Sweet Anna's

Finding JOY in the kitchen, through easy, wholesome, made-from-scratch foods!

recipes - breakfast

dairy-free coconut streusel pumpkin coffee cake

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And I’m back!  After way too many long months of cookbook writing (and some health-craziness that I am still wading through) I am finally ready to get back into my kitchen!

This easy pumpkin coffee cake was the perfect way to ease back into things on this last-day-of-summer-that-feels-entirely-like-fall.

Dairy Free Coconut Streusel Pumpkin Coffee Cake | Sweet Anna's

Why dairy-free?  Well, let me fill you in.  My dairy-loving norwegian-self just found out that my body really can’t process dairy.

Yes, there were lots of tears shed.  No, there is no pill I can take.  And yes, I actually feel MUCH better already after just a few short weeks of this journey.

Am I happy about this turn of events in my life?  Not one bit.  Am I excited to actually feel good after spending way too many years of my life feeling ‘meh’?  Absolutely!

So, we journey on.  Yes, there will absolutely still be dairy involved in the recipes on this blog, but you will see more and more dairy-free recipes as I adjust to my new normal.

Dairy Free Coconut Streusel Pumpkin Coffee Cake | Sweet Anna's

With fall strongly in the air today, this coconut-streusel laced coffee cake was a no-brainer on the list of recipes I needed to convert first.  No dairy at all, but not missing a bit of flavor, you are sure to love this easy fall treat as much as I do!

Dairy Free Coconut Streusel Pumpkin Coffee Cake | Sweet Anna's

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dairy-free coconut streusel pumpkin coffee cake

Ingredients

    for the streusel:
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup sweetened-flaked coconut
  • 1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
    • for the cake:
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup melted virgin coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups pure pumpkin purée
  • 3 large eggs

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9x9" square baking dish (or a similar size pan - I used a very deep dish pie plate!); Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir together the streusel ingredients until combined; Set aside.
  3. In another medium bowl, stir together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon and salt for the cake; Set aside.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup coconut oil and 1/2 cup brown sugar until well blended. Stir in the pumpkin, and then beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just well combined.
  5. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined (don't over-mix!) and then spread half of the pumpkin batter into the greased baking dish and then top with half of the streusel mixture. Carefully spread the rest of the batter on top of that, and then sprinkle evenly with the remaining streusel.
  6. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean, with just a few crumbs on it - no wet batter.
  7. Let cool a bit before cutting and serving, if you can stand it!
http://sweetannas.com/2015/09/dairy-free-coconut-streusel-pumpkin-coffee-cake.html

spiced honey nut granola

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I’m standing in my kitchen surrounded by the intoxicating aroma of baking granola.  The sweet, spicy smells and the anticipation of the perfect crunchy satisfaction are almost driving my bonkers, and my stomach is growling insistently.

There is almost nothing better than baking a batch of fresh, homemade granola.  It is so incredibly simple to throw together, and the scent of granola in the oven is just plain heaven.  The sweet, nutty, cozy aroma just screams fall!

honey nut granola | Sweet Anna's

Have you ever made homemade granola?  If you haven’t, now’s the time!  Making granola is about the easiest thing you can do in your kitchen.  (And it’s an easy hands-on project for the kids too, if that’s your sort of thing!)

With less than 5 minutes of prep, and into the oven, sometimes I think I could make granola every day.  We snack on it by the handful and enjoy it on our morning bowls of yogurt.

honey nut granola | Sweet Anna's

Of course, I rarely seem to be able to make the same recipe twice (there are just too many fun variations of granola to enjoy!) but this spiced, nutty version is definitely one of my favorites.

And really, what’s better than a quick bowl of homemade granola and yogurt on a busy fall morning?!

spiced honey nut granola

Yield: makes about 8 cups of granola

Ingredients

  • 5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar*
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil
  • 2 cups sliced almonds, or other chopped nuts

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

In a large bowl, stir together the oats, brown sugar, spices and salt.

(I like my granola pretty mild since we usually eat it with yogurt and jam. If you want a sweeter granola, increase the brown sugar to 1/2 cup!)

In a small bowl, melt together the coconut oil and the honey in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until just melted (you can also do this in a small pan on the stove).

Stir the honey mixture into the oat mixture until well coated. Spread evenly onto a large, rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and stir in the nuts, and then bake another 15-20 minutes, until the granola is golden.

Remove from the oven and cool completely, stirring occasionally as it cools to prevent big clumps (unless you like big clumps, then by all means, leave it be!)

http://sweetannas.com/2014/10/spiced-honey-nut-granola.html

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What’s your favorite way to eat granola?  On yogurt?  With milk?  Just plain??

cinnamon chip pumpkin blondies

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Pumpkin already?!  Well, it’s raining and cool here today.  My kids start school in a week and a bit, and yours are probably close to it if not there already.

It doesn’t get much more fall-ish than this!

Cinnamon Chip Pumpkin Blondies | Sweet Anna's

So, to celebrate the beginning of fall (my favoritest season!) and the excitement of back-to-school (yay!), and the return of my all-time-favorite-cinnamon-baking-chips… here is an easy, delicious, fall-filled treat that will make your house smell amazing and your tummies happy.

If you’re looking for something different than your usual pumpkin bars/breads and you’re as ready for fall as I am, make these pumpkin blondies soon!

They are sweet, dense, flavorful, everything you love in a great brownie, but loaded with pumpkin and spices instead.  Delicious!

cinnamon chip pumpkin blondies

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, melted & slightly cooled
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups pure pumpkin purée (one 15oz can)
  • 1 2/3 cup cinnamon chips (one 10oz bag), divided (1 1/3 cup + 1/3 cup)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and lightly grease a 9x13" glass baking dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the melted & cooled butter and the sugars until very smooth (and not warm at all). Whisk in the egg, vanilla & pumpkin until smooth.

Gently whisk in the flour mixture and then fold in the 1 1/3 cup cinnamon chips.

Spread the batter into the greased 9x13" baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup cinnamon chips over the top of the batter.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.

Let cool completely before cutting and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 weeks if you'd like!

http://sweetannas.com/2014/08/cinnamon-chip-pumpkin-blondies.html

recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

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