-2 tablespoons coconut sugar (if you want a sweeter crust)

CRUST INSTRUCTIONS
Place flax seeds in small bowl with water and let sit 10-15 minutes until seeds thicken a bit. Combine in large bowl with almond flour, tapioca flour and coconut sugar (if desired). Mixture should be slightly damp but not sticky. Roll into a flat, thin circle and press into pie pan (greased beforehand with vegan butter or coconut oil). Place crust inside freezer for 20 minutes, then remove and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes until browned around the edges.

PIE INGREDIENTS
½ cup fresh lime juice (about 3 small limes)
1 teaspoon lime zest (grated from one or more lime skins)
½ cup real maple syrup (just say no to pancake syrup)
1 13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk
5 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

PIE INSTRUCTIONS
Put all ingredients in medium-sized pan and heat on stovetop at medium setting. Stir constantly so the cornstarch doesn’t clump. Bring to boil, then simmer for 7-10 minutes until mixture thickens. Remove from stove and pour into crust. Cover pie securely and place in refrigerator to set for at least six hours.
Serve as is or garnish with lime slices and vegan whipping cream (yes, it exists). Do your best not to eat the entire pie at one sitting. Serves 4-6 guests, and we guarantee you won’t have any left over. As soon as you’re done, you’ll already be planning your next baking spree.

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