For me, healthy living can include fun foods, even “sinful” treats. I had fun revisiting a recipe I made years ago, that at the time included pecans, peanut butter & almond milk. With our youngest son’s food allergies, soy milk has made a return to our kitchen. Although it never left really. Ford (our oldest son) grew up on soy milk, and Silk is his favorite on cereal, drinking and in meals. Unlike almond and coconut milk, it has plenty of plant protein to fuel the boys, with a milk and pleasant flavor (it also steams well for lattes I might add). With a container of it in the refrigerator, you won’t miss dairy milk at all!
Live a little and enjoy the taste of fall – and have one as a treat after an invigorating hike. Me? I’ll get the boys out on the trail out back and enjoy the first crunchy leaves falling off the maple trees and then sneak in a snack with them after. And maybe I’ll pair mine with a soy caramel latte as well!
Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsweetened plain soy milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin purée
- ½ cup sunflower oil
- ½ cup chopped sunflower seeds
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Line muffin tins with paper liners for 18 cupcakes.
Add the soy milk to a measuring cup, stir in the vinegar, set aside to curdle.
In a small bowl whisk the flour through salt together.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugar, pumpkin and oil till smooth. Add half the milk mixture, whisk smooth and then add half the flour. Whisk in the remaining milk, then the flour and sunflowers, until smooth. Divide between the muffin tins, filling no more than 2/3 full (the cakes rise quite a bit).
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly touched (and a toothpick comes out clean – mine took 30 minutes).
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, transfer to a cooling rack.
Frost when completely cooled.
Vegan SunButter Frosting
Ingredients:
- 2¼ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup smooth Sunbutter sunflower spread
- ¼ cup non-dairy margarine (such as Earth Balance)
- 4 to 5 Tbsp unsweetened plain soy milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Directions:
In bowl of a stand mixer, combine sugar, sunflower butter, margarine, soy milk, and vanilla,
With mixer on low, slowly whip ingredients until blended and sugar is incorporated. Increase speed to high and whip frosting until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, depending on your mixer.
Frost as desired.
Makes about 18 cupcakes.
This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.