Okay, so I’ve been totally obsessed with autumn lately, and you know what that means – ALL the pumpkin spice, apple crisp, and cozy dessert vibes. But this year, I wanted to challenge myself to make them vegan. No dairy, no eggs… could I still get that delicious, comforting taste? Let me tell you, the answer is a big YES. Here’s how my little baking adventure went down.
The Game Plan
First, I brainstormed. What are my absolute favorite fall desserts? I jotted down a list:
- Pumpkin Pie
- Apple Crumble
- Cinnamon Rolls (Okay, maybe not strictly autumn, but they fit the warm & cozy theme!)
- Some kind of chocolatey…something.
Then, I hit the internet (and my cookbooks) for some vegan recipe inspiration. I found a bunch of options, read through the comments (gotta see what other people thought!), and picked a few that looked promising, but also doable. I’m no professional baker, you know?
The Pumpkin Pie Experiment
Pumpkin pie was first. This one seemed the trickiest, since it’s usually all about the custard filling, which is, you know, eggs. I found a recipe that used silken tofu and coconut milk as the base. Honestly, I was skeptical. I followed the instructions, blended everything up, and poured it into a pre-made vegan crust (because, let’s be real, making pie crust is a whole other level). I baked it, let it cool (the hardest part!), and… it was actually REALLY good! The texture was surprisingly creamy, and the pumpkin spice flavor was on point.
Apple Crumble Success
Next up: apple crumble. This one was way easier. I basically just swapped out the butter in a regular crumble recipe for vegan butter. I chopped up some apples, tossed them with cinnamon and sugar, and made the crumble topping. I sprinkled, and baked, so easy. The result? Warm, gooey, apple-y goodness. Total win.
Cinnamon Roll Challenge
Cinnamon rolls were a bit more involved. I used a recipe that called for plant-based milk and vegan butter in the dough. I kneaded, rolled, filled it, and rolled some more. Let them rise, baked them, and then whipped up a simple icing with powdered sugar and more plant-based milk. They weren’t quite as fluffy as traditional cinnamon rolls, but they were still delicious and satisfied my craving.
The Chocolate Finale
Finally, I needed something chocolate. I decided on a simple vegan chocolate pudding. I found another recipe that used avocado (weird, I know, but trust me!) and cocoa powder. I blended it all up, chilled it, and…WOW. It was rich, creamy, and intensely chocolatey. You’d never guess there was avocado in there.
So, there you have it! My vegan autumn dessert adventure. It was surprisingly fun, and I proved to myself that you can totally enjoy all those classic fall flavors without any animal products. I learned a ton, and now my recipe book is a lot more delicious than before. I definitely recommend giving it a try!
