Free recipes to your inbox!

X

Feasting on Fruit

Blog

Fruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie

· Natalie 109 Comments

Fruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie - FeastingonFruit.com

If Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t include pumpkin pie then can we really even call it a celebration?

Fruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie - FeastingonFruit.comFruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie - FeastingonFruit.com

I’m kidding. Kinda. But I’m also kinda serious. I could eat pumpkin pie as the appetizer, the main dish, and the dessert. And maybe even breakfast the morning of. And with this Fruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie I don’t really see a problem with that!

Fruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie - FeastingonFruit.comFruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie - FeastingonFruit.com

The whole reason I set out on the sugar-free pie-making mission was to create a pumpkin pie that I would have no qualms about polishing off in one sitting. I still love my Banana Pumpkin Pie from last year, but if (when) I ate the entire thing I was consuming more coconut sugar then I should be at one time. However, in this pie there are three different fruits, only seven ingredients total, and no worries about the all natural sugars.

And the taste and texture definitely meet my high pie standards. So if you try it for Thanksgiving (or tomorrow’s breakfast), let me know if you agree!

Fruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie - FeastingonFruit.comFruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie - FeastingonFruit.com

The crust is gluten-free, fruit-sweetened, and fruit-bound. Similar to my Caramel Apple Crumble Pie crust, but with bananas this time.

Fruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie - FeastingonFruit.comFruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie - FeastingonFruit.com

Crust rolling, flipping, and filling in action…

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Fruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie

★★★★★ 4.9 from 16 reviews
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 55 minutes
  • Total Time: 75 minutes
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • CRUST*
  • 2 ripe bananas refrigerated overnight
  • 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 cup gluten-free flour
  • FILLING
  • 1 15 oz . can of pumpkin puree
  • 12–14 pitted medjool dates
  • 1 cup non-dairy milk
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

  1. FOR THE CRUST: In a large bowl, use your hands to “cut in” the cold banana into the flour. Keep kneading and mixing until you have a cohesive ball of dough. If it is still super sticky, you can add a little more flour.
  2. Roll out the crust between two well-floured pieces of wax paper.Peel off one sheet of paper. Dust the surface of the dough with flour to prevent it from sticking to the pie pan.
  3. Flip into a 9 inch pie pan. Set aside.
  4. FOR THE FILLING: Blend all the ingredients on high until smooth.
  5. Pour into the crust.
  6. Bake at 425F for 15 mins.
  7. Reduce the heat to 350F and bake for another 35-40 mins.
  8. Let it cool, then chill for at least 8 hours before serving.

Notes

*Since posting this recipe over a year ago, I have come to dislike oat flour for pie crusts as it can make for a very chewy hard texture. I highly recommend using this almond flour crust recipe instead.

Fruit-Sweetened Pumpkin Pie - FeastingonFruit.com

SaveSave

Caramel Apple Crumble Pie

· Natalie 36 Comments

Caramel Apple Crumble Pie - FeastingonFruit.comI had every intention of making an applesauce pie. But a reader requested a Dutch apple pie, and I try really hard to deliver on all of your requests. So I pushed my applesauce plans aside and tried to go a more traditional route…

Caramel Apple Crumble Pie - FeastingonFruit.com

Which completely failed because I really can’t be traditional. I try, but nope!

As I was researching Dutch apple pie, I found a lot of pies with a traditional bottom crust and a crumbly top. Then I came across what I think is the true Dutch apple pie, which is made in a springform pan with a cake-like deep-dish crust. Now I see what makes it special. But I haven’t figured out how to make that work without a lot of butter and gluten and eggs…yet.

Caramel Apple Crumble Pie - FeastingonFruit.comCaramel Apple Crumble Pie - FeastingonFruit.com

But the idea of a crumbly-topped apple pie sounded scrumptious, so I made my own unconventional creation: Caramel Apple Crumble Pie!

Plantains in the crust. Dates in the filling. Oats in the crumble. It’s not Dutch, but it’s delicious.

Oh, and this pie is reminiscent of last week’s applesauce in one way…there’s apple juice in filling!

Caramel Apple Crumble Pie - FeastingonFruit.comCaramel Apple Crumble Pie - FeastingonFruit.com

Plantain pie crust? My mind was a little blown when I came across this whole-wheat banana crust recipe from Happy Herbivore. Using a cold banana instead of cold butter, genius! Switching up the flours to make in gluten-free was easy. But instead of the underripe banana I used a ripe plantain, which is naturally firmer than a banana. It’s easy to roll out, sturdy to flip, and not chewy like an oat crust. Plus I’ve been wanting to work plantains into another dessert recipe ever since these brownies.

Caramel Apple Crumble Pie - FeastingonFruit.comCaramel Apple Crumble Pie - FeastingonFruit.com

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Caramel Apple Crumble Pie

★★★★★ 4.6 from 5 reviews
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 80 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • CRUST
  • 1 ripe plantain (refrigerated overnight)
  • 1 1/4 cup gluten-free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 baking flour)
  • 1 tbsp tapioca starch
  • 2 tbsps coconut sugar
  • FILLING
  • 4 medium apples (thinly sliced)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 12 pitted medjool dates
  • 3/4 cup apple juice
  • 2 tsps cinnamon or apple pie spice
  • CRUMBLE
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup oat flour
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 3–4 tbsps non-dairy milk

Instructions

  1. FOR THE CRUST: Stir together the flour and coconut sugar.
  2. Using your hands, work in the chilled plantain. Keep mixing and kneading until it forms a cohesive dough.
  3. Roll out the crust and transfer to a floured pie pan. Set aside.
  4. FOR THE FILLING: Blend the lemon juice, dates, cinnamon, and apple juice on high.
  5. Pour over the apple slices and toss to coat.
  6. Transfer to the pie pan.
  7. Bake for 20 mins at 350F.
  8. FOR THE TOPPING: While the pie is baking, mix all the topping ingredients together with a fork until crumbly.
  9. After 20 mins of baking, remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle on the topping to evenly cover the apples.
  10. Bake for another 30 mins at 350F.
  11. Remove from the pan and let it cool. Slice and eat.

Notes

Crust adapted from Happy Herbivore’s Whole Wheat Pie Crust

Caramel Apple Crumble Pie - FeastingonFruit.com

What I Eat in a Day (Smoothie Spree!)

· Natalie 13 Comments

What I Eat in a Day (Smoothie Spree!) - FeastingonFruit.com

I haven’t been feeling very motivated to make the usual recipe videos lately. It’s a lot of editing. It sometimes requires making the recipe multiple times, to get all the pictures and video. It means I can’t bake after dark (which comes so much earlier now!). And frankly I think you know how to make applesauce without a visual guide. I’d rather spend more time on the pictures and more time making new recipes.

But I still want to make videos, just simpler ones. That might mean more low key recipe style videos, but this week I filmed a little what i eat video and had some fun with the editing. It features a lot of snacking (because that’s just how I eat) and a lot of smoothies. I didn’t realize I loved smoothies till about a month ago, but since then I’ve been drinking A LOT of them! It’s getting a little out of hand. But they are so easy. And yummy. And digest super well (always a bonus!).

What I eat in a day…

I don’t usually post on a whim like this, writing the post just minutes before hitting publish. This feels a little weird to me. But good weird. Spontaneous weird. I need to be more spontaneous. What I Eat in a Day (Smoothie Spree!) - FeastingonFruit.com

Do you ever get a little smoothie obsessed and want to drink them for all your meals?

 

Homemade Extra Sweet Applesauce

· Natalie 23 Comments

Homemade Extra Sweet Applesauce - FeastingonFruit.com

This is not your average light and bright applesauce. This is a warm, sweet, and teetering on the applesauce/apple butter border recipe.

Homemade Extra Sweet Applesauce - FeastingonFruit.com

There are so many choices to make when making applesauce. Red or green? Chunky or smooth? Spiced or not? Water or apple juice? ! Yup, apple juice is what makes this applesauce especially appley.

This recipe can be all apple-sweetened or coconut sugar accompanied, that part is up to you.

And there is no easy way to peel apples. Just have at it and let the peelings fly. And watch out for your fingers.

Homemade Extra Sweet Applesauce - FeastingonFruit.com

I used four small/medium fuji apples. Four of those apples that come in a bag that I never want to buy for eating because I can’t inspect them first but are smaller and cheaper and perfect for applesauce. And I have to admit in this case they were delicious for snacking too–crisp and sweet! Fujis are my go-to apple. Ambrosias are my fancier favorite. But Sweetangos are really my snacking jam right now. What’s your favorite apple?

Homemade Extra Sweet Applesauce - FeastingonFruit.com

I don’t make this applesauce often, but when I do it’s usually gone in one day. A very apple-filled snack on a spoon. Rich enough to use on top of toast like apple butter. Possibly even rich enough to double as a pie filling. And I have a few other ideas in the works too…!

Homemade Extra Sweet Applesauce - FeastingonFruit.com

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Homemade Extra Sweet Applesauce

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 medium apples
  • 3/4 cup apple juice
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cloves
  • Optional: 2-4 tbsps coconut sugar

Instructions

  1. Peel and dice the apples.
  2. Add everything to a pot.
  3. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 15 mins until the apples are fork-tender.
  4. Take off the lid and let it continue to cook for approximately 5 more minutes to allow some of the excess liquid to evaporate if necessary.
  5. Remove from the heat and mash with a potato masher until the texture is as chunky as you like.
  6. Enjoy warm or chilled, but keep leftovers in the fridge.

Homemade Extra Sweet Applesauce - FeastingonFruit.com

Dark Chocolate Coconut Ghosts + Healthy Halloween Treat Ideas

· Natalie 32 Comments

Dark Chocolate Coconut Ghosts - FeastingonFruit.com

Healthier snacking is pretty much my blogging mission. Halloween is just an excuse to make healthy snacks in the shape of pumpkins or ghosts or spiders. Snacks within the orange and chocolate color scheme (yes chocolate is a color). Snacks that aren’t worth their weight in sugar. Snacks that are fun, festive, and quite possibly fruity.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Ghosts - FeastingonFruit.com

The scariest thing about Halloween is probably the amount of pure junk it is possible to consume in one night. But getting creative in the kitchen is much more fun and healthy than unwrapping and mindlessly eating way too much candy. So when Nuts.com inspired me to share some of my favorite healthy snacks for Halloween, I was bursting with ideas.

Some are easy, unwrap-and-eat type things. I am a big fan of simple snacking.

Some require a little more baking and making, nothing too fancy though. I promise it will be easier than carving a pumpkin (which is always harder than I think it’s going to be…by the time I get all the seeds and innards out I’m ready for a break!)

And keep reading to get the recipe for these little Dark Chocolate Coconut Ghosts too…

Dark Chocolate Coconut Ghosts - FeastingonFruit.com

There are a million pumpkin-y delights I could’ve posted here, but instead I chose things that are candy mimics or truly Halloween themed. Things that I would have loved to receive in my trick-or-treat bag!

Instead of chewy fruit-flavored candies…
-Dried fruit! My favorites are figs, apple rings, raisins, mulberries, blueberries, and mango. Just make sure to get the ones without added sugar.
-Barnana banana chewy bites. The original and apple cinnamon are my favorites!
–Dates. I’ve only ever had Medjools, but I really want to try the Khadrawi and Barhi varieties.
–Date rolls. I just recently tried these, and they are AMAZING!

Instead of crunchy snacks…
-Freeze dried fruit. My favorites are bananas, grapes (unusual I know, but really good), and blueberries.
-Baked apple chips. Bare Snacks baked apple cinnamon fruit chips  are my favorite!
-Popcorn! Pop it yourself and top with salt, spices, nutritional yeast, cacao powder, cinnamon, coconut sugar, or anything.

Instead of candy bars…
-Larabars! My favorite flavors are cookie dough, peanut butter and jelly, apple pie, and carrot cake.
-Or homemade snack bars like these peanut butter banana ones

Or spend time in the kitchen having fun with family and friends making homemade Halloween goodies…

Healthy Halloween Treat Ideas - FeastingonFruit.com
–Candy Corn Pops with Poisonberry Sauce. Fruity snacks that mimic that iconic tricolored treat and a special spooky dipping sauce.
–Raw Caramel Apples. Caramel apples aren’t orange or black or ghost-shaped or pumpkin-faced, but they are undeniably Halloween-y. And this recipe is undeniably easy too.
–Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Squares. A little messy, but totally worth it.
–Brownie-Stuffed Pumpkin Cookies. Don’t these look festive? I told you chocolate was a color.

Now let’s talk about these ghosts that have been peering at you all post long…Dark Chocolate Coconut Ghosts - FeastingonFruit.com

Everything-free cupcakes made extra dark. Ghost-white glaze. Double stacked to get that ghost height. Dressed in coconut costumes witch cacao eyes peeking through. A little spooky, but mostly just scrumptious!

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

Dark Chocolate Coconut Ghosts + Healthy Halloween Treat Ideas

★★★★★ 5 from 5 reviews
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 14 minutes
  • Total Time: 24 minutes
  • Yield: 12 ghosts 1x
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup oat flour
  • 6 pitted medjool dates
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
  • 1/4 cup cacao or cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • COCONUT FROSTING
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk powder
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp water
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar *see note (or cane sugar powdered in a blender)

Instructions

  1. FOR THE CUPCAKES: Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. Blend the water, milk, and dates on high until smooth.
  3. In a large bowl, stir together the oat flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder.
  4. Add the blended ingredients, and stir until everything is well combined.
  5. Spoon into a mini muffin pan with paper liners or greased with coconut oil.
  6. Bake for 13-15 minutes until the center bounces back when lightly pressed.
  7. Let them cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
  8. Chill overnight.
  9. FOR THE FROSTING: Whisk all the ingredients together until smooth. If it is too thick, you can add a little bit more water.
  10. TO MAKE THE GHOSTS: Take 1 mini cupcake and use a bread/cake knife to cut off the domed top. Flip it over, and place it on a plate.
  11. Take a second cupcake, flip it upside down, and use the cake/bread knife to shape it into a gumdrop shape that fits on top of the first cupcake.
  12. Dollop the frosting on top of the ghosts and let it drip down to look adorable and ghostly. Use cacao nibs or chocolate chips for eyes.
  13. As quickly as possible, place them in the freezer to harden the frosting.
  14. Devour these spooky snacks, and keep the leftovers in the fridge.

Notes

*You can use coconut sugar here, but it will effect the color.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Ghosts - FeastingonFruit.com

I know it may seem cheesy to say that fruit and healthy recipes are just as good as candy, but they really can be. Tastes can adjust and eventually your tastebuds (and the rest of your body) will thank you. Once you get all the sugar out, you can let the actual flavors come in. There are so many more fruits than there are fruity candies. There are so many more healthy halloween recipes than chocolate bars. Switching to healthy halloween snacks opens up all these new possibilities of edible goodies. And homemade halloween baking could be a whole new end of October tradition!

Syndicated on BlogHer.com

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave