Happy Saturday! Fall has arrived and the weather is quickly changing in my neck of the woods. The air is crisp and it’s officially cozy warm sweater weather! The evening gets pretty darn chilly now too. I get inspiration this time of year and then I try creating some healthy seasonal recipe options. I’m all about trying to create healthy treats at home instead of buying store bought goods whenever possible.

I really like to try new recipes and creating healthy versions of some of our favourite meals. I still want to enjoy a sweet treat every once in a while but I still want to stay within my wellness goals.

The holiday season is upon us and Thanksgiving is around the corner. It’s my favourite time of year because it’s a time to reflect on all the blessings we have in our lives. I feel so grateful for the life I have created! I also love the warm and cozy dishes that come along with the fall/autumn season too. I will be making my Pineapple Upside-Down Cake this year for my family celebration. It’s comforting and delicious. It’s always a hit every time I make it!

Today I’m sharing my super yummy and easy to make Pineapple Upside-Down Cake recipe with you all. I love creating healthy versions of some classic recipes. I wanted to feel good about bringing this dessert to a family get together because it’s healthy and very delicious at the same time. I want my family to enjoy a sweet treat without loading them full of unhealthy and unpronounceable ingredients.

In order to sweeten the cake you can use a variety of options. I like using Date or Coconut sugar the best. If I can’t find it at the store I will buy whatever options are available to me. I sometimes have to buy cane sugar because nothing else is available. I just recommend you trying the best you can to find the healthiest options. Everything can’t always be perfect in life and we just have to accept that and not feel guilt around it. I also remind people that although we might personally enjoy treats with little or no sugar in it other people may not. If you decide to share baked goods with others then please add the recommended amount of sugar. I feel like compared to other recipes or store bought cakes I’ve already cut down on the sugar considerably. You want other people to really enjoy it fully! When spending time with friends and family I always try and restrict a little less in order for everyone to enjoy the meal to the fullest. Time together building memories and truly enjoying the food is most important.

I also wanted to create a recipe that included easy to find ingredients as always. You guys know I’m all about keeping things fuss free! I wanted everyone to be able to find everything they needed at any local grocery store or market. Things like canned pineapple is pretty cheap to buy and works perfectly! Fresh pineapple can sometimes be quite costly depending on where you live. I didn’t want the cost of the cake to be too high overall so I stuck with staple pantry ingredients. We don’t need to break the bank in order to create a homemade treat! A simple, homemade, healthy and comforting cake was my goal. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I do!

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Topping Ingredients:

⁃ 1/4 cup apple sauce

⁃ 1/3 cup Brown sugar or Maple Sugar

⁃ Pineapple slices

Ingredients:

⁃ 1/2 cup Soy Milk + 2 Tbsp.

⁃ 1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

⁃ 1/4 pineapple juice

⁃ 1/2 cup apple sauce

⁃ 1 tsp. Pure Vanilla extract

⁃ 1/3 – 1/2 cup sugar of choice (I use coconut or date sugar most of the time)

⁃ 1 1/2 cups flour of choice (I use brown rice or oat flour)

⁃ 1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder

⁃ 1 flax egg = 1 Tbsp. Flax meal & 3 Tbsp. Water. Combine, set aside and allow to thicken.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F

2. Make the topping and add to the bottom of a 9 inch round baking pan. Arrange pineapple slices around the pan as well.

3. Next you’re going to make your flax egg. Add 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal into a small bowl and 3 tablespoons of warm water. Combine well and set aside to thicken up.

4. Next add the milk,apple cider, pure vanilla extract, sugar and applesauce. Mix well.

5. Next add the flax egg to the wet ingredients and combine it well.

6. Now in a large bowl combine all your dry ingredients be sure to mix it well.

7. Transfer all the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and combine all the ingredients.

8. Pour over the pineapple rings in the pan evenly distribute the batter out.

9. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in a 350°F oven.

10. Once it’s baked allowed to completely cool before transferring to a plate or serving dish. Once it’s cooled you can place a plate on top of the pan and flip it over. The cake should slide out easily if you have a nonstick pan if not you may have to pre-oil your pan in order to ensure the cake can be removed easily.

Enjoy! 💚

I will include the video version of this yummy cake! If you haven’t already Subscribed to my YouTube channel then please consider doing so now. That way you don’t miss any upcoming cozy & comforting recipes upcoming! Thank you for the support and love on the channel!

I’m finally posting the recipe for my Raw Vegan Pumpkin Pie !!! Many people have asked me for this recipe so here it is! It’s super easy to make and so far everyone who has tried it has loved it! When I cook and bake I pretty much always just eyeball the quantities of my ingredients. Not good when your being asked for your recipes often! I’ve now forced myself to pay attention to the quantities and write down my recipes as I go. This recipe is easily adapted so adjust the spice amounts as desired. Everyone is different. Some people like their pie mild in flavor and others like it strong. I’m kinda of a mid range person and that’s what my recipe reflects. As far as nuts go I prefer to use raw cashew halves in my pie filling as well as the crust. I’ve done it with walnuts and it turns out good in flavor but I find the texture of the pie is much better when I use cashews. So although Thanksgiving has already passed for us in Canada I still made another raw pumpkin pie this week. Hey it’s still fall so I think it’s still appropriate! For my lovely American friends & family this recipe is coming to you in perfect timing! Your welcome! 🙂

RAW VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE

Ingredients for the crust:

1 cup raw cashew halves (no need to soak the nuts for the crust)
1 tbsp. unsweetened shredded coconut
2 medjool dates, pitted

Ingredients For the pie filling:

1 1/2 cup raw soaked and drained cashew halves
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or agave
1 1/2 cups pure pumpkin puree (Not pumpkin pie filling!)
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 heaping tbsp.’s cinnamon, or to taste
2 tsp. pumpkin spice, or to taste
3 heaping tbsp.’s coconut oil
10 medjool dates, pitted

You will also need:

1 pie plate or desired dish
food processor
large bowl
medium-sized bowl
kettle

* For best results soak your cashews over night!!! Add the 1 1/2 cups raw cashew halves into a large bowl and cover with water. Give it a quick mix and leave them overnight on your countertop. *

Method:

Place the dates in a medium-sized bowl and add boiled water to them from your kettle. Let them sit there 10-20 minutes to soften up.
After your dates have softened you can remove 2 from the bowl and after pitting it add it to the food processor. Your now going to make your pie crust. Add in the 1 cup of raw cashews and the 1 tbsp. of shredded coconut. Use the pulse option in order to just combine the ingredients slightly. I then use the low setting on my food processor to combine the ingredients well.
Remove the crust ingredients and add them to your pie plate. Use your fingers to press down the mixture and spread it out evenly. Set aside.
Remove the other 10 dates from the water and remove the pits. Add them to the food processor.
Strain the water out of your 1 1/2 cups cashews and add them to your food processor as well.
Add in the 1 1/2 cups pure pumpkin puree, 1 heaping tbsp. cinnamon, 2 tsp. pumpkin spice and the 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract.
Next add the 3 heaping tbsp.’s of coconut oil
Pulse to just chop everything slightly and then use the high-powered option and blend well. I stop mine and use a spoon to scrape down the sides of the processor a couple of times in order to make sure that the nuts puree well.
It should be a beautiful smooth consistency. Taste and adjust the spice as needed at this point.
Transfer the pie filling into your pie plate. Smooth it out evenly and cover it up with clear cling wrap.
Pop it into the freezer for at least 4- 6 hours until it’s set and firm. Once it’s set really well you can place it into the fridge. Take the pie out a few minutes before your going to slice and serve it so that it comes to room temperature.

* I’ve also been known just kept my pies in the freezer and only cut the slices I need. I let them come to room temperature and serve them. My kids enjoy adding whipped cream on top of their pie slice but I eat mine plain. I think it’s perfect just like that! 🙂

Enjoy!