Mini Pumpkin Pies

A fun fall cooking activity for all ages!

Melissa from Sweet Beets Wellness has joined us to share plant-based recipes and inspiration for cooking with kids. She is a vegan wellness coach who also teaches cooking classes for her son's homeschooling cooperative. 
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Watch the video below for inspiration on how to introduce this recipe to kids!

 Crust Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1/2 tsp salt (omit salt if you're using salted nut butter)
• 1/3 cup unsalted nut butter (we used almond)
• 2 tbsp milk or mylk 

​Puree oats, dates & salt in the food processor until crumbly. Add nut butter & mylk and pulse until it holds together when pressed. 

Filling Ingredients

• 15 oz pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup raw cashew pieces
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder
• 2 tsp + 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1.5 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg + 1/4 tsp allspice + 1/8 tsp ground cloves)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/3 cup milk or mylk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract​

Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender and puree until well-combined and very smooth.

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Baking Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degree F.
• Press crust into pie tins (this recipes makes enough for 1 large pie or 3 small pies)
• Pour filling into crusts
• Bake pies for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 20-30 more minutes (until top is golden and filling is almost fully set). 
• Let cool completely before slicing. 

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Tips for Cooking With Kids! 

• Kids who are too young to measure still enjoy pouring measured ingredients into bowls, food processors and blenders. 
• Let the kids pulse the food processor. Have them count out loud, something like: "Push 1 - 2, Stop 1 -2" or "Down 1 - 2, Up 1 -2"
• This plant-based filling is perfect for taste-testing because it contains no raw eggs! 
• Show the kids how to press their crust around the sides of the tin and spoon in the filling. 

For more kid-friendly, plant-based recipes, follow Sweet Beets and check out the "Plant-Powered Families" cookbook: "Burton shares over 100 whole-food, vegan recipes—tested and approved by her own three children."