Dark Chocolate Espresso Brownies

Dark Chocolate Espresso Brownies
Gena Hamshaw / The Full Helping

Coffeeholics and chocoholics rejoice! Today we’re sharing Gena Hamshaw’s scrumptious Dark Chocolate Espresso Brownie recipe—the perfect flavor duo for these highly sought out indulgences.

For those of you who avoid gluten, you can also rejoice because these brownies are gluten-free! For those who eat gluten, you can swap out the gluten-free flours for equal amounts of spelt, whole wheat pastry, or all-purpose flour.

Dark Chocolate Espresso Brownies

Yields 9 brownies.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons lukewarm water
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
  • 1 cup sorghum flour
  • ½ cup oat flour
  • 1 ¼ cup sugar—you can use 1 cup to make less sweet
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup almond, soy, or rice milk
  • ¼ cup brewed espresso—2 ounces or 2 shots—or very strongly brewed coffee
  • ⅓ cup safflower, grapeseed, canola, or melted coconut oil
  • ⅓ cup applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup vegan dark chocolate chunks or chips

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly oil and flour an 8-inch square baking dish.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flax seeds and warm water. Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
  4. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together the non-dairy milk, espresso/coffee, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and the flaxseed mixture.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until they’re combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks or chips, reserving a few to sprinkle on top of the brownies.
  6. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the brownie center emerges with just a couple crumbs. Start checking the brownies at the 22 minute mark, just to be safe. If they’re burning at the edges or getting very firm in the middle, use a toothpick to check. You want to avoid overcooking for a perfectly moist, chewy texture!
  7. Transfer the baking dish to a wire cooling rack and allow the brownies to cool for 30 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!

Click here for Gena’s original recipe.

Rice Crispy Treats—Two Ways

These two delicious Rice Crispy Treat recipes come from our friend Jenné Claiborne at Sweet Potato Soul.

The first is your basic, traditional, and totally nostalgic recipe. And the second has a little bit of sweet and savory melted in. Both are equally delicious, kid and adult friendly, and quick to make—which means quick to eat!

SPS Rice Crispy Traditional
Jenné Claiborne / Sweet Potato Soul

Classic Rice Crispy Treats

Yields 14 squares.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 1 10 oz bag vegan marshmallows—Dandies or Trader Joes brands
  • 6 cups brown rice crisps—Barbara’s is one of many brands that will work well

Directions

  1. Line a 9″ x 9″ baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
  3. Add the marshmallows to melt along with the butter. Stir often to prevent burning. This will take about 6 minutes to melt completely.
  4. Remove from heat.
  5. Stir in the rice crisps and make sure they are all coated in marshmallow.
  6. Transfer to the baking dish and press firmly with a palm-sized piece of parchment paper.
  7. Allow to cool for about 1 hour before enjoying.

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Almond Butter Rice Crispy Treats
Jenné Claiborne / Sweet Potato Soul

Almond Butter Rice Crispy Treats

Yields 8 squares.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup almond butter
  • ⅓ cup coconut nectar, maple syrup, or agave nectar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups rice crisps
  • ½ cup marshmallows, chopped or use minis
  • 1 banana, chopped
  • ¼ cup chocolate chips or 2 oz chocolate bar, melted

Directions

  1. Line a 9″ x 9″ baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. Warm and soften the almond butter and coconut nectar over medium heat in a large pot.
  3. Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla extract.
  4. Stir in the rice crisps and make sure they’re all coated in the almond butter mixture.
  5. Transfer to the baking dish, and press firmly with a palm-sized piece of parchment paper.
  6. Sprinkle the top with marshmallows, banana, and a generous drizzling of melted chocolate.
  7. Allow the chocolate to harden in the refrigerator for about 1 hour before enjoying.
  8. Store in the fridge to keep the bars firm. They will soften if they sit out for a while.

For the original recipes and a demonstration video, click here.

Veganomicon—10th Anniversary Edition

Reviewed by Josie Steiger, Office Manager & Jackie Va, Interim Office Manager

During one of the last days of training before I go on family leave, Interim Office Manager, Jackie Va, and I found ourselves in a rare position—we had some free time in our day! All of the booklet orders have been filled, emails answered, and merchandise mailed. So we decided to make the most of the unexpected reprieve by testing out a recipe from Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, the well-known vegan cookbook that turns 10 this year!

Creators Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero have continued on in their vegan food-making careers to create cookbook classics, such as Vegan With A Vengeance, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, but it all started with Veganomicon. With over 250 recipes, there is a nice mix of beginner to advanced, as well as familiar favorites to the more exotic.

This cake is very moist, easy to make, and doesn’t taste “lower fat.” If you want to stay on the simpler side of things, you can top the cake with powdered sugar—as we did—or slice fresh strawberries. Heating up a few spoonfuls of nut butter and drizzling over the top would be a nice touch, or if you feel like making it a little more decadent, you can dribble some homemade or store-bought vegan frosting over it as well.

Lower Fat Chocolate Bundt Cake

Lower-Fat Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake

Yields 12 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups fresh brewed coffee
  • ⅔ cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup canola oil
  • ⅓ cup applesauce
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose white flour*
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons confectioners sugar

*Whole-wheat pastry flour leaves the fiber of the wheat intact without sacrificing any of the texture, but if you can’t find whole-wheat pastry flour then regular all-purpose flour will do the trick. But don’t substitute regular whole-wheat flour, it is different from pastry flour and will result in a rough and chewy texture.

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease an 8 or 10 inch Bundt pan.
  2. Bring the coffee to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Once it is simmering, turn down the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder until it has dissolved. Remove from the heat and set aside to bring to room temperature.
  3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, canola oil, applesauce, and cornstarch until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved, about 2 minutes. Mix in the extracts. Once the chocolate has cooled a bit, mix that in as well.
  4. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until relatively smooth, about 1 minute with a hand mixer or 2 minutes with a whisk.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick or butter knife inserted in its center comes out clean. If your pan is on the smaller side, it could take up to 55 minutes.
  6. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 20 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate to cool completely. Once cool, sift confectioners sugar over the top and enjoy.

Order Veganomicon 10th anniversary edition here!

Pumpkin Curry

By Toni Okamoto

Pumpkin Curry

Fall is here, and we want pumpkin everything! All day, every day!

Here’s a great savory dish to get you feeling festive.

Pumpkin Curry

Yields 2-3 servings.

Ingredients:

  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 cups vegetable broth (or 2 bouillon cubes in 2 cups water)
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 15 oz can pumpkin
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons curry
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 1 package extra firm tofu, cubed
  • Your choice of veggies

Directions:

  1. In a large pot, sauté the onions in the olive oil until onions become translucent.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Simmer over low heat for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Yuki Takahashi

Yuki Takahashi

As part of our activist profile series, today we meet Yuki Takahashi. Yuki just wrapped up an internship with Yuri Mitzkewich, Vegan Outreach’s southeast Outreach Coordinator. Yuki joined Yuri for the first five weeks of his leafleting tour and distributed 38,019 leaflets at 29 different college campuses. Together, Yuri and Yuki broke more than 20 school leafleting records.

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I grew up in Japan. I haven’t lived in any one place for more than half a year since 2012, having been with just one big backpack, a tent, and a sleeping bag for the past five years.

What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?

I first learned about the cruelty of the meat industry in spring 2003 when I received a Vegan Outreach leaflet at UC Berkeley. I felt so sorry for the animals and stopped eating meat. In 2007, I joined the Lothlorien Co-op house and learned about the similarly miserable lives of egg-laying hens and dairy cows.

After completing a Physics Ph.D in 2010, I worked for various causes with other people who are trying to do good things for the world. Everywhere I went, though, I noticed a lack of concerns for the animals being exploited for food. Since then, I’ve been looking to dedicate my life to reducing animal suffering.

How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?

When I was signing up for Vegan Outreach’s Vegan Mentor Program back in May, I noticed the internship opportunity and applied. I was paired up with Yuri Mitzkewich, Vegan Outreach’s southeast Outreach Coordinator, for the fall semester. I leaflet with him for five weeks—traveling from Florida into Texas—and had an absolute blast!

Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?

At the University of Southern Mississippi, I met a man named Nicholas who’d received a Compassionate Athlete booklet. After talking with him for a little while about veganism, he jumped in and leafleted with us for the rest of the day.

What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?

I like to explore nature and the various cultures on this planet. I also love observing wild creatures, both by walking on land and swimming in waters.

Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?

Leafleting is a lot more interesting and rewarding than I ever imagined. When I was signing up for the internship, I had some concerns that I’d become robot-like—mindlessly doing a repetitive task. To the contrary, leafleting was engaging, interactive, and energizing. Throughout the five-week internship, I never got tired of doing it!

Can you tell us one of your favorite vegan products to share with our readers?

I actually haven’t explored very many special vegan products, but Daiya cheese is probably my favorite so far. Even my sister, Seika, who is a big fan of cheese, said that the Daiya cheese pizza is the best pizza she’s ever had.

Jevranne Martel

Jev Martel St Clair College

Continuing our series of activist profiles, today we talk to Vegan Outreach’s Canada Outreach Coordinator, Jevranne—”Jev”—Martel. This is Jev’s first semester leafleting for Vegan Outreach, and her work has been nothing less than impressive! She’s been to more than 30 college campuses this fall and has distributed over 28,000 booklets!

Where are you from and where do you live now?

I was raised in Portage la Prairie, MB, which is a small farming community. I moved to Ottawa, ON when I was out of school to explore and find a place of my own that I could call home. I adore Ottawa—it’s a beautiful city with a ton of nature and water everywhere.

What got you interested in animal rights and veganism?

I’d been vegetarian for over 8 years. I went vegetarian because I felt better knowing no animals were dying for me, but I didn’t do the research to find out what else was happening.

Over the years, I’d embarked on a spiritual journey where I was meditating more regularly and focusing on health and fitness. As a result, I started noticing major shifts in my body. These shifts made me more aware of my body and what was happening after eating certain foods.

One day, I had a major shift and I felt I had to do more research on veganism. I came across the “Best Speech You Will Ever Hear” by Gary Yourofsky. I became vegan and an animal rights activist immediately after hearing that speech.

How did you get involved with Vegan Outreach and leafleting?

I got involved in leafleting and doing outreach three and a half years ago. I noticed there weren’t as many outreach events being held as I would’ve liked, so I decided to organize a few on my own and get volunteers out there with me as often as I could.

I would organize a good number of events, using different outreach techniques, and I’d hand out whatever literature that I had on hand. When I came across Vegan Outreach booklets, I thought they were perfect! I would’ve loved to use them all the time, but due to a lack of funds—to ship them to Canada from the U.S.—I couldn’t afford to. [Editor’s note: Thanks to a generous donor, we currently are able to cover most shipping to Canada for those who cannot donate the shipping costs.]

A couple years later, much to my surprise, I got an amazing opportunity to work for Vegan Outreach and hand out as much of their literature as possible. I feel so grateful and happy every day!

Jev McMaster

Do you have a favorite leafleting moment to share?

One time I had someone trying to give me a hard time. No matter what I brought up, he had an answer for it. Throughout the whole conversation, I was giving him some really good questions to sit on and I kept a very positive attitude. At the end of our conversation, he admitted to me that when he talks to vegans he usually goes out of his way to get a reaction, but he said my composure and delivery was really great. He ended up taking a booklet, telling me to keep up the good work, and he said he’d look into the issues further.

What do you do for fun when you’re not leafleting?

I’m typically sidewalk chalking, hanging posters, doing a protest, demonstration, or doing an event of some kind for an animal rights issue. Animal rights activism is my life, and it always will be. I never mind putting aside time for the animals.

I also enjoy being in nature, going for bike rides with friends and family, meditating by the water, and camping when I can.

Do you have anything else you’d like to add about leafleting?

Have fun with it—bring your personality to the mix. Being genuine will attract more people and you’ll hand out more information.

Also, don’t be scared to approach people and ask thought-provoking questions. I generate so many conversations with people that have the time, but aren’t feeling forced to stay and talk. I always tell them that I value their time, and if they don’t have time to stay and talk I let them know that’s okay. This usually intrigues them to engage in a conversation.

Can you tell us one of your favorite vegan products to share with our readers?

I love the tofu nuggets made by La Soyarie. It’s my go to “junk food” snack or meal. It’s super simple and super satisfying!

Soyarie Shefu Tofu Bites

World Vegetarian Awareness Month

By Sharon Palmer, RD, Guest Contributor

Sharon Palmer World Vegetarian Awareness Month
Sharon Palmer

October 1 was World Vegetarian Day, and the whole month of October is Vegetarian Awareness Month. If you—or someone you know—have been considering a plant-based lifestyle, today is the perfect day to give it a try. What have you got to lose?

I’m encouraging everyone—no matter what their eating style—to take on a more whole foods, plant-based lifestyle. And now that summer vacations are over, the kids are back to school, and the holidays are still in the future, it’s the perfect time to give a more healthful, sustainable lifestyle a try.

One of the best ways to decide if you want to make a change in your eating style is to try a challenge. Just try it for a finite period of time—whether it’s one week, two weeks, or one month.

Five Steps for Taking the Veg Challenge

Decide what your goal is and commit. If you’re a slow starter, perhaps you’d like to try a month of Meatless Mondays. Or maybe you’d like to give two weeks of eating vegetarian a spin. Maybe you want to give a completely plant-based diet a try for a whole month. Just make a decision, and go for it.

Set your kitchen up for success. Once you make a commitment, make sure you’re supporting it in the kitchen. I’ve got plenty of tips in my books The Plant-Powered Diet and Plant-Powered For Life.

Here are a couple of cheats—

  • Stock your pantry with plant-based, shelf-stable foods, such as whole grains, dried and canned beans, nuts and seeds, nuts and seed butters, spices, and herbs. You can create wholesome, plant-based meals out of these ingredients in a jiffy.
  • Fill your fridge at least once a week with healthy, fresh, plant-based foods to enliven those plant-based dishes, such as seasonal fruits and vegetables, tofu, seitan, and plant-based milk.

Plan wisely. For your first week, you might find it especially helpful to jot down a menu for your lunch and dinners. On your busy nights, try simple meals, such as tofu stir-fry with brown rice or black bean tacos. But choose a couple of nights when you have a bit more time to try a new recipe. This will inspire you to get creative and enjoy the delicious flavors of plant-based foods.

Scope out plant-based offerings in your neighborhood. Take a few minutes to scope out the plant-based offerings in your neighborhood, such as your local natural food store, vegetarian restaurants, or restaurants with lots of plant-based options. Plan a visit a couple of times your first week to keep it fun.

Create good ole’ standbys. It’s easy to eat plant-based when you have your go-to favorite, wholesome meals that make you feel content and satisfied. Some of mine include steel cut oats with seasonal fruit, cinnamon, hemp, walnuts, and soy milk for breakfast. A kale salad with white beans, sun-dried tomatoes, and pine nuts for lunch. And a veggie BLT with tempeh bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, and plant-based mayo for a weekend meal.

To learn more about my work, visit my website. And for more help, check out Vegan Outreach’s Vegan Mentor Program (VMP)—a helpful resource where you’ll receive one-on-one support via email with a volunteer mentor. They’ll help you with anything from grocery shopping and eating out to figuring out how to respond when people ask you questions.

Also check out Vegan Serial, Vegan Outreach’s 10-week email series where you’ll receive recipes, helpful tips, and nutrition information.

Happy Vegetarian Awareness Month!

Mediterranean Edamame Quinoa Bowl

By Lori Stultz, Communications Manager

QuinoaBowls high res
Mediterranean Edamame Quinoa Bowl / Sharon Palmer

Enjoy this flavor-filled Mediterranean Edamame Quinoa Bowl as one of your plant-based meals for Vegetarian Awareness Month. There’s little to prepare, but a whole lot to enjoy!

Mediterranean Edamame Quinoa Bowl

Yields 1 large entrée-sized bowl, or 4 small servings.

Ingredients

Salad Bowl

  • 2 cups loosely packed, fresh greens—i.e., baby kale, arugula, romaine
  • ½ cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ cup cooked quinoa
  • 10 Kalamata olives, pitted, whole
  • 1 small Persian cucumber, with peel, sliced
  • ¼ cup sliced red onions
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts—or other nut of choice

Mediterranean Vinaigrette

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced
  • Pinch sea salt—optional
  • Pinch black pepper
  • Pinch smoked red paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

  1. Fill a large, individual-sized bowl with greens.
  2. Arrange the following on top of the greens: edamame, cherry tomatoes, cooked quinoa, Kalamata olives, sliced cucumbers, sliced red onions, and pine nuts.
  3. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, sea salt, black pepper, red paprika, and oregano.
  4. Drizzle the dressing over the salad bowl, evenly.

Click here for the original recipe.

Globally Local Vegan Drive-Thru

By John Deetjen, Outreach Coordinator

Globally Local

London, Ontario’s vegan restaurant scene has been booming the past few years! This southern Ontario city saw its 6th all-vegan establishment—Globally Local—open its doors in July 2017. The restaurant now has two locations in the city.

Globally Local prides itself on being the first vegan drive-thru in the world that’s open 24 hours a day. It features an all-day breakfast menu, fast food classics, desserts, and delicious vegan soft serve ice cream.

Restaurant owner James McInnes’ success started last summer when their vegan version of McDonald’s Big Mac sold out at the London Rib Fest. The popularity of their food truck and burger garnered much press attention.

Despite the all-time high anticipation for the second restaurant opening, things hit a snag when vandals spray painted, “I love meat” over the drive-thru window. However, the anti-vegan graffiti got a lot of media coverage, and local vegans and meat eaters alike banded together and pledged to support the new establishment.

A statement about the graffiti on their social media said, “Thank you to the tens of thousands of people who have helped us to spread our message and join our fast food revolution. To those that undermine our mission and attack our values – know that we will not be stopped.”

Will not be stopped was an understatement. The grand opening was a major success! There was a line that ran outside of the restaurant from noon until 4 pm. There were literally hundreds of patrons waiting for their taste of vegan fast food.

globallylocal4

globallylocal5

My wife and I attended the grand opening event, and after deliberating on what to order, we decided to order a BLT, the Fries Supremacy—fries topped with housemade sour cream, scallions, taco meat, and cheese sauce—mac n’ cheese, hashbrowns, a cheeseburger, and soft serve ice cream.

The BLT was fantastic—a great combination of salty and smoky. With their housemade vegan mayo, it was perfectly delicious! The mac n’ cheese was just as good! In fact, I think it was my favorite item that I ordered. Their housemade cheese sauce is made from ingredients like potatoes and carrots, making it a healthier alternative to traditional mac n’ cheese.

And the burger that won the restaurant so much fame met our expectations. The patty is chickpea-based, seasoned, and cooked on the grill. Yum!

The perfect end to the meal was their vanilla coconut based soft serve ice cream! Reminiscent of a McDonald’s cone, vegans and non-vegans alike will sure be flocking here for this delicious frozen treat.

globallylocal2

Globally Local Drive Thru 4

Whether you live in or near London, Ontario, or you’re just driving thru—get it?—be sure to get yourself some vegan grub at Globally Local, and leave us a comment to tell us what your experience was like!

Happy fast food eating!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie + Basic Pumpkin Tofu Pie

By Alex Bury, VO Organizational Development Consultant

Pumpkin Pie

I’m a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America—the CIA—and I couldn’t get my degree without spending a chunk of time in the pastry kitchen.

Honestly, pastry work has just never been my “thing.” You have to be so careful and exact with everything! The savory side of the kitchen is much more forgiving of last minute spice changes or experimentation.

I do, however, have two amazing pie recipes that I’ve been making for 20 years. One is a classic pumpkin cheesecake pie and the other is a chocolate fudge pecan pie. The chocolate fudge pie will be shared in December—great things come to those who wait!

These pies aren’t fussy or fragile like so many baking recipes. Every year between Thanksgiving and December 31 I make at least 4 of each, sometimes more, and I usually serve them to non-vegans with rave reviews.

And this year I’ve added a third pie to my baking standards list—basic pumpkin tofu pie.

This fall, Vegan Outreach is hosting a series of informational meetings at churches in Los Angeles, CA. The congregations and local communities are almost completely non-vegan. Vegan advocacy, Whole Foods, kale smoothies, and Tofurky haven’t been a part of these communities.

Therefore, we needed a pie recipe that didn’t use any fancy ingredients—like agar or vegan cream cheese—didn’t need a Whole Foods to complete the shopping list, was somewhat healthy and inexpensive, and was delicious enough that a non-vegan would love it.

I found a recipe that met these criteria! It’s made with tofu, which is a good source of protein and easy to find; canned pumpkin, which is cheap, nutritious, and also easy to find; sugar; and spices.

Whichever pie you make, be sure to serve it with your favorite non-dairy ice cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie

Yields 8 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz can of pumpkin
  • 1 8 oz container vegan cream cheese (I use Follow Your Heart brand)
  • 1 container (12.3 oz) Mori-Nu firm silken tofu
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 vegan pie crust (see Recipe Tips/Variations below)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Puree all of the ingredients—the filling for the pie crust—in a food processor until you have a very smooth consistency.
  3. Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust and bake for 50 minutes.
  4. Allow the pie to cool for 60 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight before serving.

Recipe Tips/Variations

  • It’s easy to buy pre-made vegan pie crusts in the freezer section of your store! If you’re like me and have zero patience for making pie crusts from scratch, I highly recommend buying one. If you have the time and patience, though, feel free to use your favorite vegan pie crust recipe!
  • A vegan graham cracker pie crust is also a delicious option!
  • It really helps to make the pie a day before your meal so it can set up and chill overnight.

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Basic Pumpkin Tofu Pie

Yields 8 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz can of pumpkin
  • 1 container (12.3 oz) Mori-Nu firm silken tofu
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice mix (see below if you want to make your own)
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 vegan pie crust (see Recipe Tips/Variations above)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Mix all of the ingredients—the filling for the pie crust—together in a food processor. Make sure the filling is extremely smooth and blended. Once you’re sure it’s smooth and creamy, give it another 60 seconds of processing to make it fluffy.
  3. Pour the filling into the unbaked pie crust and bake for 45 minutes. If the crust and top of the pie aren’t golden brown, bake for another 15 minutes.

Recipe Tips/Variations

  • Let the pie cool very well and then cover with plastic wrap, chill overnight, and enjoy the next day!

Make Your Own Pumpkin Spice Mix!

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg