One of my favorite things about this time of year is the smell of maple-sweetened baked goods filling my home. It reminds me of holiday parties, Christmas music and hot breakfast on a cold Maine morning.
With the frost and ice of a norβeaster pressing in from the windows, a spicy warmth spreading from the oven is the perfect antidote to winterβs worst chill. Of course, such sweet smells draw everyone toward the kitchen. Warm up some apple cider and you have an instant festive feel.
At this time of year gingerbread is a favorite, and I often make vegan gingerbread muffins. But thereβs no need to stop there with so many seasonal flavors to explore. Thatβs why this Christmas Iβm also sharing my recipes for vegan pumpkin pie bread and vegan cranberry-pecan coffee cake.
All use whole-grain spelt flour. Spelt is an ancient relative of wheat and as such contains gluten. However, many people I know who avoid gluten for reasons other than celiac disease find they can digest spelt without any difficulty. If you donβt have spelt flour and do eat wheat, you can easily substitute ordinary whole-wheat flour. All three recipes use nondairy milk, as well; I often use oat milk, but almond milk or soy milk will also work. You can find all these milks for sale at Whole Foods.
In addition to sugar pie pumpkins, Iβve been roasting a lot of long pie pumpkins this season to make pumpkin pie bread and its traditional inspiration, pumpkin pie. This heirloom variety (which Fedco Seeds calls βthe best pumpkin for Yankee pumpkin piesβ) is elongated like an oversized zucchini but with the distinctive orange rind of a pumpkin. I buy them at the Portland Farmersβ Market. Cutting a long pie pumpkin in half is easy, and both sides typically fit, flesh side down, on a single rimmed baking sheet.
Youβll find all three of these recipes come together quickly, and once theyβre in the oven each adds a warm, sweet feel to even the shortest and darkest of winter days.
Gingerbread muffins
Makes 1 dozen
3 cups whole-grain spelt flour
1Β½ teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1Β½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
ΒΌ teaspoon ground cloves
ΒΌ teaspoon ground nutmeg
ΒΎ cup unrefined (virgin) coconut oil
ΒΌ cup maple syrup
1Β½ cups hemp milk, oat milk or other dairy-free milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
ΒΌ cup unsulphured molasses
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a muffin tin and set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
If the coconut oil is solid, melt it in a saucepan over low heat. Then mix it thoroughly with the flour mixture.
Meanwhile in another saucepan over low heat, warm the maple syrup and milk. (If neither has been refrigerated, you can skip this step.) Once the milk mixture is warm (do not let it boil), add it to the flour mixture along with the lemon juice, molasses and vanilla. Stir until well blended.
Fill the muffin tin with batter. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick placed in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Pumpkin pie bread
Yields 1 loaf
1Β½ cups whole-grain spelt flour
1Β½ teaspoons baking soda
1Β½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
ΒΎ teaspoon ground ginger
ΒΌ teaspoon ground nutmeg
ΒΌ teaspoon ground cloves
Β½ cup unrefined (virgin) coconut oil
ΒΌ cup maple syrup
Β½ cup hemp milk, oat milk or other dairy-free milk
11/3 cups cooked pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves.
If the coconut oil is solid, melt it in a saucepan over low heat. Then mix it thoroughly with the flour mixture.
Meanwhile, in another saucepan over low heat, warm the syrup and milk. (If neither has been refrigerated, you can skip this step.) Once the milk mixture is warm (do not let it boil), add it to the flour mixture along with the pumpkin, 2Β½ teaspoons water and the vanilla. Stir until everything is fully incorporated.
Pour this mixture into the prepared pan and place in the center of the oven. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow to cool before serving.
Cranberry-pecan coffee cake
3 cups whole-grain spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Β½ teaspoon salt
ΒΎ cup unrefined (virgin) coconut oil
Β½ cup maple syrup
1 cup hemp milk, oat milk or other dairy-free milk
Β½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Β½ cup pecans, chopped or crushed
2 cups fresh cranberries, roughly chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 10 x 10-inch square baking dish and set aside.
Whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.
If the coconut oil is solid, melt it in a saucepan over low heat. Then mix it thoroughly with the flour mixture.
Meanwhile, in another saucepan over low heat, warm the maple syrup and milk. Do not boil it. (If neither has been refrigerated, you can skip this step.)
Create a well in the middle of the flour mixture and add orange juice, milk mixture and vanilla. Slowly mix together. Once the batter is fully blended, add pecans and cranberries, reserving ΒΌ cup of cranberries to be used as topping.
Pour the batter into the oiled baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cranberries over the top. Bake 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Avery Yale Kamila is a freelance food writer who lives in Portland. She can be reached at
avery.kamila@gmail.com
Twitter: averyyalekamila
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