Fall is one of my favorite seasons, besides summer, I still can’t believe it’s over…poof, just like that and it’s October. There are many upsides to fall’s coming, besides the beautiful trees, like my favorite fall raw vegan sweets and treats!! Donuts, apple pies and blueberry banana muffins make their way back into my life and suddenly I feel okay that the seasons are changing and it’s getting colder and darker each day.
Let’s face it we all love pies, muffins and donuts but the classics are filled with un-healthy ingredients. I made it my mission to replace those foods and re create classic recipes with real ingredients that make us feel good and tastes good too. These adapted recipes are gluten free, raw, vegan and AMAZING, if I do say so myself! 🙂
Not only do I love the sweets that make fall so much better I also enjoy my savory rice bowls with pak dong, my infusions and all the other goodies you’ll find below in my top 10 favorite fall foods list, I hope you all enjoy and have fun in the kitchen!
Apple cider donuts were always a childhood favorite, that’s why it’s my number 1 favorite fall raw vegan recipe. These hearty warmly spiced donuts ares ones I can really sink my teeth into. This raw vegan recipe is dehydrated and warm just like the fresh apple cider donuts I used to enjoy as a kid, but way healthier.
Another childhood memory at the Hick’s Apple Orchard in upstate NY was Caramel Apples. I remember how delicious it once tasted and how nasty it made my teeth feel afterwards. I knew I had to come up with a raw vegan version, and boy did I! This to me tastes 100 times better than your ordinary caramel apple. You will be amazed by this quick and simple delicious recipe, I guarantee!
One of my favorite breakfasts as a child was warming up my apple cinnamon pop tarts in the toaster oven to take with me to the bus stop. I would wrap it in a paper towel to keep my hands warm on the long cold trek to the bus stop. Then once you’re on the bus the pop tarts are perfectly cooled for you to enjoy. Unfortunately these great memories followed with bad memories of falling asleep in class from a sugar crash and feeling extremely hungry before lunch and then top that off with a stomach ache after lunch. Now I can still enjoy a perfectly warm pop tart that actually tastes way better than those awfully sugary store bought pop tarts. I can’t even believe I used to eat those and sometimes I would have 2 packages a day, yes 4 tarts! I experimented with many different versions to this recipe until I nailed the perfect pop tart substitution. I’m betting you’ll love these just as much I do!
4. Raw Blueberry Banana Muffins
If you like banana bread and bananas mixed with blueberries, you’ll love this blueberry banana muffin. This muffin is not only vegan and gluten free but also raw with a crisp outside and an ooey gooey inside to die for. Yes I know blueberries are a summer food but don’t forget about dried blueberries, which can be found in most health food markets; unless you’re an awesome planner and dried your excess summer blueberries, go you!
Apple pie is a staple in my fall diet, I simply can’t live without it! Now imagine mixing nuts, seeds and dates with the cinnamon spiced, coconut sugared apples that were slightly dehydrated so you still get a burst of warm apple juices as you bite into this apple pie. I just made myself salivate…yum. This apple pie is so healthy that I actually eat this as a breakfast rather than dessert or for breakfast AND dessert, it’s just that good! Why wouldn’t you eat raw nuts, seeds and fruit for breakfast, it’s what you’re supposed to eat, and to have a whole pie full of these goodies ready to go for you in the morning is just to good to be true…but it is true and you are not dreaming!
6. Sprouted Oatmeal | Cranberry Maple Pecan | Apple Raisin
I have to admit I was never a fan of oatmeal growing up unless it had those crunchy dinosaurs with the sugar coated eggs and more sugar added on top because without it, it was that gross! I still don’t like quick oats because they get to that weird mush consistency and that just doesn’t do it for me. When my friend introduced me to raw oat groats I fell in love! She bought oats that were intended for horse feed because oats in the grocery store won’t sprout, and they basically are the same thing. You can only order these oats in bulk so she gave me a ton!! I experimented with different ways to make this into something fabulous and thus this sprouted oatmeal recipe was born. Even though it is not raw it is still vegan and way healthier then that dinosaur egg oatmeal I used to eat 😉
Okay I have been listing off a lot of sugary recipes, while they’re healthier than their leading competitors, it’s generally not a good idea to make your immune system susceptible to sickness by consuming a ton of sugary foods. Yes these sugars come from dates and coconuts but regardless it’s still sugar and candida will feed itself and multiply making you feel, well sick! So this is the magical potion I recommend, nettles infusion, made from the stinging nettles plant. Don’t worry about the sting, the plant’s ribs, has been discarded so you’re left with an abundance of nutrients in tea form. We call this an infusion rather than tea because it has been “infused” with a generous amount of plant matter for 8 hours rather than “steeped” for 30 minutes give or take, leaving us with even more concentrated “infusion”. This is what I drink some days for breakfast until lunch which is normally a warm mixin’ rice bowl with fresh herbs, spices, greens, spirulina and pak dong.
If there’s anytime to make Pak Dong it’s now! The cabbage is getting sweeter with the crisp air and the last of the carrots, hot peppers, and garlic are being harvested if they haven’t already been. This is the time of the year where I ferment as many things as possible to make it through the year. As of right now I have 4 gallons of pickles, 1 quart hot peppers ferment and 1 gallon of Pak Dong. I’m about to make another gallon of Pak Dong to last me another 2 months or so. This is a delicious sweet and spicy ferment that is great to add to rice bowls like I mentioned before and also to salads or hot dogs if you’re not complete vegan. Just yesterday I gave my friends some pak dong to put on their bison hot dog and it was a hit!
9. Vegan Sushi and Ginger Sauce
This vegan sushi may not be completely raw but it is still my number 9 favorite fall recipe because it has all the fall root vegetables like parsnip, celriac, beets and carrots. You will absolutely love the flavors this sushi has from these flavorful veggies. Combine this with the sautéed mushrooms and onions then dip it in my super amazing ginger sauce and my friend you have a crowd pleaser. I always make my friends sushi rolls because they are so easy to make once you get the hang of it and they all love it!
10. Raw Pumpkin Avocado Cream Pie
I love raw vegan pies, especially when they are creamy and warmly spiced, tis the season for pumpkins! Avocados make a great pie base because they are so creamy and rich. The pumpkins are juiced for the ultimate pumpkin tastes but since it is raw we leave out the fiber and replace the pumpkin filling with avocado and cashews. One piece leaves you completely satisfied. You’ll really like the candied pecans and coconut cream as an extra special bonus. Dare to try such a mysterious raw pie that will leave you craving more?
And there you have it there is my top 10 favorite foods of the season. You can find me eating all these recipes around this time of year, I just wanted to share with you what’s in my fridge. I hope you all enjoy!
What are your favorite fall recipes and why?
