party favourite

Why hello there, beautiful pumpkin season! These lovely pumpkin cookies are lightly crispy around the edges, tender and chewy in the middle, and the perfect light-tasting base for my Fluffy Pumpkin Pie Spice Buttercream. My recipe tester, Nicole, says they are like “airy, pumpkin spiced clouds with a delightful outer shell to sink your teeth into!” If you aren’t in the mood for frosting, and prefer a lightly sweet, wholesome-tasting cookie, they also taste great without the buttercream. You can use store bought pumpkin pie spice for convenience, or this recipe for Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix. In the Tips section, I’ve provided sifted whole-grain spelt and all-purpose white flour swap options for the white/light spelt flour. Be sure to check them out before you begin as the flour substitutions aren’t direct 1:1 swaps.

Perfect Little Pumpkin Cookies with Spiced Buttercream

(45 mL) grapeseed oil

(45 mL) pure maple syrup

(60 mL) unsweetened pumpkin purée

(30 mL) brown rice syrup

flaxseed

vanilla extract

(27 g) arrowroot starch

(60 g) natural cane sugar

pumpkin pie spice

fine sea salt

baking soda

(75 g) soy-free vegan butter

(190 g) powdered icing sugar,

Cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line one extra-large baking sheet (or two medium-sized sheets) with parchment paper.

To a small bowl, add the wet ingredients: grapeseed oil, maple syrup, pumpkin purée, brown rice syrup, ground flax, and vanilla. Whisk until combined.

To a large bowl, add the dry ingredients: almond flour, spelt flour, arrowroot starch, cane sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda. Whisk until combined.

Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture (being sure to scoop all of the wet ingredients stuck to the sides of the bowl), and stir until it comes together into a dense, very thick dough.

The dough will be very sticky, but this is normal! Scoop a slightly heaping 1 tablespoon of dough into your hand, and roll it into a ball. Continue with the remaining dough, placing each ball onto the baking sheet about 2 to 3 inches apart. If needed, you can lightly wet your fingers during this process. Do not flatten the balls before baking as they will spread out on their own.

Bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes until lightly golden (I like baking them until lightly golden as the edges get a bit crispy during cooling). Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheet. To speed up the cooling process, cool the cookies for 10 minutes on the pan then transfer the cookies to the fridge until completely cooled.

Meanwhile, prepare the Fluffy Pumpkin Pie Spice Frosting: To a large bowl, add the vegan butter. Using electric beaters, beat the butter until smooth (about 30 seconds). Add the powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Starting on low speed, beat until smooth and fluffy, gradually increasing the speed as the ingredients combine. It will look very crumbly at first, but it will eventually come together and become fluffy. If the frosting is still too dry, you can thin it with a tiny bit of almond milk (1/2 teaspoon at a time), and continue beating until smooth. If it’s too thin, you can add a little more powdered sugar and beat again until smooth.

Spread the frosting onto the completely cooled cookies, and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, if desired. Serve and enjoy! Leftover cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. The cookies will soften when sealed in a container.

These mild- to moderate-heat enchiladas will change your life! A delicious homemade Enchilada Sauce smothers a sweet potato, roasted red pepper, sun-dried tomato, and black bean filling wrapped in soft tortillas. After baking, I top it all off with a decadent Cilanto-Lime-Garlic Cashew Cream, green onion, cilantro, red pepper flakes, and chopped avocado. This dish will blow your taste buds away, I can promise you that! Please note that the prep time includes making the enchilada sauce and cashew cream in addition to the enchiladas. Yes, it's a labour-intensive recipe for sure, but you can save time the day of by prepping the cashew cream and enchilada sauce the day before.

Next Level Vegan Enchiladas

(260 g) peeled and chopped (1/2-inch dice) sweet potato

extra-virgin olive oil

red onion, diced (2 to 2 1/2 cups)

garlic cloves, minced

sun-dried tomatoes,

baby spinach, roughly chopped

(14-ounce 398 mL) can black beans

Homemade Enchilada Sauce (1 batch)

lime juice

chili powder

cumin

fine sea salt,

tortilla wraps

Cilantro-Lime-Garlic Cashew Cream

green onion, red pepper flakes, avocado, and cilantro

Prepare the Homemade Enchilada Sauce and soak the cashews for the Cilantro-Lime-Garlic Cashew Cream before you begin.

Lightly grease a large rectangular baking dish (at least 8x12 inches). Set aside.

Add the chopped sweet potato into a medium pot of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 9 to 15 minutes, uncovered, until fork tender. Drain and set aside. You can also steam the potatoes until tender, instead of boiling.

In a large skillet, stir together the oil, onion, and garlic and sauté over medium heat for around 3 to 5 minutes until the onion softens. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Add the chopped roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, cooked/drained sweet potato, spinach, and black beans. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat, until the spinach is wilted.

Stir in 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of homemade enchilada sauce, followed by the lime juice, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Adjust seasonings to taste, if desired.

Add 3/4 cup of Enchilada Sauce onto the bottom of your casserole dish and spread it out evenly.

Scoop 3/4 cup of the sweet potato and black bean filling onto each tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place it, seam side down, in the casserole dish. Repeat for the rest. If you have any leftover filling, you can spread it on top of the tortillas. Spread all of the remaining enchilada sauce on top of the tortillas until they are completely covered in sauce.

Bake the enchiladas, uncovered, at 350⁰F (180°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is a deep red colour and the enchiladas are heated through.

While the enchiladas are baking, prepare the Cilantro-Lime-Garlic Cashew Cream.

When enchiladas are ready to serve, add half of the cashew cream into a baggie, snip off the corner, and “pipe” the sauce all over the enchiladas. Alternatively, you can simply spread or dollop the sauce on top of each enchilada. Garnish with chopped cilantro, avocado, red pepper flakes, and green onion. Serve any remaining cashew cream on the side with a spoon.

This is a delicious, creamy vegan Caesar salad that will wow any crowd! Everyone who’s tried it goes absolutely nuts over it, and it’s my most popular salad recipe on the blog. To take it over the top, I garnish the salad with a generous amount of crunchy Roasted Chickpea Croutons and a delectable Nut and Seed Parmesan Cheese for the ultimate vegan Caesar salad. The dressing recipe easily doubles for a larger group and it’ll keep in the fridge in a sealed container for a few days so you can make it in advance.

Crowd-Pleasing Vegan Caesar Salad

(14-ounce 398 mL) can chickpeas (or 1 1/2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed

(5 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

fine grain sea salt

garlic powder

cayenne pepper (optional)

cashews,

(60 mL) water

(30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

(15 mL) lemon juice

Dijon mustard

garlic clove (you can add another if you like it super potent)

capers

fine grain sea salt and pepper, or

raw cashews

hemp seeds

garlic clove

yeast

(15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

fine grain sea salt,

small/medium bunch lacinato kale, destemmed (5 cups chopped)

romaine lettuce (10 cups chopped)

Soak cashews in a bowl of water overnight, or for at least a few hours. Drain and rinse.

Roast chickpea croutons: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Drain and rinse chickpeas. Place chickpeas in a tea towel and rub dry (it's okay if some skins fall off). Place onto large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle on oil and roll around to coat. Sprinkle on the garlic powder, salt, and optional cayenne. Toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes at 400°F (200°C), then gently roll the chickpeas around in the baking sheet. Roast for another 10 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden. They will firm up as they cool.

Prepare the dressing: Add the cashews and all other dressing ingredients (except salt) into a high-speed blender, and blend on high until the dressing is super smooth. You can add a splash of water if necessary to get it blending. Add salt to taste and adjust other seasonings, if desired. Set aside.

Prepare the Parmesan cheese: Add cashews and garlic into a mini food processor and process until finely chopped. Now add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse until the mixture is combined. Salt to taste.

Prepare the lettuce: Destem the kale and then finely chop the leaves. Wash and dry in a salad spinner. Place into extra large bowl. Chop up the romaine into bite-sized pieces. Rinse and then spin dry. Place into bowl along with kale. You should have roughly 5 cups chopped kale and 10 cups chopped romaine.

Assemble: Add dressing onto lettuce and toss until fully coated. Season with a pinch of salt and mix again. Now sprinkle on the roasted chickpeas and the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Classic Snickerdoodles made vegan and gluten-free! These cookies are crispy around the edge, chewy in the middle, and coated in a cinnamon sugar. I KNOW. For a non-gf version, try my other Snickerdoodle recipe made with whole wheat pastry flour.

Snickerdoodles (vegan + gluten-free)

ground flax seed + 1 1/2 tablespoons water

cane sugar (see note)

virgin coconut oil, melted

almond milk (optional, see directions)

gluten-free oat flour*

almond flour (not almond meal)

sorghum flour

arrowroot powder

cream of tartar

cinnamon

cane sugar

Preheat oven to 375F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small bowl or mug, mix the flax and water to make the flax egg. Set aside.

 In a medium sized bowl stir together the sugar, melted coconut oil, and vanilla until incorporated. Add in the flax egg and stir until combined.

In another bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together (oat flour, almond flour, sorghum flour, arrowroot powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and pinch of cinnamon). Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir well. The dough will be very dry at first, but it will come together if you get in there with your hands and knead it a few times. Add the optional almond milk if your dough is too dry. You need to be able to form balls of the dough without it cracking, but you don't want it super wet either (or it will spread out too much when baking).

Mix the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. Take about 1.5 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Roll in cinnamon sugar and place on baking sheet at least a couple inches apart. Repeat for the rest.

Bake for 10-11 minutes. (I baked for 10 minutes and the edges were slightly crispy after cooling.) For a soft cookie, bake less time. For a crispy cookie bake longer. Cool for about 3 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cool.

Meet your new favourite summer salad! This delightful combination of strawberries, avocado, basil, and tomatoes is tossed with a touch of extra-virgin olive oil, and drizzled with homemade balsamic reduction for a refreshing, lightly sweet salad that's great on a hot day.

Avocado Strawberry Caprese

(80 mL) balsamic vinegar

(135 g) strawberries

(160 g) grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

avocado,

(8 g) loosely packed basil leaves, chiffonade cut

olive oil

salt

black pepper,

Toasted sesame seeds or chopped pecans, for serving

In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar to a simmer over medium heat. Once the vinegar starts to simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 6 to 10 minutes, uncovered, until the vinegar thickens, and reduces in volume by half. Set aside.

Meanwhile, add the strawberries, tomatoes, avocado, and basil into a large shallow bowl.

Drizzle on the oil and gently toss until the veggies are coated. Season generously with salt and pepper and toss again just briefly.

Scatter on your desired amount of toasted seeds or nuts. Drizzle on all of the balsamic reduction.

Serve immediately. This salad is definitely best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for a few hours if necessary.

One of my all-time favourite ways to enjoy Yukon Gold potatoes! Smashed, crispy, and served with an addictive—yet healthy—avocado garlic aioli sauce. These smashed potatoes make a killer side dish. I recommend looking for potatoes on the smaller side if you can, as they "smash" a bit easier, but larger potatoes will turn out fine too.

Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Avocado Garlic Aioli

Yukon Gold potatoes (or try red

(30 to 45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

salt and black pepper,

Garlic powder

parsley, minced

garlic cloves

(22 mL) fresh lemon juice,

(60 mL) soy-free Vegenaise (or vegan mayo of choice)

Add potatoes into a large pot and cover with water (do not peel the potatoes). Turn the heat to high. When the water starts to boil, reduce heat slightly, and simmer the potatoes uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until fork tender.

When there is about 10 minutes left of boiling the potatoes, begin preheating the oven to 450°F (230°C).

When the potatoes are fork tender, drain in a colander and cool for 5 minutes or so.

Place the potatoes on a large, lightly greased baking sheet. (Skip the parchment paper for this recipe, as an oiled baking sheet with produce crispier potatoes.) With the base of a mug or metal measuring cup, "smash" (press down on) each potato until each one is mostly flattened. Some potatoes might break apart a little, but this is totally fine!

Drizzle each potato with about 1 teaspoon of oil and sprinkle on a generous amount of salt and pepper. Finally, sprinkle on some garlic powder.

Roast the potatoes in the oven for 25 to 33 minutes until crispy, golden, and browned on the bottom. Keep an eye on them as cook time will vary depending on the size of your potatoes. I love to roast these until the skins become a deep golden brown and crispy—they are so delicious to eat!

Meanwhile, prepare the Avocado Garlic Aioli: Add garlic into food processor and process until minced. Now add the rest of the aioli ingredients and process until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and sprinkle each with chopped fresh parsley, more sea salt, and pepper. Serve immediately with avocado aioli (piped or dolloped on) and watch them go lightning fast!!

This is the ultimate bowl of winter comfort food! Yukon Gold potatoes and green beans are roasted until crisp and golden and then tossed with warm quinoa, shredded kale, green onion, and a speedy roasted garlic and red wine vinaigrette. I topped this cozy bowl with crunchy toasted pepita seeds and creamy sliced avocado. Feel free to swap the potatoes with whatever variety you have on hand (yellow or red potatoes work great in a pinch). Spelt berries or millet might be a nice sub for the quinoa if you feel like changing up the grain.

Warm and Roasted Winter Quinoa Bowl

garlic cloves, peel

(200 g) uncooked quinoa

(40 g) stemmed and finely chopped kale (optional)

(50 g) green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

(40 g) toasted pepita seeds

(60 mL) red wine vinegar

(60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

pepper,

(15 mL) pure maple syrup,

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) and line one extra-large baking sheet (or two large baking sheets) with parchment paper.

Place the chopped potatoes, green beans, and garlic cloves (leaving the peel on) onto the baking sheet. Toss with the oil and season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Spread into an even layer.

Roast for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and flip before continuing to roast for about 10 to 20 more minutes until the potatoes and beans are tender and golden brown in some spots.

Meanwhile, cook the quinoa by adding it to a medium pot along with 1 3/4 cups (430 mL) water. Bring to a low boil before reducing heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and leave the lid on to keep warm.

Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk all of the dressing ingredients together and set aside.

When the vegetables are finished roasting, trim the end off each garlic clove and push the roasted garlic out. Mash the garlic with a fork, then whisk it into the dressing until combined.

Spoon the potatoes and beans into a large serving bowl. Now add the quinoa along with the kale and green onions (if using). Pour all of the dressing onto the vegetables and toss to coat.

Season with salt and pepper (to taste) and top with pepitas and sliced avocado. Serve immediately. The salad will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. Leftovers can be reheated in an oiled skillet over medium heat until warmed through. It's great cold, too! 

I love having prepped food in the fridge, but don’t love doing hours of meal prep each week. So I came up with this simple method that takes just 25 minutes of active prep time. The healthy food components can be enjoyed for several days in power bowls, wraps, and even stirred into soups! Power bowls are so fun for family meals because you can switch up the veggies and toppings to suit each palate, giving kids control to build their own bowls. This recipe is also a handy make-ahead option if you’re having friends over for a meal. Simply chop all the veggies the night before and refrigerate them in containers. Just before your guests arrive, pop the veggies into the oven, cook the quinoa, and prep the toppings. After cooking, you can all have fun assembling your own power bowls and everyone will be super impressed by the stunning rainbow-coloured meal!

Meal Prep Week-Long Power Bowls

(680 g) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (4 cups)

(500 g) brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved*

(230 g) red onion, peeled and chopped

(500 g) red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

(45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper,

(400 g) uncooked quinoa**

(370 g) English cucumber, chopped

medium (135 g) bunch green onions, chopped

(255 g) grape tomatoes (1 dry pint)

Chopped lettuce/greens (Romaine, Iceberg, kale, etc)

Salad dressing***

Ripe avocados

beans

Nuts and seeds (I use hemp hearts and roasted pepitas)

Hummus or pesto

Position two oven racks near the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two extra-large (15- x 21-inches) rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. It’s important to use extra-large baking sheets so there’s enough room for all those healthy veggies.

Divide the chopped, “to-be-roasted” veggies onto the baking sheets. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil over top each sheet and toss the veggies until they’re fully coated in the oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Roast the veggies for 30 to 40 minutes (I find 35 minutes is perfect in my oven for lightly charred veggies) until fork tender and golden. There’s no need to rotate/move the pans or flip the veggies halfway through baking unless you’re particular about even cooking.

While the veggies are roasting, add the quinoa to a large pot along with 3 1/2 cups (875 mL) water. Stir. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low-medium, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for 12 to 14 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove the lid and fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork.

While the quinoa cooks, chop the cucumber and green onions. Rinse the tomatoes (I hold off slicing them until just before serving).

Remove the roasted veggies from the oven. Once mostly cool, transfer all of the veggies and quinoa into containers, seal with airtight lids, and place into the fridge for up to 4 days.

To make the power bowls: Add a couple generous handfuls of chopped lettuce/greens to the bottom of a large shallow bowl. Drizzle with a bit of dressing and toss the lettuce/greens until coated. Top with spoonfuls of your prepped food (quinoa, roasted and fresh veggies)—I always warm up the quinoa and roasted veggies first! Now, add diced avocado, more salad dressing, cooked beans or lentils, nuts and seeds, and hummus or pesto. Keep the power bowl flavours interesting by changing up the toppings each day!

Crunchy, chewy, with a crispy outer shell, these delicious veggie burgers have all the right elements we love in a veggie burger. Light on the beans, these burgers aren’t mushy in the middle, but have a nice mixture of veggies, bread crumbs, chopped oats, sunflower seeds, and spices to round them out.

Our Perfect Veggie Burger

flax

(80 mL) warm water

(14-ounce 398 mL) can black beans, drained and rinsed

red onion or yellow onion

carrots

parsley

sunflower seeds, toasted

oregano

rolled oats, processed into a coarse meal*

bread crumbs (or bread crumbs of choice)

oat flour (or flour of choice), as needed

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk the ground flax and water in a small bowl and set aside for about 5 minutes so it can thicken.

Into a large mixing bowl, add the drained black beans. With a potato masher, mash the beans until 2/3 of the mixture is a bean "paste" while leaving about 1/3 of the beans mostly intact.

In a medium skillet, add the oil and increase the heat to medium. Stir in the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until the onion softens. Transfer the onion mixture into the bowl with the mashed beans.

Stir in the flax egg, grated carrots, parsley (or cilantro), sunflower seeds, tamari, chili powder, oregano, and cumin until thoroughly combined.

Now, stir in the coarsely chopped oats, bread crumbs, and oat flour until the mixture comes together. It should be easy to shape the dough into patties. Stir in the salt and pepper, to taste.

Shape the dough into 8 patties (roughly 1/3 cup of dough per patty). Pack the dough together tightly as this will help it stick together. Place onto the baking sheet.

Bake patties for 15 minutes, gently flip, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until patties are firm and golden.

Cool the patties on a cooling rack for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This helps them firm up a bit.

Serve in a bun or lettuce wrap with your desired toppings. Leftover burgers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, or you can freeze cooled patties for up to 1 month. Simply wrap each patty in tinfoil and then place all of the wrapped burgers into a zip freezer bag.

Top 26 party favourite recipes from across the web

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Top 26 party favourite recipes from across the web

The most viewed party favourite recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Perfect Little Pumpkin Cookies with...

Next Level Vegan Enchiladas

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Snickerdoodles (vegan + gluten-free...

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Our Perfect Veggie Burger

Easy Chocolate Hemp Protein Balls

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Triple Almond Energy Balls

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Crowd-Pleasing Vegan Caesar Salad

Meal Prep Week-Long Power Bowls

The most viewed party favourite recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine